Staff Attorney - Consumer Debt - Consumer Rights & Economic Justice Project

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 operates eight legal projects: Childrens Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants Rights, Veterans Rights, Audrey Irmas Gender Justice Project, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law.

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 150. 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.

ABOUT CONSUMER RIGHTS & ECONOMIC JUSTICE (CREJ)

Public Counsels Consumer Rights & Economic Justice (CREJ) Project is one of the oldest projects within Public Counsel. Our mission is to advance economic justice, with a specific focus on addressing structural racial inequalities that have long hampered individuals and communities of color. We provide legal counsel for, and advocacy on behalf of low-income individuals and their families, addressing inequalities in bargaining power, opposing those who take advantage of the vulnerable, and holding wrongdoers accountable.

We are a diverse team of dedicated and nationally-recognized attorneys and support staff who strive to lift up our clients and each other with excellence, dedication, tenacity, compassion and kindness.

JOB SUMMARY

The Staff Attorney will assist low-income consumers across a range of debt collection matters. This full-time Staff Attorney position will primarily involve defending low-income clients in debt collection cases, providing direct legal services, and engaging in litigation including through to trail and appeal. The Staff Attorney will participate in weekly clinics and will assist with the teams debt collection-related policy and impact litigation efforts, in addition to performing related administrative and grant reporting tasks. The Staff Attorney will be responsible for carrying out this work in collaboration with the Supervising Staff Attorney and other members of the CREJ team. Extensive training will be provided.

Reporting to the Supervising Staff Attorney, the Staff Attorney will:

• Carry a caseload of debt collection direct services cases;
• Participate in the full breadth of debt collection defense litigation activities, including drafting and filing answers, carrying out discovery, filing and responding to motions, and appearing at hearings including representing debtors at trial and on appeal as needed;
• Attend debt collection clinics assisting debtors defend themselves against debt collectors, including two in-person clinics in Los Angeles County;
• Under the guidance of the Supervising Staff Attorney, participate in systemic advocacy efforts, which may include policy advocacy and/or impact litigation;
• Assist with preparation of quarterly grant reports;
• Assist in developing and deploying new technologies, including AI, to assist team and litigants;
• Participate in external meetings with legal services and community-based organizations as needed, in order to be responsive to community needs;
• Attend trainings & conferences;
• Other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Admission to the California Bar and up to 3 years experience as an attorney (applications will also be accepted by those awaiting results from the February 2024 California Bar Exam, or registered for the July 2024 California State Bar Exam)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and team-building skills;
• Desire to learn as well as share knowledge with other team members;
• Ability to work well independently;
• Experience and/or desire to work with individuals of diverse cultural, racial, geographic, and economic backgrounds;
• Ability to travel to and attend in-person clinics at least twice a month and to travel to Public Counsels Koreatown office for required office day once per week;
• Innovation oriented and technologically adept;
• Attention to detail;
• Strong organizational, and time management skills;
• Spanish-language fluency desirable;
• Commitment to economic, racial, social justice and the mission of Public Counsel.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt
• Bargaining
• Probationary Period: 9 Months
• This position is funded through December 2025; employment after that date will be dependent on Public Counsel securing requisite funding
• Salary range for Attorney with 0-3 years of experience is $75,000 $78,700 depending on years of experience (please note our salaries are set as part of CBA and are not individually negotiable).
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options,
• The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account,
• A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a year of employment, and
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off and additional compensatory time up to 60 hours per calendar year
• On-site parking or public transportation reimbursement

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume.

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. All employees with Public Counsel are required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department Some positions require additional in-office days. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders.

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.