Director of Advocacy and Fair Housing

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., the primary legal services organization in the Northeast Florida area since 1937, seeks an experienced litigator to join the JALA team as its Director of Advocacy and Fair Housing.

The position combines two separate but related objectives: first, to review and assist in JALA’s ongoing impact, class action, and other litigation, while also providing training and support for JALA staff attorneys handling litigation matters involving landlord / tenant; foreclosure; fair housing, and other cases involving JALA’s at-risk clients. The second objective for this position is to supervise JALA’s substantial Fair Housing litigation and grants in order to enforce the Fair Housing Act throughout Northeast Florida, including Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties through investigation, enforcement, and education. JALA has one of the two most comprehensive HUD Fair Housing grants in the nation, and, with more than two decades of fair housing advocacy, enjoys a strong working relationship with HUD at both the local and national level.

Advocacy

JALA’s Director of Advocacy is part of the management team and reports to the Executive Director. Because this position involves maintaining and improving the general quality of litigation, and assists in training staff in order to achieve this quality, the Director of Advocacy is expected to have jury and bench trial experience either at the state or federal court level. The successful applicant will either be (1) admitted to practice in Florida or (2) admitted to practice in federal and state court in another state and be willing to sit for the Florida Bar Exam within six (6) months of being hired. Extensive federal court experience will be positively considered, as will general experience in civil rights litigation. Bilingual or multi-lingual abilities and experience with a mix of urban and rural regions will also be favorably considered.

Fair Housing

This work involves managing the Fair Housing Unit’s performance of Fair Housing related contracts and grants with a variety of collaboration partners, including the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, HUD and the Florida Commission on Human Relations and other community partners. As fair housing is a major part of JALA’s impact work, this position is responsible for designing, supervising and conducting systemic investigations and testing focused on discrimination in housing, lending, appraisals, design and construction. 

General / Benefits

Benefits include, but are not limited to, medical, dental, vision insurance, long term disability, and a generous leave policy, including a one (1) month sabbatical every four (4) years. JALA is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary: commensurate with experience.