Staff Attorney or Paralegal to Serve Domestic Violence Survivors – Portland Regional Office of LASO

  • Legal Aid Services of Oregon
  • Portland, Oregon and Gresham, Oregon
  • Jun 15, 2022
Full time Legal

Job Description

The Portland Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) is seeking a full-time paralegal or attorney to handle high volume consultation and legal advice for domestic violence survivors. While the person in this position will generally work from the Portland Office and the Gateway Domestic Violence Center, this position will be eligible for a partial remote work option.   

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 focused on services to farmworkers and on issues impacting Native Americans. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems.

The Portland Regional Office of LASO serves a poverty population of more than 220,000. The office serves Multnomah, Clackamas, Hood River, Sherman and Wasco counties, a diverse service area requiring the ability to work effectively with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. The Portland Office has adopted a race equity agenda to guide its work with clients as well as its internal operations. The office has a strong commitment to building an inclusive, diverse workplace.

Responsibilities
The duties of the paralegal or attorney include conducting trauma-informed intake interviews with survivors of domestic, sexual and stalking violence; and providing legal advice related to related civil legal rights including protection orders, custody and divorce matters, housing, consumer and other civil legal needs. This person will also provide litigation support to staff attorneys working on family law cases, including client communication, gathering or reviewing discovery documents, legal research, and preparation of pleadings.  
 
An attorney hired in this position would primarily support the work of staff attorneys, but would also be expected to maintain a caseload consisting of contested restraining orders, and on rare occasions, divorce or custody.  
 
This paralegal or attorney is also expected to work closely with community-based organizations that work closely with our client communities including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities to identify legal issues important to survivors, occasionally conduct trainings and participate in community outreach events. 

Qualifications
Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income Oregonians, specifically DV/SA survivors. This person should have experience and/or training providing trauma-informed services to survivors. Enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively. Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression. LASO has a hiring preference for candidates who are bilingual in Spanish and/or another language frequently spoken by the communities we help.

Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range for attorneys: $61K - $100K annually depending on experience. Salary range for paralegals: $41K - $65K depending on experience. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Full benefits package including individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.

Closing Date
Review of resumes to begin June 27, 2022.

Applications
Send resume and letter of interest to:
projobs@lasoregon.org
As a part of your letter of interest, please address the following:  LASO PRO is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients. Please address how your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity.

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, Paralegal & Legal Secretary

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Salary

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