Bilingual Workers' Rights Attorney
The Workers’ Rights Attorney will be a key member of our statewide workers’ rights project, which is designed to improve the lives and working conditions of workers across Virginia via impact litigation, individual legal representation, advocacy, and direct organizing. The team consists of organizers, attorneys, students, and volunteers.
About the Position
LAJC seeks a Workers’ Rights Attorney to provide direct representation in litigation and other forms of advocacy for low-income workers, especially immigrant workers, in Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, and throughout the Commonwealth to fight exploitation and injustice, and to build worker power. The attorney will also work on LAJC’s impact campaigns as we advocate for improved administrative and legislative policies regarding worker rights reform.
LAJC does not presently have a physical office in the Hampton Roads area, so the person accepting this position will work out of their home office and will need reliable access to internet. LAJC will provide all office equipment necessary to work out of the home office, and all client meetings will take place offsite.
Job Duties
· Litigate workers’ rights cases in federal and state courts, including but not limited to cases brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Virginia wage laws, the Migrant and Seasonal Workers Protection Act, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
· Collaborate with team members on multidisciplinary impact advocacy campaigns, with corresponding duties that will include but are not limited to legal research, drafting reports, reviewing legislation and regulations, and providing recommendations regarding changes to the same, and assisting in development of our strategic campaigns
· Build relationships and develop partnerships with individuals and organizations to advance positive responses and interventions to community needs
Assist organizers in developing grassroots organizing strategies to close the justice gap in low-wealth communities
- Spanish-language ability sufficient to represent monolingual Spanish-speaking workers without the assistance of an interpreter
- Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice, and workers’ rights
- Virginia Bar membership, or ability to waive in, or willingness to sit for the bar exam within 6 months of hire
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
- Access to reliable transportation and willingness to travel statewide occasionally, including occasional overnight travel to migrant farmworker camps in Virginia
- Strong oral advocacy, research, and writing skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum 3 years’ legal experience
- Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating for economic and racial justice
- Prior experience working with, alongside, or on behalf of farmworkers or other immigrant workers
Salary:
Salary range is $55,000 to $77,000 based on years of relevant experience and LAJC’s formal salary scale.
Benefits:
- Generous leave
- Excellent family health, dental, and optical insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Personal budget for professional development
- Full mileage reimbursement at IRS rates
- Law school loan repayment assistance and full reimbursement for VA bar and CLE expenses
Email a cover letter, a relevant writing sample, and resume to Jason Yarashes at hiring@justice4all.org. If you’re able, please submit your application as a single PDF titled “[date submitted in yyyy.mm.dd format][last name][first name][position sought].” Please include "Hampton Roads Workers’ Rights Attorney” in the email subject.
The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.