Bilingual Staff Attorney, Farmworker Program with Legal Aid in Oregon

  • Legal Aid Services of Oregon
  • Hillsboro, OR; Woodburn, OR
  • Mar 09, 2023
Contractor Law Legal

Job Description

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) temporary, part-time staff attorney in its Farmworker Program office in Hillsboro or Woodburn.  This position is temporary and will not last longer than nine months.

Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems.  LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. LASO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.  

The Farmworker Program consists of eight staff, including attorneys and paralegal/outreach workers. The majority of our clients speak Spanish or one of the Mesoamerican indigenous languages such as Mixteco.  We emphasize areas of the law that community members tell us are most important to them and where representation and advocacy can achieve long term change. We work together with our clients to overcome the challenges they face including systemic racism, unpaid wages, poor working conditions, unsafe housing, and other forms of discrimination and retaliation for the exercise of their legal rights. We use strategies including community education, legal representation and systemic advocacy.

Responsibilities
The staff attorney will work with our team to represent agricultural workers in employment and immigration matters before administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. The staff attorney will also be involved in advocacy, community education and outreach to migrant labor camps and community-based groups.

The typical work schedule is based on a 35-hour work week, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 5:00 with a one-hour lunch break.  Work location can be in-office or could be partially remote.  This position is eligible for a partial remote option; flexible work schedules may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Requirements
We seek applicants who have:

  • Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for low-income communities and other vulnerable populations
  • Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural knowledge, cultural humility, and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression;
  • excellent interpersonal communication skills;
  • a high degree of initiative and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively;
  • ability to speak, read and write Spanish;
  • willingness to flex their work schedule to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed; and
  • a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel.

Preferences

  • We prefer applicants who have lived or other meaningful experience with people living in poverty, persons of color, immigrant, indigenous or agricultural worker communities.  We prefer applicants who have a membership in the Oregon bar, or eligibility for reciprocity.

Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $61,000 to $100,000 based on experience and will be pro-rated based on part-time FTE. Additional compensation for bilingual ability.

Closing date
Position open until filled. Review of applications to begin on March 1, 2023.

Applications
Send resume and cover letter describing relevant experience:
Laurie Hoefer, Program Director
Legal Aid Services of Oregon
397 N. First St.
Woodburn, OR 97071
farmworkerjobs@lasoregon.org

We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.

Occupations

Attorney

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Salary

Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $61,000 to $100,000 based on experience and will be pro-rated based on part-time FTE. Additional compensation for bilingual ability.