Staff Attorney

Summary

Civil Survival is looking for a reentry legal aid attorney to assist formerly incarcerated individuals across Washington State who face legal barriers to successful reentry. The Staff Attorney will represent clients in a range of areas, including legal financial obligation (LFO) remission, relief under State v. Blake, criminal record vacation, and registration relief for people convicted of sex offenses. The Staff Attorney will also manage larger projects such as mass assistance days, engage in appellate litigation and systemic advocacy, and provide trainings and self-help materials to impacted communities.

Civil Survival is committed to maintaining a staff that reflect the diversity of experiences of the communities we work with. People of color, those directly impacted by the criminal legal system, people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, people who are fluent in languages other than English, and those with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Organization Description Civil Survival organizes system-impacted people, provides legal representation, and advocates for policy reform to restore opportunity to communities harmed by the criminal legal system. We envision a world without incarceration, where people are not limited by their past and are valued for their humanity. Civil Survival was founded by people harmed by the criminal legal system to advocate for each other. Most of our staff have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Our foundational commitment to build an organization made up of members of the communities remains at the core of our identity.

These values and commitments have allowed us to increase access to opportunity for those harmed by the criminal legal system. We have done this by:

• Organizing mass assistance days that provide legal financial obligation relief to hundreds of clients in a single day. During Civil Survival’s mass assistance day in Pierce County, the courts waived over $2.3 million in criminal legal debt.
• Representing clients in 1,095 cases across 92 courts, resulting in the waiver of approximately $3 million in criminal legal debt during 2023.
• Leading systemic advocacy to make reentry legal relief accessible and automatic. Civil Survival led the effort to pass HB 1412 and HB 1169, which allowed for restitution relief in over 100,000 cases and eliminated $600 in mandatory LFOs for every felony conviction; and
• Hosting weekly Game Changer groups that provide justice-involved individuals a place to learn how to advocate for systemic change, overcome their own reentry barriers, and provide peer support.

Job Description

The Staff Attorney will represent clients in a variety of legal areas, including LFO remission, relief under State v. Blake, criminal record vacation, and registration relief for people convicted of sex offenses.

Although direct client representation will comprise most of the Staff Attorney’s role, the Staff Attorney will also spend time on other types of work. The Staff Attorney will lead larger projects, such as Civil Survival’s clinic at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, mass assistance days, or intern hiring and supervision. They will also present periodic trainings to impacted communities and legal professionals on a variety of reentry legal aid topics.

Civil Survival is committed to balancing individual client representation with systemic advocacy to expand opportunities for people harmed by the criminal legal system. Accordingly, in collaboration with the broader legal team, the Staff Attorney will identify opportunities for and engage in systemic advocacy, such appellate litigation, legislation review, court rule reform, etc.

The ideal candidate will be excited to directly assist clients with reentry legal aid needs, while also creating and managing systems, such as mass assistance days, that offer opportunities for widescale relief. Experience in reentry legal aid is preferred, but not required. Applicants should be skilled in managing a high-volume legal practice, ensuring that motions are filed in a timely way and clients are regularly updated on the status of their cases. Strong candidates will have experience managing legal assistance programs and relationships with key external stakeholders, including court personnel, other attorneys, and communities directly affected by the criminal legal system. The ideal candidate will be motivated to help those most frequently disadvantaged by the criminal legal system including those with disabilities, people of color, and individuals who face the greatest barriers to self-advocacy.

Qualifications

• Lived experience within the criminal legal system is preferred.
• Member, in good standing, of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA); or ability to quickly obtain APR 8(c) or APR 9 admission, with full WSBA admission by November 2024.
• The ability to independently and efficiently learn new legal practice areas and offer representation with a high level of competence.
• Experience in some or all the following practice areas is preferred: legal financial obligation relief, criminal record vacation, relief under State v. Blake, relief from registration for those convicted of sex offenses, impact litigation, and appellate advocacy.
• An ability to manage a high-volume legal practice, ensuring that motions are filed in a timely way and clients are regularly updated on the status of their cases.
• Strong legal research and writing skills.
• Experience creating self-help materials and presenting self-help trainings to impacted communities is preferred.
• An ability to identify systemic barriers to reentry and create impact litigation, appellate advocacy, policy, or rulemaking strategies to address those barriers.
• Policy advocacy and organizing skills are preferred, including the ability to analyze legislation, court rules, and administrative procedures.
• Strong organization skills. The Staff Attorney should be able to manage multiple projects, ensuring that tasks are completed in a timely manner and lower-priority items do not slip through the cracks.
• Ability to take a project from conception through planning to completion. Ability to balance taking the initiative with ensuring that internal and external stakeholders are included in program discussions.
• Familiarity and strong relationships with local policymakers, community leaders, and marginalized communities are preferred.
• A deep commitment to growth in a trauma-informed, anti-racist organization.
• An understanding and empathy with the stresses experienced by clients who are impacted by poverty, mental illness, disabilities, unstable housing, substance use disorder, domestic violence, and other barriers. Ability to help these clients engage in their own representation through the principles of harm-reduction—meeting clients where they are, in a way that is responsive to their specific needs.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity in working with diverse clients, communities, and colleagues.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively is required. The successful applicant will have strong conflict management skills and be able to tactfully engage with external partners.
• Full professional proficiency in Spanish is preferred.

Location

All Civil Survival staff work remotely. In-person work and travel will periodically be required to attend events such as court hearings, in-person legal clinics, meetings, and organizational retreats. Applicants from all parts of Washington State are encouraged to apply.

Compensation

Salary range is $80,942-$122,432, depending on experience. Within the position salary range, salary increases up to 3% annually, depending on performance. An additional annual cost of living increase is provided at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Benefits include:

• 401k match of up to 4% of salary;
• Generous medical and dental benefits for employees and dependent family members;
• 17 paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day;
• 15 days vacation, accrued annually, increasing to 21 days vacation, accrued annually;
• 12 personal days, accrued annually;
• Short and long-term disability insurance;
• Flexible Spending Account; and
• Monthly $50 employer cell phone contribution.

Benefits are provided consistent with current organizational policies and are subject to change. This is a Fair Labor Standards Act exempt, at-will position; continuation in the position depends on both performance and funding.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Civil Survival is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and fosters an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices. Civil Survival actively promotes mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork and productivity. We are committed to maintaining an organization whose staff, Board and clients are diverse in background, experience, race, color, national origin, gender, age, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual identity, sensory, mental or physical abilities, veteran status, and other qualities that strengthen the program while reinforcing its commitment to basic fairness. Individuals needing a reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process should contact Corey Guilmette (he/him pronouns) at corey.guilmette@civilsurvival.org or (206) 641-5334.

How to Apply

Please submit the following to Corey Guilmette at corey.guilmette@civilsurvival.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Materials submitted through LinkedIn, Indeed, or any job posting site will not be accepted. The email subject line should clearly reference “Civil Survival Staff Attorney.”

• Letter of interest: The letter of interest should include a description of how your skills and experience will allow you to perform the job qualifications. We value lived experience in the criminal legal system and encourage applicants to share any lived experience in their letter of interest.
• Resumé.
• One legal writing sample, unedited by others, of no more than five pages. You may excerpt a portion of brief, memo, or other work product to meet the page requirement.
• Names and contact information for three professional references. Professional references will not be contacted until the conclusion of the interview process.