Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) director for its Farmworker Program. The Farmworker Program represents migrant and seasonal farm, nursery and forestry workers primarily in employment, housing and civil rights cases. This position is eligible for a partial remote work option.
Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program committed to advocacy strategies with the broadest possible impact on client community problems. LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. We are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.
The Farmworker Program consists of eight staff, including attorneys and paralegal/outreach workers. Most of our clients speak Spanish and/or one of the Mesoamerican indigenous languages such as Mixteco. We emphasize areas of the law that community members tell us are most important to them and where representation and advocacy can achieve long term change. We work together with our clients to overcome the challenges they face including systemic racism, unpaid wages, poor working conditions, unsafe housing, and other forms of discrimination and retaliation for the exercise of their legal rights. We use strategies including community education, legal representation, and systemic advocacy.
Responsibilities
The Farmworker Program Director leads the Program is providing high quality effective advocacy that produces a significant positive impact upon the client population. The Director is responsible for the functioning of all aspects of the Program. The Director will have an independent caseload and in that respect will have all the duties of a staff attorney. The Director will also be involved in community education and outreach to migrant labor camps, which may include occasional overnight travel.
Requirements
We seek applicants who have:
- Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for low-income communities and other vulnerable populations
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural knowledge, cultural humility, and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression;
- A minimum of five years of legal experience, including substantial litigation experience;
- Excellent legal and interpersonal communication skills;
- Membership in the Oregon bar, eligibility for reciprocity or a willingness to take the next bar exam;
- A high degree of initiative and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively;
- Ability to speak, read and write Spanish;
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed to meet client needs; and
- A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel.
Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. The salary range is $88,700 – 96,200 for 5-10 years' experience and $97,700 - $120,200 for 11-30 years' experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience. An additional $4,300 to $5,700 annually for bilingual ability, depending on proficiency. Full benefits package including individual and family health, vision, and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.
Closing date
Position open until filled. Review of applications to begin on August 12, 2024.
Applications
Send resume and letter of interest to:
Jeremy Aliason
Supplemental question
As a part of your letter of interest, please address the following:
LASO is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients. How have your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity?
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at [email protected].
We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.
Requirements
We seek applicants who have:
- Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for low-income communities and other vulnerable populations
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural knowledge, cultural humility, and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression;
- A minimum of five years of legal experience, including substantial litigation experience;
- Excellent legal and interpersonal communication skills;
- Membership in the Oregon bar, eligibility for reciprocity or a willingness to take the next bar exam;
- A high degree of initiative and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively;
- Ability to speak, read and write Spanish;
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed to meet client needs; and
- A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
