Associate Staff Attorney

Job Title: Associate Staff Attorney FLSA Status: Exempt Grant Funded: Yes Grant Number: Grant Position Grant End Date: Reports To: Director of Legal Services/Supervising Attorney Union Position: No Approved By: Department: Legal Services Approved Date: Jobs Supervised: None OUR MISSION: Our mission is to improve community health and reduce health disparities by delivering high quality, comprehensive services and impacting health and social policy. OUR VISION: St. John's Community Health will be a catalyst for health equity and a leader in establishing systems of care, prevention strategies and public policies that promote social justice and community health improvement. OUR CORE VALUES Dignity We honor and respect every person we encounter-whether patient, colleague, or community member-as a valued part of the human family. Excellence We support and champion the best standard of care, personal and professional growth, accountability, creativity, teamwork, and a steadfast commitment to quality. Well-being We promote and advocate for the full integration of our patients' physical and mental health in order to enable them to participate in their own health improvement and become active and responsible members of a vibrant and just community. Social Justice We collaborate with others to develop systems, organizations, and programs to advance equity and fairness in allocating community resources, and to empower and address the needs of all community members, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members. JOB SUMMARY The Associate Staff Attorney provides consultation and professional representation at hearings or courts on issues such as protection orders, family law, immigration, housing/tenancy, public benefits, education and employment; provides legal training and Know Your Rights Workshops to staff and clients. SJCH serves largely disenfranchised communities - individuals and families living in poverty: immigrants (both documented and undocumented); Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other People of Color; LGBTQ+; victims of human trafficking and domestic violence; individuals and families affected by the criminal justice system; and disenfranchised youth. Associate Staff Attorneys are hired to provide legal representation to patients and members of the community that are served under various grant funded programs and are expected to hold specific and/or general expertise in one or more areas of civil, criminal, or immigration law. Associate Staff Attorneys are expected to develop their own case plans and provide client advice and/or representation with limited supervision. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Performs a combination of, but not necessarily all, of the following duties: • Provide counsel and advice to St. John Community Health patients as well as members of the community; • Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure clients are provided comprehensive legal and medical services; • Assist clients in resolving legal issues through advice, in pro per support, and/or representation; • Screen clients for social determinants of health and refer to other SJCH or external programs as appropriate and consistent with SJCH Legal Services Program policies; • Draft and/or complete documents, forms and/or briefs, and file with the court or administrative tribunal as appropriate; • Provide warm hand-off to local non-profits and organization as appropriate; • Collaborate with Legal Services Program Director and SJCH staff to develop outreach plans to connect with the SJCH and Los Angeles County Community, • Present Know Your Rights Workshops and educational presentations to SJCH patients, clients, community stakeholders, and SJCH medical and programs staff; • Provide information and education to SJCH staff and external community stakeholders on Legal Services Programs and referral processes; • Attend meetings of various SJCH partners and advocacy organizations to address health disparity and access to justice issues; • Complete work in a timely manner that is consistent with SJCH Legal Services Program guidelines; • Track time and grant related activities as required by grant reporting requirements and SJCH Grants Manager; • Track grant measurables and prepare reporting for funders on a regular schedule; and • Attend meetings, trainings, and other work-related events as needed; and • Other duties and projects as assigned. EXPECTATIONS: • Conduct local area travel for outreach purposes, connecting with the community and ensuring that individuals are aware of available legal services. • SJCH prioritizes a work life balance, however, as an attorney in an exempt position, evening, and/or weekend hours may be required to ensure the fulfillment of all duties and responsibilities; • Maintain competency in SJCH legal practice areas; • Maintain excellence in all written and verbal communications; • Hybrid work may be available based on organizational and staffing needs. Responsibility to Team - actively support assigned team/department by participating in and supporting all team/departmental initiatives, proactively communicating with supervision, meeting assigned goals and objectives, and committing to embracing process improvement initiatives. Responsibility to Organization - actively support SJCH by consistently meeting St. John's Mission, Vision, and Values; modeling positive interactions with patients, staff, and community; keeping informed of internal (e.g., policies and procedures) and external (e.g., legal or political matters) which may affect business. Grant Specific Duties - all duties listed herein are consistent with the required duties under SJCH Legal Services Program grants. QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Required Education, Experience, & Knowledge: • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school. • Admission to the California State Bar and be in good standing. • Associate Staff Attorney: 3 to 5 years of legal experience with a focus on immigration, family law, domestic violence, criminal, and/or civil matters with at least two (2) years' experience in a specific LSP practice area. • Direct client representation experience including representation before Superior Court and/or Administrative Tribunals. • Strong interpersonal and communication skills: Ability to engage with diverse community members and convey complex legal concepts in an understandable manner. • Commitment to public interest law: Passion for serving vulnerable populations and promoting social justice. • Strong organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize effectively. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures. • Empathy and compassion for individuals facing legal challenges and a commitment to providing high-quality services. • Flexibility to travel to various outreach locations and work occasional evenings or weekends is required. • Proficiency in legal research, document preparation, and case management software is necessary. Preferred Education, Experience, & Knowledge: • Fluency in Spanish. • Strong knowledge of trauma-informed lawyering to address the unique needs of the vulnerable population served. • Litigation experience is strongly desired • Knowledge of community resources and experience in community outreach is beneficial. • Experience working in underserved communities such as undocumented workers, unaccompanied minors, LGBT populations, communities of color, youth/adolescents, and those experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and/or mental illness. Additional Requirements: Employees are responsible for maintaining individual certifications as required by job function or by law and provide verification and recertification when requested by management: • Maintain a license to practice law in the state of California. • Compliance with MCLE requirements and reported as appropriate. • Valid driver's license and reliable transportation. • Ability to be covered by car insurance as required. • Ability to drive and travel by car as needed. • Flexibility to travel between Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties as needed. • Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed for community events. Language Skills Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations in English. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals in English. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Bilingual English/Spanish (read, write, speak) preferred, not required. Reasoning Ability Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Synthesize complex or diverse information. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Ability to interpret situations, characteristics, behavior, etc. and respond appropriately. Computer Skills To perform this job successfully, an individual should have strong knowledge of MS Office Suite, Database Management, Email Communication, Internet Research, Social Media Management, Event Management Software, Project Management Software, Teleconferencing and Virtual Meetings, Document Collaboration Platforms, Data Analysis Tools, CRM Systems, and Online Survey Tools. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee establishes and maintains effective work relationships with co-workers and customers, maintains regular attendance, understands and carries out a variety of oral and written instructions, has knowledge of proper English usage, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary, has the ability to learn office principles, practices, and methods, understands filing systems, including numerical, alphabetical, and chronological, learns a variety of procedures, policies, and services of the assigned work unit or program, performs assigned duties with efficiency and accuracy and maintains confidentiality. The employee will be working in a normal office environment with exposure to moderate noise, dust, temperature, etc. During community meetings and outreach activities an employee may be subjected to a variety of locations and situations including community centers and large meeting rooms; this may involve varying noise levels, temperature, dust, or other environmental differences. NOTE The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. It is not to be constructed as an exhaustive statement for essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer. I understand the essential functions of this position and I am able to perform the functions of this position with or without accommodation. 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Created: 2025-01-27