Description:

Position Summary:
The Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino (LASSB) seeks a mission-driven Staff Attorney to serve low-income clients in family law or housing (eviction defense). Join a dedicated team making justice accessible to thousands of families across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Depending on your background and current program needs, you will focus on one of two high-impact practice areas — helping families navigate custody, domestic violence, and related family matters, or defending tenants facing eviction and displacement.

This position offers the opportunity to make a direct, meaningful impact on people's lives in a supportive, mission-driven environment that prioritizes career development. If you are an enthusiastic, community-minded advocate who wants to use the law for progressive social impact, we encourage you to apply. Public interest experience and Spanish fluency are helpful but not required.

About LASSB
Founded in 1958, the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino has provided free civil legal services to low-income and underserved residents of the Inland Empire for more than six decades. With a dedicated team of fewer than 45 staff members and volunteer attorneys, we serve over 8,000 households annually — impacting more than 20,000 individuals each year.

We are a dynamic team of attorneys and advocates with a vision to transform the Inland Empire into a place of justice and opportunity for the economically challenged, elderly, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and others singled out by inequities in our legal system. LASSB pursues cutting-edge technology and innovation to maximize impact and outcomes for the communities we serve.

What You'll Do:
This role focuses on either family law or housing (eviction defense) based on your experience and program needs. Responsibilities below span both practice areas.

Provide Legal Advice & Counsel

Conduct client consultations to assess legal issues and provide advice — in family law (dissolution, legal separation, custody and visitation, domestic violence restraining orders, parentage, and child and spousal support) or in housing (eviction / unlawful detainer defense, landlord-tenant disputes, and related habitability and foreclosure matters).
Explain legal processes, rights, obligations, and options in clear, accessible language, and recommend appropriate legal strategies.
Conduct legal research to address complex legal issues and provide ongoing guidance throughout client matters.

Document Preparation, Advocacy & Representation

Prepare pleadings, letters, motions, declarations, orders, judgments, and applications for relief that comply with California law, local court rules, and procedural requirements.
Negotiate with opposing parties and counsel, landlords, and government agencies to resolve matters efficiently and in clients' best interests.
Represent clients in court trials, hearings, mediation, arbitration, and before administrative agencies, or prepare clients to file, serve, and represent themselves effectively when full representation is not provided.
Manage high volumes of advice and document-preparation matters while meeting productivity goals and quality standards.

Community Education & Mentorship

Conduct community outreach, legal-education workshops, and presentations for community partners and the client community.
Train, mentor, and support volunteer attorneys, paralegals, student interns, and fellows, reviewing work product and providing constructive feedback.

Case Management & Compliance

Maintain accurate, organized case files and document all client interactions and services in the case-management system, in compliance with organizational policies and grant requirements.
Track case outcomes and required statistical data, and stay current on changes in family law or housing law and court procedures.
Participate in staff meetings, case consultations, training sessions, and organizational initiatives, and engage in ongoing professional development and CLE.

Qualifications:
Required:

Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California.
Minimum one year of legal experience; recent law graduates with substantial clinical, internship, or law-school experience in family law or housing/landlord-tenant law are encouraged to apply.
Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with excellent document-drafting abilities and attention to detail.
Effective communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts to clients of varying education levels and to advise clients in sensitive, emotionally challenging situations.
Strong organizational and case-management skills and the ability to manage multiple matters under strict deadlines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and legal-research platforms (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis).
Commitment to serving low-income communities and advancing access to justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Valid California driver's license and reliable transportation for court appearances, office meetings, and community events.
Ability to successfully complete a background check required by funding sources.

Preferred:

Knowledge of eviction / unlawful detainer, foreclosure, family law, negotiation, and trial processes.
Prior work in legal aid, self-help centers, public interest law, or serving underserved populations.
Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish.
Training in trauma-informed advocacy or client-centered representation, and familiarity with California Judicial Council forms and procedures.
Experience with case-management software and knowledge of community resources for legal-aid clients.

Schedule & Work Environment

Full-time, hybrid: work is performed across home, office, and court or community settings based on organizational needs and mutual agreement.
Four 10-hour days per week (compressed 40-hour workweek).
Occasional travel within San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, and occasional evening or weekend community events.
Primarily sedentary work with extended computer use; ability to lift and carry files and materials up to approximately 15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.