Workers Rights Staff Attorney

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, Workers’ Rights

Reports to: Workers’ Rights Directing Attorney

Bargaining Unit: Yes

FLSA: Exempt

Type: Full Time

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Centro Legal’s Workers’ Rights Practice provides comprehensive legal services to low-wage workers facing wage theft, discrimination, retaliation, and other violations of workplace rights. Centro Legal also works closely with low-wage worker organizers and worker centers to offer legal services and legal rights education in support of collective efforts to improve working conditions. Centro Legal seeks a staff attorney or senior staff attorney to support Centro Legal’s workers’ rights practice in providing direct legal services to low-wage and immigrant workers.

Primary responsibilities will include:

• Directly representing low-wage workers in wage and hour, retaliation, and discrimination claims before state administrative agencies;
• Working together with Centro Legal’s Litigation Director to advance affirmative litigation in state and federal court, including employment class actions, multi-plaintiff wage and hour cases, and discrimination lawsuits;
• Assisting workers at legal services clinics by providing advice and counsel and offering pro per support to help workers pursue remedies through state and federal agencies;
• Developing and strengthening relationships with worker centers and other community partners to provide legal education, outreach, and direct legal services;
• Supervising volunteer attorneys and law student interns in providing legal services;
• Supporting workers’ rights policy advocacy and collaborating with key stakeholders on changes in law, policy and practice. This includes joining state and local efforts to improve legal protections and address systemic problems faced by low-wage workers (e.g. media events, amicus briefs, letters of support, in-person meetings with State legislators and local city councilmembers).

Qualifications

First and foremost, the applicant must profoundly share Centro Legal’s mission and vision of social justice. Below are additional qualifications:

• JD, admitted and in good standing with the California Bar, preferred;
• Candidates awaiting bar results, or planning to take the California bar exam upon graduation will also be considered;
• Experience with employment law and labor laws, Berman hearings, plaintiff-side employment litigation (incl. discovery and depositions), mediation (incl. negotiating settlement agreements), or other similar relevant experience preferred;
• Fluency in Spanish required;
• Strong leadership, organizational, and self-management skills;
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and verbal communication skills;
• Familiarity working with clients in crisis or who are trauma survivors;
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on projects with lawyers, other staff members, and diverse community organizations;
• Knowledge and adherence to community and movement lawyering principles;
• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties, workers’ rights, and public interest law;
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity within the office and a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic circumstance, immigration status, and record of arrest or conviction.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. We provide a generous benefits package, including life insurance, LTD, leave policies, vacation, and December holiday office closure at full pay.

To Apply

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To apply, send a brief cover letter, resume, and list of three professional references by email to Centro Website. Include “Workers’ Rights Staff Attorney” in the subject line.

POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED

About Centro Legal de la Raza

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Centro Legal de la Raza (Centro Legal) is a comprehensive legal services and advocacy organization protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant, low-income, and Latino communities through bilingual representation, education, and advocacy. We combine quality legal services with know-your-rights education, affirmative litigation, and youth development, ensuring access to justice for thousands of individuals and families each year throughout Northern and Central California.

For more information, visit our website: https://centrolegal.org/.

Diversity Statement

Centro Legal’s mission includes advancing social, economic and racial justice. We are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion within and ensuring a workplace where all staff can flourish and grow professionally and well beyond. Our staff are the most important part of our ability to achieve our mission. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation, sustainability and our organization’s success. Centro Legal de la Raza is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, pregnancy), gender, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability, military or veteran status, marital status, family responsibilities, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender status), gender expression, weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency where not substantially job-related), citizenship status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, HIV/AIDs status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Centro Legal also prohibits discrimination based on a perception that an individual has any of the characteristics of the protected classes listed above, and further prohibits discrimination against an individual who is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $64,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

License/Certification:

• JD (Preferred)

Work Location:

• One location