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Supervising Housing Attorney

Employer
Bread for the City
Location
Washington, DC
Closing date
Oct 30, 2020

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Industry
Law
Function
Lawyer and Attorney, Management
Hours
Full Time
Career Level
Experienced (Non-Manager)
Mission:The mission of Bread for the City is to help Washington, DC residents living with low income to develop the power to determine the future of their own communities. We provide food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services to reduce the burden of poverty. We seek justice through community organizing and public advocacy. We work to uproot racism, a major cause of poverty. We are committed to treating our clients with the dignity and respect that all people deserve.Bread for the Citys Legal Clinic works to ensure better access to justice for individuals in our nations capital. The Legal Clinic provides front-line civil legal services primarily in housing, family, immigration, and public benefits law. Our housing law practice includes defending tenants against complaints for possession of real estate, affirmative litigation on behalf of tenants and tenant associations, representation at administrative agencies, and advice and counsel in a variety of housing-related matters.PositionDescription: Bread for the Citys housing practice consists of 9 housing attorneys, 1 half-time associate loaned from an area law firm and 1 paralegal. Currently, attorneys are working remotely, providing assistance to tenants through the Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network, a collaborative project with 5 other legal services providers in the District. Prior to remote work, our attorneys staffed an office at the Landlord/Tenant Branch of DC Superior Court and provided immediate representation to tenants they met for the first time at a critical point in their landlord-tenant case (many of those cases were retained by our clinic for continued representation). Our practice is fast-paced, high-energy and requires the commitment of someone who is able to multitask, as typically attorneys represent 2-3 clients at each appearance. Until March 2020, attorneys in this practice were generally in court 1-2 times per week with the remainder of their time spent completing ongoing casework. Right now the court is only holding remote hearings, and we are not currently operating out of the courthouse office. In addition to our representation of tenants in DC Superior Court, attorneys may take on administrative hearing work representing participants in federal subsidy programs or at the Districts Office of Administrative Hearings. Bread for the City seeks a dedicated lawyer with 5-7 years of post JD experience to assist our two other Supervising Attorneys and Managing Attorney in leading our housing team. In addition to responsibilities around staff development, mentoring and training of staff, loaned associates, pro bono attorneys, and law clerks, supervising attorneys at Bread for the City represent clients and maintain a caseload.Finally, the Supervising Attorney will help support housing-related advocacy and policy reform efforts in the District through participation in various stakeholder groups, legislative reform efforts and outreach/tenant education events. The Legal Clinic seeks to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.Qualifications: Member of the DC Bar or eligible to practice under DC Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(9); At least 5-7 years of post JD legal experience including at least 3 years of litigation experience; At least 4 years ofD.C. housing law expertise/practice; At least 2 years of supervisory experience; Prior experience in a legal services or other public interest setting; Ability to independently perform legal analysis and train staff attorneys in doing the same; Excellent interpersonal and management skills;Excellent organizational, analytical, and research skills; Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written communication; Excellent negotiation skills; Ability to proceed effectively in court with little time for preparation; Good judgment;High degree of flexibility; Sense of humor, seriously;Ability to work with and lead other staff and interact with a wide variety of people, including volunteers, in aprofessional and collaborative manner;Demonstratedcommitment to social, economic, and racial justice and/or willingness to learn and carry outBreadfor theCitys commitments in these areas; Comfortable working in an open work environment, with no private offices for staff (once remote work ends);Familiarity with Google Organization & Productivity tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar) and/or ability to learn new technology systems;Bilingual (Spanish/English) skills preferred, but not required.Breadfor theCityis an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, physical or mental disability, medical condition, status as a veteran, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, except where a bona fide occupational qualification applies.

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