The California Center for Movement Legal Services is a growing team of attorneys whose practice combines eviction defense, affirmative litigation, and policy advocacy, always working closely with and in support of community organizers. Originally incubated as the in-house legal department of the grassroots Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), which needed attorneys who understood how to work with community, Movement Legal has to date drafted more than 30 policies for jurisdictions across California and filed affirmative lawsuits against landlords who failed to follow tenant legal protections.

While staying within the ACCE family, Movement Legal has recently evolved into an independent, legal-focused non-profit organization, which will allow the organization to grow and support more tenants across California. For our next chapter, we are seeking tenant attorneys to build a team in Los Angeles.

TITLE: Senior Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney

SALARY: $80-90,000 (Senior Staff Attorney) / $70-80,000 (Staff Attorney)

HOURS: 36 hours per week

LOCATION: Hybrid in Los Angeles: Office / Court / Remote

CLASSIFICATION: Full-Time Exempt

REQUIREMENTS:

Licensed to practice law in California
Minimum two years of litigation experience (Senior Staff Attorney)
References including litigation colleagues/supervisor

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Senior Staff Attorney and Staff Attorney will litigate unlawful detainer cases in the spirit and scope of impact litigation, policy development, and community organizing. Movement Legal retains unlawful detainer cases in support of ongoing tenant organizing or to implement new legal protections passed by Movement Legal or our partners’ advocacy. The primary role will be providing eviction defense representation to tenants, tenant organizers, and tenant associations, managing a caseload of approximately 40 cases per year.

The Senior Staff Attorney will play a key role in creating the structure and culture of a legal team that will grow annually in terms of staff, caseload, and salaries. This position will also do occasional work on policy advocacy matters for ACCE or other organizational clients, including ordinance drafting and advocacy with elected officials’ offices. The Senior Staff Attorney will be mentored in these areas but will require a strong foundation in litigation.

DUTIES INCLUDE:

Making court appearances, including hearings, settlement conferences, and jury trials;
Drafting complaints, motions, pleadings, and discovery;
Drafting demand letters on behalf of clients;
Attending 1-2 night legal clinics a month and providing brief legal advice to clients;
Conducting legal research; and
Interviewing clients.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES (Senior Staff Attorney):

Researching best practices or policies for tenant rights legislation;
Drafting and advocating for legislation;
Attending coalition meetings;
Providing supervision and support to staff attorneys;
Making media appearances; and
Drafting legal know-your-rights materials and making presentations for community members and attorneys.

TO APPLY:

Send a copy of your resume and references to smedina@movementlegal.org. References should include a litigation colleague or supervisor. No cover letter is necessary, but the initial interview will focus on your litigation experience, professional goals, and community values. Movement Legal is committed to an inclusive, diverse, and accommodating work environment.

California Center for Movement Legal Services jobs

Senior Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney