Staff Attorney - Juvenile Dependency

The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (“Law Foundation”) is dedicated to advancing the rights of historically excluded individuals and families throughout Santa Clara County. Through our legal services, strategic advocacy, and educational outreach, we empower over 10,000 individuals and families each year. Our Housing, Children & Youth, Health and Pro Bono Programs use legal advocacy as a catalyst for social change, creating innovative solutions to the legal challenges facing low-income communities in our region. With a dedicated team of over 85 employees, we are the largest provider of free legal services in the South Bay region of the Bay Area. Learn more at https://www.lawfoundation.org/. 

The Opportunity 

We are excited to offer an opportunity for a Staff Attorney to join our Dependency team with our Legal Advocates for Children & Youth (LACY) program at Law Foundation.

The Children and Youth Program provides free and confidential legal assistance to children and youth in juvenile dependency, family law, probate guardianship, immigration, education matters, and numerous other practice areas; advocacy to improve court and community systems designed to protect and promote child welfare; and workshops to educate youth, parents, caregivers and members of the community about issues impacting child welfare and legal rights.

As a Juvenile Dependency attorney, you will represent children and young adults in child welfare proceedings. As a member of our interdisciplinary team, you will work in parity with LACY social workers to assess and advocate for your client’s interests. You will have the opportunity to help young people in our community thrive by giving them a voice in a complex and intimidating system. Frequent court appearances and trial litigation will be required in this position.

What You’ll Do 

• As Staff Attorney you will: 
• Provide representation, advocacy, and information for minors in the juvenile dependency system
• Represent minors subject to petitions alleging abuse and neglect
• Courtroom advocacy including uncontested hearings, trials, and mediation
• Work in tandem with a LACY social worker to assess the needs of clients
• Participate in LACY’s regular team meetings, staff meetings, and program development activities
• Assist the LACY Directing Attorney and Supervising Attorney, as needed
• Participate in general office upkeep duties, including computer data entry of intake information, filing, copying, drafting and filing court documents, and serving notices
• Maintain statistics on youth served and billing records
• Identify other legal issues for dependent minors and advocate, as appropriate
• Meet with clients in a variety of environments, including office, school, and home settings
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure a seamless and people-centered approach to service delivery

Job Requirements 

• This position may be a good fit for you if you have:
• Passion for social justice and race equity, as well as a desire to help underserved populations
• California Bar Membership (individuals awaiting California Bar Exam results are eligible to apply) or are eligible to practice law in California through the Multijurisdictional Practice Program 
• Experience in courtroom advocacy (preferred)
• Demonstrated commitment to the rights of children & youth
• Experience in practice of youth law
• Ability to identify, investigate, and resolve client problems
• Ability to work independently and be self-motivated
• Ability to manage multiple clients in high-stress situations
• Ability to engage in trauma-informed practice and work sensitively and productively with minors who have experienced trauma
• Valid Driver’s License or other transportation to attend hearings, home visits, and offsite meetings
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, writing, interviewing, and organizational skills
• Experience working with individuals from multiethnic communities desired
• Committed to racial equity, inclusion and belonging and able recognize the ways that race, and other identities intersect in the work, especially for communities we serve 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, or capacity to pick up new computer skills 

Physical Requirements

• Frequent use of computer keyboard.
• Use of office equipment, such as copier, printer, and fax.
• Ability to enter home environments with smoke or other potentially sensitive qualities.

What We Offer

This is a full-time, exempt position, reporting to the Supervising Attorney, Dependency. The annual salary range for this role is $80,000 - $105,000. All compensation is determined by the wage table of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between SEIU Local 521 and LFSV. Placement on the wage table will be based upon an applicant’s bar admission date and months of experience in comparable roles. 

We are committed to supporting the well-being, growth, and professional development of our team members. To that end, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefit package, which includes:  

• 19 paid holidays per year 
• 3-5 weeks of vacation per year 
• 12 days of sick leave per year 
• Up to 6 months of parental leave 
• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums 
• Free/discounted mental health therapy and wellness services for employees and their dependents through our Employee Assistance Program 
• A 401(k)-retirement plan with employer contributions 
• A sabbatical after 5 years of employment 
• An additional monthly stipend for those who are bilingual and utilize their language abilities in the course of their job 
• An annual budget for professional development 
• Employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees 
• The flexibility to work a hybrid schedule 
• An office building that offers a fully equipped gym, outdoor terrace, convenient on-site parking, bike storage, lounge areas, and 24/7 security 

Location

Law Foundation is a hybrid workplace and staff will be required to commute to our San Jose offices 2+ days per week. If staff can meet the requirements above, including commuting at their own expense, staff may live anywhere in California. 

Workplace Expectations 

Law Foundation is a hybrid workplace. Please note that the Staff Attorney may be expected to work in our San Jose office a minimum of 2 days/week.   

Employees must be California State residents. Due to logistical challenges regarding taxes, insurance, and time zones, we are not able to consider staff in other states at this time.

Working At Law Foundation 

Law Foundation is a unionized workplace, and members of the bargaining unit are represented by SEIU Local 521. This position is part of the bargaining unit.  

Additionally, Law Foundation is strongly committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff, volunteers, clients, and partners. To achieve this goal, the Law Foundation actively works to improve communications, community engagement, systems and structures, and office culture to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued. 

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. Law Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law. 

ADA Accessible Facility - Equal Opportunity Employer - Drug-Free Workplace

Application Process 

Application materials must include: 

• A cover letter that addresses the following: How has your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise prepared you to contribute to social justice, race equity and diversity among our staff? 
• A resume 
• Contact information for three professional references. We will always ask for your consent and inform you before contacting any of your references.  

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority review will be given to applications received by October 28, 2024. Please note that our interview process includes interviewing by phone, video, and/or in-person. 

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that values people, trust, accountability, creativity, joy, and fun, we would love to hear from you!