Equal Justice Works Attorney Fellow

Charleston Legal Access (“CLA”) seeks diverse and dynamic applicants for a two-year, full-time attorney position at Charleston Legal Access as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Housing Justice Program. The Fellowship begins in October 2024.

Charleston Legal Access was created to fill a gap in the legal community and offer services not provided by any other organization in the state. Our mission is to expand legal representation and access to justice in the Lowcountry by providing low-cost, quality legal representation and assistance to the working poor and others of modest means who do not qualify for free legal aid but who cannot afford a private attorney. In addition, we take on projects to expand access to justice, such as increasing language access in the courts and the Housing Court Pilot project to reduce the rate of evictions in Charleston County.

In 2022, CLA was selected by Equal Justice Works as an implementing partner of Equal Justice Works’ Housing Justice Program. Equal Justice Works is the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law. The Equal Justice, Works Housing Justice Program is comprised of Attorney Fellows and Organizer Fellows who, over a two-year fellowship term, will be part of a targeted initiative to address the justice gap in South Carolina through responsive, context-specific innovations and interventions focused on housing justice. Specifically, Attorney Fellows will serve at one of the participating community-based and/or legal services organizations and work as a unified front to fight various injustices related to housing instability and involuntary displacement in South Carolina, particularly due to eviction.

In 2022, the Attorney Fellow launched Housing Court in Berkeley County, where the Attorney Fellow represented tenants facing eviction on the day of their hearing. The primary objectives were to increase housing stability by keeping families in their homes, ensure safe and healthy living conditions, reduce the rate of homelessness and poverty, build collaborative partnerships with community organizations to provide referrals for wraparound services and identify systemic problems related to housing matters.

The expansion of Housing Court in South Carolina has demonstrated significant impact and success in providing legal representation to vulnerable tenants facing eviction. The new Attorney Fellow will build on the success of the Berkeley County Housing Court and expand to different counties in the Tri-County area. In addition, the Fellow will represent tenants facing or at risk of eviction in the Tri-County area and develop new collaborative partnerships to ensure the continuum of care for tenants.

The Fellow will develop experience and skills to be a leader in social justice while promoting tenant protections and working directly with households experiencing housing instability. As a cohort, Fellows are expected to participate in peer-to-peer learning actively and required training delivered by Equal Justice Works and training partners throughout the year. In addition, Fellows will attend Equal Justice Works’ Leadership Development Training in October 2024 and 2025.

Fellowship responsibilities include

• Staffing and improving the existing Housing Court in Berkeley County.
• Creating and implementing a strategy to expand the Housing Court in Dorchester County based on the existing model in Berkeley County.
• Providing direct legal services addressing civil legal issues that arise from housing instability for low-income households, especially in eviction/unlawful detainer cases – legal screening, advice, brief service, full-scope representation, and referrals.
• Building key stakeholder relationships to further the Fellowship objectives; creating, fostering, and cultivating partnerships among legal services providers, tenants’ associations, community social services providers, and other community-based entities.
• Strategizing, planning and conducting training and outreach to communities and community organizations in furtherance of housing stability and affordability for low-income community members; engaging in peer-to-peer learning with other Equal Justice Works Housing Justice Program Fellows.
• Actively contributing to and participating in Housing Justice Program cohort activities (resource exchanges; mandatory webinars and conference calls; and training events, including Equal Justice Works Leadership Development Training in fall 2024 and 2025).
• Exercising leadership competencies as an Equal Justice Works Fellow.
• Contributing to required programmatic reporting and overall program evaluation.

Qualifications

Candidates will possess the following qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law or pending bar admission in South Carolina
• Commitment to social justice and CLA’s mission
• Excellent writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Strong oral and negotiation skills and the ability to work as a team member
• Prior experience in managing independent projects or assignments
• Experience with delivering training and presentations a plus
• Law school clinic, externship, summer, or other relevant practice experience
• Knowledge of housing benefits law and/or experience with housing and benefits agencies.
• An ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary setting to facilitate a coordinated community response and provide holistic services to clients
• Dedication to and competency in serving a diverse range of clients with a variety of financial, racial, educational, and physical characteristics
• Diverse economic, social and cultural experiences and a second language are preferred.

Please note all Fellows are expected to fulfill the complete duration of the Fellowship and will be required to sign a Fellowship Agreement with Equal Justice Works.