The Clean Slate Clinic of the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is seeking a Staff Attorney/Clinical Supervisor to provide representation and advocacy on behalf of low-income people who face economic barriers due to criminal convictions, and to train and supervise law student interns. The ideal candidate is a strong legal advocate with excellent case management and organizational skills, experience designing and implementing new legal advocacy practices, experience in criminal law and employment law, interest in training law students, a commitment to community lawyering, and a passion for working with low-income people impacted by the criminalization of poverty and contact with the criminal justice system.

EBCLC is a non-profit legal services organization and a community-based clinical program for Berkeley Law School, committed to increasing justice through education and advocacy. With over 50 staff, 150 law students, and a $5 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County and provides multimodal, collaborative, and holistic services to over 5,000 clients yearly. We also engage in legislative and policy advocacy at the local and state level.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide advice, counsel, limited scope representation, direct legal representation and assistance to low-income clients throughout Alameda County, including but not limited to: petitioning for criminal records remedies (dismissal of convictions, felony reductions, early termination of probation, recall of warrants, Certificate of Rehabilitation & Pardon, sealing of arrest and diversion records); correcting inaccurate public and private criminal record reports; enforcing federal and state consumer protections that mandate accurate and fair criminal history reporting in the commercial criminal background checks sold to private employers and landlords; advocate with the court and DMV for people charged with or convicted of offenses that affect their driver’s licenses (and therefore their chance at employment); and advocate for clients trying to obtain or keep occupational licenses and/or waivers to work in a licensed facility following contact with law enforcement
• Collaborate and coordinate with community partners and organizations to connect clients with other services needed to remove barriers to employment, including employment training services and other legal services, and to engage in policy advocacy related to barriers to economic security and opportunity following contact with the court system
• Perform community outreach and legal education regarding reentry legal services
• Represent clients in criminal court and in administrative hearings (in appeals from denials of professional licensure)
• Teach, train, and supervise clinical law students, legal fellows, and volunteer attorneys, including substantive law and skills training, weekly individual and group case reviews, and day-to-day monitoring of individual tasks
• Complete administrative tasks, such as those related to grant management, reporting, and client case management
• Participate in ongoing professional development to improve client services and student supervision
• Additional tasks as assigned by Supervisor

Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. required
• Admission to the California Bar, or commitment to apply for admission in the next 12 months
• Ability to manage a demanding caseload; excellent time management, priority-setting and organizational skills
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of groups, including formerly incarcerated people, people of color, homeless people, immigrants, non-English speakers, people with mental disabilities, people experiencing domestic violence, law students, service providers, government employees, community partners, elected officials, and law school faculty
• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Experience with, or strong interest in, law student supervision and teaching

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2 years member of the California State Bar in good standing
• 2 years of legal experience, preferably in traffic court, administrative hearings, and/or criminal court
• Experience and interest in immigration law
• Experience providing legal services to low-income people
• Fluency in Spanish, Tagalog, Mandarin, or Cantonese

Salary:

This is a full-time salaried (exempt) position starting as soon as possible and ideally by August 1, 2017, with a nonprofit salary commensurate with experience.  Generous benefits package includes 100% employer-funded medical, dental, and vision plans (including dependent coverage), paid time off, and retirement options.

Application Procedure:

Interested applicants should submit application materials by email to jobs@ebclc.org (include “Clean Slate Attorney” in the subject line). Application materials should include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for three professional references. The application deadline is Friday, June 30, 2017.

EBCLC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. EBCLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities.

 Link to job description