Description:
Full Job Description:The Tenants Law Firm is seeking an experienced Trial Attorney with substantial first-chair trial experience to join our growing plaintiff-side practice focused on protecting tenants' rights and holding negligent landlords accountable.
The ideal candidate is a confident courtroom advocate with a strong background in civil litigation, trial strategy, and complex dispute resolution. We are particularly interested in attorneys with direct experience handling tenant rights, residential habitability, landlord negligence, unsafe living conditions, and related housing litigation.
Attorneys with significant first-chair trial experience in other plaintiff-side or civil litigation practices may also be considered if they demonstrate the ability to transition their skills to tenant rights and habitability cases.
This opportunity is suited for an attorney who can independently manage litigation, develop compelling case strategies, negotiate favorable outcomes, and confidently take cases to trial when necessary.
Compensation: $120,000–$200,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications, with additional bonus opportunities tied to settlements and other performance considerations. Compensation and bonus terms may be individually negotiated based on experience, availability, and the Firm's needs.
Responsibilities:
- Manage plaintiff-side tenant rights and habitability cases from initial evaluation through settlement or trial.
- Develop litigation strategies involving landlord negligence, unsafe or uninhabitable rental properties, failure to repair, mold and water intrusion, pest infestations, and other housing-related violations.
- Demonstrate substantial first-chair trial experience, including the ability to independently lead courtroom proceedings and present cases before a judge or jury.
- Conduct and manage written discovery, document production, depositions, subpoenas, evidence analysis, and factual investigations.
- Take and defend depositions of tenants, landlords, property managers, maintenance personnel, corporate representatives, and expert witnesses.
- Draft pleadings, discovery requests and responses, dispositive motions, trial briefs, and other litigation documents.
- Represent clients at court hearings, case management conferences, mediations, settlement conferences, arbitrations when applicable, and trials.
- Prepare and execute trial strategies, including witness preparation, exhibit selection, motions in limine, jury instructions, voir dire, opening statements, direct and cross-examination, and closing arguments.
- Evaluate liability, damages, supporting evidence, expert opinions, tenant losses, relocation expenses, property damage, and other potentially recoverable damages.
- Negotiate with opposing counsel, landlords, property owners, management companies, and their representatives to pursue favorable client outcomes.
- Maintain ownership of case progression, litigation deadlines, client communication, and case strategy while collaborating with the Firm's legal team.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen cases, maximize client recovery, and advance the Firm's mission of protecting tenants from negligent and unlawful housing practices.
Qualifications:
- J.D. from an accredited law school.
- Active California Bar membership in good standing.
- Substantial first-chair trial experience is a key requirement. Candidates must be able to demonstrate meaningful responsibility for leading trials, not simply assisting trial counsel.
- Strong background in tenant rights, landlord-tenant disputes, residential habitability, or related plaintiff-side litigation preferred.
- Attorneys with transferable experience in plaintiff-side civil litigation, premises liability, negligence, consumer protection, or other trial-intensive practice areas are encouraged to apply.
- Demonstrated experience managing cases independently from initial evaluation through resolution.
- Strong command of discovery, depositions, motion practice, trial preparation, settlement negotiations, and courtroom advocacy.
- Excellent legal writing, analytical reasoning, negotiation, and oral advocacy skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound legal judgment, and maintain ownership of a litigation caseload.
- A results-oriented mindset, strong client advocacy skills, and a commitment to representing tenants facing unsafe housing conditions and landlord negligence.
- Competitive compensation with individually negotiated terms based on experience.
- Additional bonus opportunities tied to settlements and performance.
- Opportunity to take a leading role in meaningful tenant rights and habitability litigation.
- A practice focused on holding negligent landlords accountable and advocating for tenants.
- Flexible working arrangements and scheduling, subject to the Firm's operational and case demands.
- Candidates may come from the following practice areas:
- Tenant Rights Attorney
- Habitability Attorney
- Landlord-Tenant Litigation Attorney
- Plaintiff-Side Trial Attorney
- Civil Litigation Trial Attorney
- First-Chair Trial Attorney
- Premises Liability Attorney
- Plaintiff-Side Negligence Attorney
- Consumer Protection Litigation Attorney
- Housing Litigation Attorney
