Bilingual Staff Attorney, Farmworker Program – Hillsboro or Salem, Oregon

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) staff attorney for its Farmworker Program. The position can be based in either Hillsboro or Marion County and is 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 provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program committed to advocacy strategies with the broadest possible impact on client community problems.  LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. We are 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 and/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 federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. The caseload, involving a combination of impact litigation and brief service cases, consists primarily of employment, housing, health and safety, civil rights, unemployment and tax cases. The staff attorney will also be involved in non-litigation advocacy, community education and outreach to agricultural workers and community-based groups.  

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 legal and interpersonal communication skills;  
• Membership in the Oregon bar, eligibility for reciprocity or a willingness to take the next bar exam;
• 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.

Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $66,200 – 73,700 for 0-5 years’ experience; $75,200 – 81,200 for 6-10 years’ experience and $82,700 – $105,200 for 11-30 years’ experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Additional compensation of $4,300 to $5,700 is available annually for bilingual ability, depending on proficiency. 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
Position open until filled. Review of resumes is ongoing.

Please see application instructions on our website: https://lasoregon.org/employment

https://lasoregon.org/employment