POSITION: Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks two full-time staff attorneys to provide civil legal services to low-income clients. This position is located in our Grants Pass office and serves clients throughout Josephine County. Nestled in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains along the beautiful Rogue River, Grants Pass is Oregon’s whitewater rafting capital. Famous for its temperate climate, Grants Pass also offers opportunities to explore ecologically unique wilderness areas, as well as small-town charm with a thriving arts scene, wineries, and a historic district.
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 operates eleven offices around the state. It has a litigation 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.
OLC’s Grants Pass Office comprises three attorneys (including the advertised positions) and one paralegal. We set priorities according to client need; current priorities are housing, family law, and civil rights. We are currently engaging in the process of setting updated priorities for 2024 to 2026. We seek to make a real difference in clients’ lives and to help eliminate the barriers that cause poverty or reduce our clients’ ability to escape poverty.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The staff attorneys will handle impact litigation and individual cases in state and federal court, with an emphasis on impact work. In addition to case work, the attorneys will conduct community outreach to clients, client service organizations, government agencies and other community stakeholders. There are also opportunities to assist with legislative and policy advocacy that directly affect our clients.
OLC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive organization and a healthy work environment for all staff. We strongly encourage people from diverse backgrounds and communities to apply for a job with us. Many of our employees come from backgrounds that have not always been represented in the legal field or have not been socially or economically privileged. This helps them be more effective advocates for our clients and contributes to our strength as an organization. Even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described, we hope you will consider applying, and we welcome your application.
SALARY/BENEFITS: The salary scale ranges from $65,500 to $102,500, and placement on the scale is determined by years of relevant experience as an attorney. 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 commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to independently manage a caseload.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, sense of humor, flexible and curious attitude.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Interest in thinking creatively about how to address our clients’ legal issues.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), Adobe, Zoom, and cloud-based phone services.
PREFERENCES:
• Admission to Oregon Bar, reciprocal eligibility for admission, or availability to sit for next exam.
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Experience representing low-income clients, especially non-English-speaking communities.
• Experience with complex, impact litigation.
Positions open until filled. To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and list of three references to Inessa Wurscher, Managing Attorney, Grants Pass Office, [email protected].
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. It is essential to our work to serve clients that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.
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 and some colleagues 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.