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Public Counsel is the largest pro bono public interest law firm in the country. Founded in 1970, it is dedicated to advancing equal justice under law and addressing economic, racial, and other inequities by delivering free legal and social services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 130.

We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

Veterans and individuals leaving military service are facing disproportionately higher rates of poverty, employment barriers, housing instability, trauma, mental health issues and challenges with adjusting to civilian life. As a consequence, service members are struggling to meet their basic human needs.

The Center for Veterans’ Advancement (CVA) provides legal advocacy and resources to ensure that every veteran and returning service member and their family have access to basic life necessities and entitlements that will increase stability and self-sufficiency, including the right to government benefits, access to employment, housing, and health and mental healthcare. CVA also provides support to ensure intersectionality among all Public Counsel projects serving veterans.

JOB SUMMARY

The Staff Attorney will represent clients on benefits claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs, discharge upgrades, and tickets, warrants, and expungements. The Staff Attorney will also assist with outreach and education to veterans, their caregivers and the organizations that serve them, and will participate in policy efforts from time to time on issues of importance to veterans. There will be an emphasis on the furtherance of CVA’s discharge upgrade pro bono project. Staff Attorney will develop relationships with pro bono partners and volunteers to support the discharge upgrade work, prepare and enhance discharge upgrade training materials for volunteers, conduct CLE presentations at law firms and corporate in-house legal departments to encourage additional volunteerism, coordinate the placement of discharge upgrade cases with the volunteers, as well as provide procedural and substantive technical support to volunteers on individual discharge upgrade matters.

FAMILIAR JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES TO POSSESS FOR POSITION

• Member in good standing of the State Bar of California;
• VA accredited representative, or interest to become VA accredited;
• Experience with legal issues facing low-income and homeless populations, and preferably VA and/or disability benefits experience;
• A commitment to economic and racial justice;
• Oral and written communication skills;
• Comfort working with low-income, racially diverse clients and veterans who may be affected by physical or emotional trauma;
• Ability to travel to remote locations throughout Southern California as needed for legal clinics, stand-downs and hearings;
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Ability to work productively with staff, coalitions, working groups, pro bono attorneys, law students, and other volunteers.

START DATE AND COMPENSATION

• Salary is commensurate with abilities and experience.
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including: (1) medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options, (2) the option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account, (3) a 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and an employer contribution after a year of employment, and (4) employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Public Counsel follows all emergency state and local orders arising from the current COVID-19 crisis. Though generally this position is office based, currently all staff must work remotely from their homes. Public Counsel will assess when the physical office will reopen in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders

No phone calls please.

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants shall receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic group identification, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, political affiliation, condition of physical or mental disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, in accordance with requirements of Federal and State laws.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.