BayLegal’s Reentry Practice: We provide wrap-around legal services to individuals with arrest or conviction histories causing barriers to successful reintegration into society. Many of our clients experience significant barriers to housing and employment. We address the many and varied collateral consequences of criminal convictions and incarceration through legal representation across a wide array of practice areas, including criminal record remedies, suspended driver’s license, traffic court debt, public benefits, housing denials due to criminal record, employment and occupational license denials, and consumer issues.

Position: BayLegal seeks an Attorney with a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy to help mitigate collateral consequences of the criminal justice system. This position serves residents in Contra Costa County. This position requires travel as necessary to best serve our low-income clients. There may be travel within BayLegal's broader service areas for the purposes of meeting with clients in transportation challenged areas and as necessary for training and broader advocacy.

Duties & Responsibilities - As Staff Attorney you will have the opportunity to:

Learn and advocate for the diverse legal needs of communities affected by systemic and structural inequities in Contra Costa County and the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance stability and address social injustice;
Represent clients in matters including driver's license suspension, traffic debt, criminal record remedies, housing, public benefits, consumer, employment, and other civil legal cases as needed on behalf of individuals who were formerly incarcerated;
Coordinate reentry and traffic legal clinics;
Provide workshops and technical assistance to community partners and client community on civil legal barriers imposed by the criminal justice system and the rights and options available to mitigate them;
Develop relationships and engage in collaboration with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community-based organizations, to ensure integrative services and collaboratively address systemic barriers to reentry;
Work closely with BayLegal's development, grants and contracts, and communications team to promote BayLegal's mission and resource development; and
Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's operations as a non-profit.

Requirements/Qualifications/About the Successful Candidate:

A commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity, as well as humility when working with clients and colleagues at the intersection of multiple identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, religion, physical and mental disability, and/or limited English proficiency.
Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program preferred. Candidates who have recently passed the California Bar or will be taking the bar exam at the next sitting are welcome to apply.
Willing to be on-site at BayLegal office or advocacy site at least three days per week and as needed to serve clients.
Received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered.
Commitment and desire to work with low-income individuals.
Demonstrated commitment to working with formerly incarcerated individuals
Experience providing direct legal services to low-income clients preferred.
Experience with government benefits programs preferred.
Experience with impact litigation and/or policy advocacy preferred.
Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Commitment to complying with all California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices.
Current proficiency, and ability to improve proficiency, in technological equipment, hardware and software necessary to perform duties of the position.
Experience and skill in organizing time, including simultaneously managing diverse activities while maintaining a firm grasp of individual details and ensuring compliance with deadlines.
Excellent writing, editing, and proof‐reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
Excellent communication, writing and public speaking skills.
Strong community outreach and presentation skills preferred.
Sense of humor and proactive problem-solver.

HYBRID WORK OPTION: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities and reducing barriers for them to access our services is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm. BayLegal has health and safety protocols to minimize risk of exposure. BayLegal has an evolving plan to continue to safely increase in-person services and activities in our offices and community-based advocacy sites. BayLegal employees are expected to work on-site and in-person three (3) days per week and as needed for client services and office staffing needs. Employees may work remotely from home on a part-time basis. Employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location, and to other service delivery locations as needed, during the standard work week.

Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package. BayLegal's benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents; BayLegal student debt reimbursement program; long term disability insurance; employee assistance program; wage differentials for multi-lingual employees whose non-English language skills are regularly used in the provision of work tasks and pass a request test of fluency and/or proficiency; dependent childcare employer contribution program; employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; and 401k retirement plan with BayLegal contribution following first year. BayLegal has a generous paid leave policy which includes sick leave; parental leave; 15 holidays each year; 3 floating holidays each year (days chosen by employee); and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment). This is a union position (Bay Area Legal Aid Workers, “BALAW”), and the 2025 salary range is: $80,719-$132,815 and placement depends on years of experience and the salary scale can be found on our BayLegal union positions salary scale for 2022-2026.

Applications: BayLegal thrives on our diversity and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, veterans, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegal’s Human Resources Manager at(510) 250-5225.

BayLegal will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Please submit (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample through BayLegal’s career application portal.

As part of your cover letter, please address the following:

BayLegal’s clients are low-income and very low-income members of our communities. They include LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, the working poor, seniors, people who are limited English proficient, veterans, persons with disabilities, survivors of abuse and exploitation, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and people who are experiencing or at risk of homeless, and persons from other underrepresented groups. To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively across cultures, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

How do you think your experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to serve our diverse client base effectively, work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds than your own, and to contribute to our commitment to humility, inclusion, and diversity? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.