Staff Attorney

Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino
$70,000 - $82,000 a year
San Bernardino County, California
Full time
4 weeks ago

Staff Attorney – CARE Court

Job Summary:
Legal Aid of San Bernardino (LASSB) has an immediate, full-time position as a Staff Attorney who will work with our Coordinating Attorney and Social Service Advocate to provide representation and support to clients through the CARE Court process. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged populations. We will give preference to candidates who know poverty law and have experience providing services to low-income individuals.

About
Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1958 to provide civil legal services to the indigent and needy. Since its formation, has continually offered free legal services to the needy to protect their rights and assist them in remedying problems that affect their daily lives. We provide free legal services throughout the vast county of San Bernardino and Riverside. Our organization advocates for the rights of low-income people, and we believe the right team with a powerful vision can change how society contributes to their success.

Benefits:

  • Health care
  • Life Insurance
  • Paid Vacation/Sick/Holidays
  • LASSB listed $70,000 - $82,000

What is CARE Court?
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court is a new initiative designed to support individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. CARE Court provides a structured, court-ordered Care Plan for up to 24 months, managed by a community care team. Each plan includes clinically prescribed interventions, supportive services, medication, and housing plans. The client-centered approach also features a legal representative and supporter to help clients make self-directed care decisions alongside their clinical team.

The Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino (LASSB) is seeking a dedicated and innovative staff attorney to collaborate with a coordinating attorney in representing clients within the CARE Court system. This role requires creativity, patience, and a strong commitment as we navigate the evolving court system and county-developed CARE plans. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing advocacy strategies to ensure client success.

Our legal representation will be part of an interdisciplinary team that collaborates on case assessment, strategy, and service provision. Preferred candidates will have experience working with severely mentally ill clients, particularly those with untreated schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, or conditions on the schizophrenia spectrum. Experience with clients in supportive housing is also highly valued. The ideal advocate will possess excellent organizational skills and a willingness to work collaboratively across legal and social work disciplines.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Member State Bar of California
  • Strong written, verbal and interviewing skills
  • Patient, flexible and kind
  • Works well in a team
  • Ability to independently manage a caseload

Highly Desirable

  • Experience working with clients who are severely mentally ill, specifically with untreated schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders and disorders on schizophrenia spectrum
  • Experience working with clients who have substance use disorders.
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish
  • Experience working with elderly, veterans, adults with disabilities and/or unhoused individuals or those experiencing a crisis
  • A commitment to contributing to your community and advancing justice for seniors and adults with disabilities
  • Trial or Courtroom experience
  • Knowledge of legal issues related to poverty and/or aging
  • A familiarity and comfortability with San Bernardino neighborhoods

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide full scope representation to clients navigating the CARE Court System this includes in Court appearances
  • Work closely with LASSB’s Social Services Advocate for clients’ interest in the development of Court supervised CARE Plans
  • As this is a new Court system and program for LASSB, work with LASSB leadership to develop systems and internal procedures to best serve our clients
  • Conduct intake interviews with new clients, in various settings, such as at home, including Single Room Occupancy Hotels, shelters, court, and other community-based settings.
  • Provide in-office “backup” on a rotating basis, responding to client emergencies and agency inquiries

Supervised by
Coordinating Attorney

Working Conditions
This position requires working with individuals during times of extreme stress and instability, providing culturally sensitive and empathetic services. It also involves traveling to various neighborhoods and meeting clients in diverse settings, such as their homes, Single Room Occupancy Hotels, shelters, court, and other community-based locations. Some evening and weekend work may be necessary, and we aim to modify schedules to accommodate these needs.

If you meet many of the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply and explain in your cover letter why your experience makes you a good fit for the position. We understand that strong candidates might self-select out of the process if they do not meet every qualification, which can disproportionately affect individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds. Our strength lies in the diversity of our team, and a welcoming, inclusive, and culturally diverse staff enables us to best serve our community. We look forward to receiving your application.

The Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino seeks to fill all positions with individuals who share our values, including our commitment to diversity. We encourage all interested individuals to apply, especially people of color; women; individuals from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; and those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, or non-binary, as well as anyone belonging to any other federal or state-protected category. We believe in equal employment opportunity for all and are committed to non-discrimination on any basis prohibited by applicable law.

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