The Legal Clinic is one of the five programs of Bread for the City, a non-profit organization providing free services to low-income residents of Washington, DC. Bread for the City takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of poor clients and provides a range of services including supplemental food, clothing, medical care, legal assistance, and social work services. Please see www.breadforthecity.org for more information.
The Bread for the City Legal Clinic
exists to ensure better access to justice for low-income individuals in our
nation’s capital. The Legal Clinic
provides front-line civil legal services primarily in three areas of law: housing, family, and public benefits. Our Housing Law practice includes defending
tenants against complaints for possession of real estate, affirmative
litigation on behalf of tenants and tenant associations, representation at
administrative agencies, and advice and counsel in a variety of housing-related
matters.
The Legal Clinic in our Southeast Center is seeking one attorney with 1-3
years’ experience for our Housing Law practice.
Specifically, we seek one attorney to work in the new Court-Based Legal
Services Project. The attorney will work
one or two days per week in an office at the Landlord/Tenant Branch of D.C.
Superior Court, providing immediate representation to referred clients in
emergency matters. Many of those cases
will then be retained by our clinic for continued representation by the court-based
attorney. The attorney will also
maintain a caseload of other housing matters that come through the clinic’s
regular intake procedures, and conduct advocacy, education and other outreach
activities. This
project is in collaboration with other legal services providers.
A J.D. degree, excellent research
and writing skills, outstanding oral communication skills, strong
organizational skills, a high degree of flexibility, an ability to work
collaboratively with other staff, as well as self-motivation. Some knowledge or experience in housing law
is a plus. The candidate must also be
adept at interacting with a wide variety of people, and comfortable working in
a busy, open, noisy work environment, with no private offices for staff. A demonstrated commitment to social and
economic justice is a must, as well as a sense of humor. Seriously.
Prior experience in a public interest and/or grassroots setting is
highly desirable. Fluency in Spanish is strongly
preferred for these positions. The
candidate is expected to either be a member of the D.C. Bar, or be eligible to
waive into the D.C. Bar. 2010 graduates
need not apply.
Bread for the City’s legal clinic offers competitive salaries, based on experience, and a generous benefits package.
Bread for the City encourages all interested persons regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability to apply immediately. Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume, short writing sample, and a list of 3 references to humanresources@breadforthecity.org or:
Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Start date: ASAP. The position remains open until filled.
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