ABOUT US:

Open Door Legal is pioneering the country's first system of universal access to civil representation and working to show that when everyone has access to the law, poverty will be dramatically reduced.

We won the 2015 Google Impact Challenge and we've been recognized by the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation for our innovative, results-oriented program. Long-term, we plan to replicate our services across San Francisco, make this city the first in the country with universal access to civil legal representation, and become a model for national replication.

We're only going to achieve this if we continue our tradition of hiring the best possible people. We hire people who are extremely passionate, quixotic, love tackling tough problems, client-centered and believe in continuous personal growth.

We believe injustice is the heart of poverty and we invite you to join us in having a systemic impact on how we, as a society, ensure justice for the poor.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION:

We are hiring a frontline attorney to help triage legal issues and to provide critical support and management of our frontline team. We represent low-income community members in over 35 areas of law and we need an attorney to help ensure emergency issues are dealt with in a timely manner and that enough information is obtained to make intakes with our staff attorneys productive. You will be responsible for ensuring that we see or provide advice to everyone with a viable legal claim. The work is high-paced and requires very good critical thinking skills.

You will also work with our Legal Services Director to ensure that we are providing trauma-informed services, disability-accessible communications and a cultural-competent experience to everyone that engages with us. This includes providing the best referrals for holistic social services for our clients and legal service referrals for people that live outside our service area.

Day to day tasks includes providing on-call legal advice, triaging emergencies, drafting unlawful detainer answers, supervising the receptionist, managing any administrative volunteers and ensuring a good reception experience for everyone that walks in the door.

Overall, this position is intended to be a challenging yet extremely rewarding experience for someone looking to make a difference with an innovative, results-oriented, and fast-growing organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide advice and ask follow-up questions to potential clients after they complete their screening but before their first intake.
• Manage our frontline coordinator staff and any volunteers to ensure a good reception experience for potential clients.
• Seek out the best holistic social service referrals for our clients and potential clients and ensure that information is distributed.
• Embrace our mission of universal access to civil legal aid and make sure that the needs of residents in our service area are met.  
• Draft housing unlawful detainer answers or other emergency pleadings.
• Help mark potential cases for pro-bono co-counseling or mentorship and work with our attorneys and pro bono coordinator to get them placed.
• Organize and provide intake triage services at ODL's few community clinics.
• Depending on capacity, represent the organization at community events or other tabling opportunities, or manage volunteers to do so.
• Provide interpretation and translation for Spanish-speaking or Cantonese-speaking clients, if able.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have a CA bar license and be in good standing with the CA bar.  
• Must be committed to learning the basics of over 35 different areas of law so that you can provide triage, advice, and referrals in everything that walks through our doors.
• Must be comfortable using technology and cloud-based case management systems.
• Must genuinely enjoy working with low-income clients and be able to work well with clients who have experienced trauma.
• Must be culturally competent and sensitive to barriers low-income residents face when attempting to access the justice system.
• Must have some experience in the legal field.
• Must be willing to make a two-year commitment to the organization.

BONUS POINTS:

• Comfortable practicing, translating and interpreting in Cantonese/written Chinese.
• Comfortable practicing, translating and interpreting in Spanish.
• Experience managing others.
• A background in creating legal screening systems.
• Experience working with low-income and vulnerable populations.
• Previous experience using Salesforce.
• Experience working in a high-volume legal aid or similar environment.
• Having lived a significant period of your life in San Francisco proper.

STARTING COMPENSATION IS $77,500 PER YEAR

PERKS:

• LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE - for staff pursuing 10-year public interest debt forgiveness, we will pay the minimum payment on all qualifying loans so that you don't ever need to worry about student debt.
• We offer annual merit-based raises.
• We offer a fun and challenging work environment for anyone who's passionate about making a difference.
• We use best-in-class technology solutions, including Salesforce.
• We also offer medical benefits, four weeks of paid time off per year, and a retirement plan.

APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BEFORE JULY 5, 2019, WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY