Description:

Description:
The Staff Attorney is the primary client contact for a wide variety of important legal matters for our professional, non-profit law office. The Staff Attorney position upholds a strict level of organization, communication, confidentiality and professionalism.

Position: Staff Attorney
Experience: One year minimum
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Term of Employment: Regular, Full-Time
Other: FLSA Exempt, Union Position

About Senior Legal Services (www.seniorlegal.org)
SLS has provided high-quality, free legal services to elderly residents of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties since 1972. The highest priority of the organization is to defend the right of the elderly to quality health care, social integration, to secure their persons and property, and to be free of discrimination based on age or disability.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Under direct supervision of the Executive Director and/or Supervising Attorney, the Staff Attorney will primarily handle all aspects of housing cases with an emphasis on eviction defense. Duties include but are not limited to:

Intake screening
Interviewing clients about their legal issues
Investigates and conducts legal research
Provides information, advice, community outreach, education, and referrals
Prepares legal forms and correspondence, negotiates settlements with attorneys and administrative agencies, assists in representation of clients at administrative and court hearings.
Maintain client database and prepare statistical reports for grant purposes.
Participate in weekly case review, monthly staff meetings, and other SLS activities.
Maintain contemporaneous time records in case management system.
Engage in professional development, including attending training, engaging in self-study to ensure providing accurate, updating information on legal options and processes surrounding housing law.
Establish and maintain professional relationships interactions with various partnering and community agencies.
Maintain great working relationships and positive communication with all staff.
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Have active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.
At least one year of experience conducting state court litigation or providing legal representation or advice.
Have direct client service experience.
Have excellent writing and oral communication skills.
Sensitive to the needs of elderly clients.
Be familiar with Elder Law issues such as elder abuse restraining orders, Social Security, Powers of Attorney, and other areas of law handled by SLS.

Physical Requirements:
Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to grasp, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The employee is required to sit, walk and stand for extended periods of time. The employee must be able to work for 8 hours in close quarters with other employees. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.