About the Legal Aid Justice Center:
The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that partners with low-income clients and communities of color in Virginia to fight for racial, social, and economic justice. We understand that the harms our clients endure are inextricably linked to overarching systems of injustice. Together we are dismantling those systems through a combination of community organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, public relations, and individual legal services.
Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC’s recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation. Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today.
With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change.
LAJC’s latest strategic plan is available at https://www.justice4all.org/lajc-strategic-plan-2022-2026/#area%20d.
For more information about LAJC’s work and programs, visit www.justice4all.org.
About the Housing and Consumer Justice Program:
Formerly a part of LAJC’s Economic Justice Program (EJP), the new Housing and Consumer Justice Program will continue its long tradition of deep tenant organizing, systemic litigation and policy advocacy in consumer and housing cases, as well as its eviction defense work through individual representation. We partner with directly-impacted communities to achieve racial justice, social justice, and economic justice for all by dismantling systems that create and perpetuate poverty, homelessness, and vicious cycles of debt.
Our housing and consumer organizers and attorneys collaborate closely to design and implement campaigns that keep people and families safely housed without the constant fear of eviction, so they can thrive in their communities. Recent wins include supporting the establishment of a tenants’ council which won fair billing for electrical services, the passage of an ambitious affordable housing policy in the City of Charlottesville that included the abolition of single-family zoning, and obtaining almost $4 million in rent relief for tenants during the pandemic. In addition, LAJC is leading a Fourth Circuit appeal in a critical housing discrimination lawsuit seeking to secure protections under the Fair Housing Act for immigrants (Reyes v. Waples Mobile Home Park). We actively advocate for tenants in public housing redevelopment campaigns in Richmond and Charlottesville, and we support tenants in becoming their own advocates in their communities. Finally, we represent a plaintiff in a class action under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act against one of the biggest eviction mill law firms in the Commonwealth.
About the Position:
You will be a senior attorney in LAJC’s Housing and Consumer Justice Program (HCJP) focused on housing in the Richmond area with subject matter expertise in Virginia landlord tenant law and/or affordable housing policy, ideally in Virginia. As a subject matter expert, you are expected to be a source of technical assistance, training, and general institutional support for LAJC housing advocates.
Our housing team advances racial justice in housing, combats mass eviction, and engages in community advocacy to fight for tenants’ rights to safe, clean, equitable, and affordable housing and the ability to remain in their communities of choice. The Attorney will work closely with organizers, tenants, community-based organizations, statewide partners, and other LAJC advocates to identify and track systemic housing issues affecting our client communities in the Richmond area. This position could also incorporate cross-program legal matters as needed.
HCJP attorneys pursue these goals through a combination of individual representation, community outreach and education, impact litigation, and state and local policy advocacy.
Job Duties:
Provide individual representation and advice to low-income tenants in Richmond and the surrounding counties in administrative hearings, state court, and federal court.
Identify patterns and practices that are barriers to Richmond residents’ ability to stay in or obtain housing, and combat these barriers through combination of impact litigation, policy advocacy, and/or organizing campaigns in consultation with HCJP organizers.
Participate in strategic planning, and following LAJC’s interdisciplinary model, work collaboratively with organizers and policy and communications directors to integrate legal, organizing, policy, and communications strategies.
Attend community meetings as needed or requested by community groups and in conjunction with Richmond housing organizers.
Conduct education and outreach regarding tenants’ rights. This may include doing Know Your Rights trainings for tenants, individual outreach to tenants facing eviction, attending community events to provide tenants’ rights materials, etc.
Review proposed state and local housing policies and advocate for or against such policies to meet client communities’ needs, often in conjunction with community partners.
Provide support to administrative team relevant to housing matters as needed.
Contribute to organizational health through working groups, hiring committees, and other collaborative spaces building internal infrastructure of the organization.
Own at least one impact campaign and serve as helper on at least one other campaign.
Identify or provide learning opportunities, relevant literature, and training opportunities relevant to housing matters; for example, individual representation on evictions/conditions issues, community lawyering in the housing context, and/or local housing policy. Circulate to staff and facilitate discussion and collective learning as feasible.
Provide necessary support and consultation across the organization, or in some cases, externally, on subject matter area.
Mentor others on subject matter, including assisting with onboarding of new staff.
Provide support to the Petersburg office for at least 3-6 months after hire, including through individual representation and impact work. Continue to provide mentorship to Petersburg housing attorney following that attorney’s hire and support Petersburg impact work, as needed.
Identify patterns and practices that are barriers to Richmond residents’ ability to stay in or obtain housing and address through combination of impact litigation, policy advocacy, and/or organizing campaigns, in consultation with HCJP organizers.
Racial equity: Promote racial equity across all dimensions, including within LAJC, by doing the following:
Helping to recruit, retain, and support both staff and leadership that reflect the racial composition of our community.
Cultivating respect for the work of and expanding resources for non-attorney staff that are disproportionately people of color.
Creating spaces for staff to discuss issues of racial, gender, and all other issues of marginalization; and
Pushing for institutional and cultural changes by management, the board, and staff to further promote racial equity.
Required Qualifications:
Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice.
At least 3 years of relevant experience working on housing issues.
Membership in the Virginia State Bar (VSB), or eligibility and willingness to become a member of the VSB promptly – either by passing the bar exam or meeting the requirements to “waive” into bar membership without taking the bar exam. (Note: this position may be eligible for the newly enacted Virginia Supreme Court rule allowing for any attorney working exclusively for a legal aid organization to practice without examination as long as they are in good standing in another state.)
Experience working with and/or representing tenant communities.
Professional or lived experience advocating in low-income communities.
Commitment to movement lawyering (building the power and leadership of directly impacted people and taking direction from them).
Outstanding oral advocacy, research, writing, and leadership skills.
Ability to work effectively within a team.
Ability to communicate effectively across lines of identity.
Willingness to occasionally travel statewide.
Willingness to seek out and learn from feedback.
Preferred Qualifications:
Expertise in Virginia landlord tenant law.
Experience in high-volume caseload or impact litigation/impact advocacy
Experience with community lawyering approaches and/or organizing around housing issues.
At least 4 years of relevant experience working on housing issues.
Location: This role will be based in our Richmond office. Occasional travel between offices will be required. Although a regular presence in the office is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work.
A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
Salary: The salary scale for this position is $75,000 - $95,000 based on the LAJC salary scale. To allow for salary growth within the position over time, the anticipated hiring range for this position is between $75,000 - $85,000. Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity.
Benefits: Our mission is compelling, and our team members are passionate about their work, and so we recognize the need to provide generous benefits and encourage rest and a healthy work environment. For example, we provide:
Generous paid time off every year, including 3 to 6 weeks of vacation, 12 days of health leave, 6 weeks parental leave, and 14 holidays (not including bonus holidays/rest days allocated as needed)
100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, plus excellent family insurance with annual max of $2,400 premium contribution to LAJC-sponsored health plan
403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer contribution (no required match)
Strong commitment to professional development
Relocation package
Vaccination Requirement: The Legal Aid Justice Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption as a qualification of employment. Proof of vaccination or accommodation request must be provided within one day of employment.
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.
Application Deadline: February 23, 2024. We accept applications on a rolling basis and encourage candidate to apply as soon as possible.
Application Instructions: Complete the online application. This position requires a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. You can direct the cover letter to the hiring manager, Catherine Cone at [email protected]. Please note, we will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.
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