Staff Attorney
POSITION: The Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) staff attorney to provide civil legal services to low-income clients, particularly in the area of family law for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. This position is located in Eugene and serves clients throughout Lane County. Eugene is one of the largest three cities in Oregon and has all the amenities of a bustling metropolis combined with convenient and easy access to the Cascade mountains and forest and the Pacific Ocean. Eugene is located along the Willamette River and has a dynamic mix of arts and culture, entertainment and sports, the University of Oregon, craft brewing and eclectic dining, and cycling and track and field opportunities.
ABOUT US: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services. OLC does not receive funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation. OLC operates eleven regional offices, a state support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program. OLC works closely with Legal Aid Services of Oregon and other partners in Oregon’s coordinated civil legal services delivery system. The Lane County Legal Aid/Oregon Law Center office consists of ten attorneys (including the advertised position), four legal assistants, and one senior law administrator. We set priorities according to client need. Current priorities are housing law, domestic violence, senior law, immigration law, and public benefits. We seek to make real improvements in clients’ lives and to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty.
RESPONSIBILITIES: This position will focus on providing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, primarily in family court matters but also in housing, public benefits, or immigration. The attorney will provide high quality, trauma-informed legal services to survivors and work closely with a co-located domestic violence advocate. The attorney will appear in Lane County Circuit Court in restraining order and domestic relations matters. The attorney will also work with community partners, help the office identify impact issues and conduct outreach to our client community. As a result of the pandemic, OLC is currently operating remotely, and depending on current circumstances, the individual hired for this position may start their employment working remotely.
SALARY/BENEFITS: $61,500 to $98,250 depending on experience level. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, paid moving expenses and bar study leave, among others.
REQUIREMENTS: • Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish. • Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities. • Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process. • Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills. • A high degree of initiative and ability to manage work independently. • Ability to work effectively as part of a team.• Ability to think creatively when addressing our clients’ issues. • Strong interpersonal communication skills, positive attitude, and sense of humor. • Ability to manage an active caseload of individual clients.
PREFERENCES: • Admission to Oregon Bar or sitting for the next exam. • Zero to five years of experience. • Experience with complex advocacy on behalf of low-income individuals and groups. • Personal experience with poverty, disability, or any other minority status or affiliation.
Application: Position open until filled. To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, a description of your Spanish proficiency, and list of three references to Erika Hente, Managing Attorney, Lane County Legal Aid/Oregon Law Center, ehente@oregonlawcenter.org or 101 East Broadway, Suite 200, Eugene, Oregon 97401.
As part of your cover letter, please address the following: OLC is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. We strive to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued because we believe such an environment is essential to our work serving clients. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples, and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences, as you respond to this question.
OLC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a healthy work environment for a diverse staff. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and communities to apply.