Staff Attorney - Consumer Rights & Economic Justice

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel organizes its work through seven legal teams: Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice (CREJ), Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Education Equity, and our impact litigation team, Opportunity Under Law.

Public Counsel has a staff of approximately 170. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

ABOUT CONSUMER RIGHTS & ECONOMIC JUSTICE

CREJ advances racial and economic justice by representing and advocating for individuals who are low-income and their families to improve their financial futures, safeguard intergenerational wealth, address systemic inequalities, and oppose the institutions and companies that take advantage of the communities we serve. Our diverse team provides direct services to low-income people in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, engages in impact litigation on consumer and civil rights issues, and advocates for laws and policies to protect consumers and the economically vulnerable at the local, state and national levels. In addition to a core group of attorneys and staff dedicated to consumer and economic justice issues, CREJ encompasses access to justice clinics for state appellate and federal self-represented litigants. CREJ also runs Cancer Justice, a national program focused on the legal and financial impacts of cancer, particularly issues affecting economic stability and health equity.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Directing Attorney, the Staff Attorney will:

• Manage the provision of appellate self-help services in the California Second District Court of Appeal in downtown Los Angeles, with a view toward expanding into other districts
• Utilize, maintain, and manage the latest Artificial Intelligence and other technology tools to enhance clinic offerings and assist litigants
• Manage existing grants and ensure deliverables are accurately accounted for and reported
• Assist the Directing Attorney in pursuing grant opportunities and funding in relation to appellate and access to justice work
• Assist the Directing Attorney and Director of Pro Bono to expand our network of volunteers who regularly assist in the provision of services to self-represented litigants
• Directly supervise volunteers in the delivery of appellate self-represented litigant services
• Liaise with court staff at all levels to ensure the smooth running of clinic operations
• Develop presentations and self-help and instructional materials for litigants, including videos
• Provide training where necessary, including related to using the latest technologies in expanding access to justice, to enable volunteers to effectively serve self-represented litigants
• Engage in appellate advocacy on Public Counsel cases, with opportunities for brief writing and oral argument, as clinic responsibilities allow and consistent with skills, experience, and interest
• Contribute to the CREJ team and Public Counsel as a whole by taking part in organization-wide activities, including integrating diversity, equity and inclusion policies into our work and workplace
• Represent Public Counsel in external meetings and events as appropriate
• Perform other job duties as assigned