Tenant Legal Services Attorney

Community Economic Defense Project•Denver, CO

7d•$75,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit that partners with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth. Launched in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, CEDP has expanded its integrated services model to include disaster response, predatory towing, debt collection, benefit access & navigation, long-term rental assistance, and homelessness response. The organization serves over 1,000 people per month, bringing together housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy experts, organizers, and technologists. CEDP's model has been cited as a best practice by the White House and HUD. The Tenant Legal Services Attorney role supports the Clinic and Community Law team by providing limited representation and advice, know-your-rights education, and legal information. This role also supports internal non-legal teams and community partners, and contributes to setting the strategic scope of the tenant legal practice through data tracking, trend analysis, and research. The attorney will be responsible for meeting grant goals by attending clinic and community events, closing cases, providing educational sessions, and potentially assisting with litigation and other projects.

Requirements

Colorado bar admission and JD or the ability to waive in and practice pending admission.
At least 1 year of legal experience with litigation experience preferred and a preference towards candidates with 3+ years of experience in housing litigation, which could include eviction defense or affirmative housing work in both or either trial or appeals.
Demonstrated passion for social and racial justice.
A supportive, client-focused attitude.
Strong desire to center client and community needs.
Ability to work collaboratively with other attorneys, paralegals, legal support staff, and supervisors in a rapid-change environment centered on social justice and equity.
Must be available to attend events approximately 3-5x a month on weekends and evenings and have reliable transportation to attend events. Most events occur in Denver Metro area, but some are in Colorado Springs or rural Colorado, requiring occasional overnight stays.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
A creative, self-driven attitude.
Strong organizational abilities.
Knowledge of MS Office suite, CLIO, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat desired.

Nice To Haves

Spanish language fluency is not required but is a strong plus and is eligible for an additional stipend.

Responsibilities

Attend the Denver Courthouse Clinic and Community Events weekly, some of which occur on weekends and evenings.
Advise and provide limited representation to clients at these events.
Provide support to Community Partners and internal non-legal teams in the form of know-your-rights and legal education trainings.
Assist with tracking and analyzing trends to inform legal strategy and strategic focus in response to community need with the assistance of the Clinic and Community Law team.
Conduct research on the most important legal issues our clients face.
Assist with defensive or affirmative litigation if desired.
Assist with other projects as needed.
Be responsible for completing case goals and grant requirements.
Coordinate across CEDP to ensure holistic service of legal clients when appropriate and consented to by client.
Complete required documentation for case and data tracking.
May include the supervision of legal support staff if desired.
Assist with staff training and onboarding, substantive skills development, and professional development and growth with support from other attorneys and the Directors of Tenant Legal Services.
Take on new, and modify existing, duties as the law firm and its needs evolve, grow, or shift.