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’s Woodburn Farmworker office comprises three staff attorneys, one supervising attorney, one paralegal. Additionally, the Program Director and Managing Attorney of the Farmworker Program both work from the Woodburn Farmworker Office. The Farmworker Program sets priorities according to client need: current priorities include employment, occupational safety, immigration, and health, housing, and civil rights. Most of our clients speak Spanish or one of the indigenous languages native to Mexico and Central America, such as Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, Mam, and Akateco. They experience a wide variety of legal problems, including unpaid wages, inadequate housing, unsafe work conditions including excessive heat, hazardous chemicals, violence, and sexual harassment. The most common form of discrimination they face is retaliation for asserting their legal protections.
Position: Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a staff attorney to provide civil legal services to low-income individuals on employment and employment-related housing, health and safety, and civil rights, matters. In addition, related to employment and housing conditions, OLC seeks a staff attorney in this position to also provide immigration legal services, in particular assisting clients with T and U visas and SIJS applications. The position is based in Woodburn, Oregon and serves farmworkers statewide. Woodburn is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley between Salem and Portland and has a rich history of farmworker movements, from the labor movement to the development of off-farm community housing, to community health, and more.
Responsibilities: The staff attorney will handle all phases of litigation in state and federal courts including intake, investigation, filing complaints, engaging in discovery, making, and defending dispositive motions, alternative dispute resolution, and trial. The staff attorney will also analyze eligibility for U and T visas, and SIJS relief. There will be a significant emphasis on impact work that affects large numbers of farmworkers, such as class actions. The staff attorney will meet, investigate, and interview farmworkers on assigned cases, sometimes outside of normal business hours, as well as engage in intensive community outreach and education together with OLC’s community educators involving educational presentations to farmworkers and community-based groups. Attorneys in the Farmworker Program work some irregular hours, with some travel during the daytime and occasionally overnight, and some outreach to clients in the evenings.
Salary/Benefits: The salary scale ranges from $65,500 to $102,500 and placement on the scale is determined by years of relevant experience. 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.
• Admission to Oregon Bar.
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Experience with immigration law, in particular affirmative relief claims.
• Desire and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to manage a litigation caseload.
• Commitment to developing litigation and other advocacy skills.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Willingness to work irregular hours to meet the needs of clients.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Adobe, and web-based video conferencing and learning platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams).
• Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process.
Preferences:
• Experience representing low-income clients, especially farmworkers.
• Experience with complex, impact litigation.
• Employment law experience.
Application: Review of applications will begin February 17, 2025. Open until filled. To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, a description of your Spanish proficiency, and list of three references to Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, Oregon Law Center, [email protected].
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