Description:

About the Position:
Are you interested in joining an organization dedicated to increasing access to justice while addressing systemic inequities among the most vulnerable members of the Greater Los Angeles area? If yes, LAFLA is the place for you!

The VJC Attorney will work on our Veterans of Color Advocacy Project (VOCAP). VOCAP is the first project of its kind geared toward assisting Veterans with criminal records through the expungement process. Attorneys will provide legal assistance to justice involved veterans. It will require working collaboratively with community-based organizations and volunteers to provide record clearing services to veterans. The position will also require supervision of volunteers in a clinic setting including in a pre-clinic phase and a hearing phase.

LAFLA is currently accepting applications for the position of Attorney – Veterans Justice Center.

This position is part of a special program created using designated funds. There is no assurance of ongoing funding or employment beyond October 2024.

Qualifications:

Active membership in the California State Bar;
Some knowledge of criminal law and post conviction relief is preferred;
Demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of low-income veterans and reentry populations;
Ability to work effectively as part of a team including other attorneys, support staff, volunteers, and community partners;
Excellent writing and public speaking skills;
Ability to work effectively with a large caseload and function professionally within a highly stressful environment; and;
Willingness to work beyond a minimum 7.0 hour workday, including evening and weekend meetings and events, and workweeks in excess of 35 hours when caseload or other obligations so necessitate.

Examples of Duties:

Interview, counsel and represent clients on various legal issues including the expungement of criminal records, sentence reduction, citation defense, and other post-conviction/criminal record related work;
Work collaboratively with and supervise volunteers in a variety of virtual and in-person clinic settings, including those at which record clearing petitions are completed;
Represent veterans in expungement hearings;
Create and deliver trainings for volunteers participating in all aspects of the clinic, including participants in the pre-clinic and hearing components of the program;
Coordinate logistics of virtual clinics;
Develop tracking tools to help evaluate the effectiveness of the program and assist in preparation of reports related to the same;
Provide workshops/trainings and other community outreach projects on various relevant legal topics;
Learn various legal areas to remove clients' legal barriers to employment; and other duties as assigned;
Contribute to the organization's DEI plan and goals (via surveys, interviews, etc), supporting all DEI initiatives and helping to promote inclusion in a thoughtful way;