Oportunidades de Empleo

ABOUT US: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services.  OLC operates eleven offices around the state.  It has a litigation support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program. 

The OLC Lane County Office consists of ten attorneys (including the advertised position), four legal assistants, and one senior law administrator. We set priorities according to client needs. Current priorities are housing law, domestic violence, senior law, immigration law, and public benefits. We seek to make real improvements in clients’ lives and to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty.

POSITION:  Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a full-time supervising attorney to provide civil legal services to low-income clients as well as to assist the managing attorney in providing leadership for the Lane County Office.  The position is based in Eugene, serving clients in Lane County. Eugene is one of the largest three cities in Oregon and has all the amenities of a bustling metropolis combined with convenient and easy access to the Cascade mountains and forest and the Pacific Ocean. Eugene is located along the Willamette River and has a dynamic mix of arts and culture, entertainment and sports, the University of Oregon, craft brewing and eclectic dining, and cycling and track and field opportunities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  The supervising attorney will be responsible for supervising and mentoring assigned staff; assisting with office operations and program management; working with the Managing Attorney to create and maintain high-quality services with impact focus; maintaining a varied caseload initially focusing on one or more of our legal priority areas, including strategic impact litigation; promoting mutual respect, acceptance, and teamwork among a diverse staff, and challenging and inspiring others to achieve positive results and grow professionally.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Admission to Oregon Bar or willingness to take the next bar exam.
• Strong litigation skills.
• Strong orientation to systemic impact work.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, sense of humor, and positive attitude.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Interest in thinking creatively about how to address our clients’ legal issues.
• Interest in and aptitude for managing legal aid staff.

PREFERENCES:

• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish or another language spoken in the client community.
• Experience serving urban and rural areas and non-English-speaking communities.
• Training or experience in the dynamics of domestic violence and providing trauma-informed services.
• Management experience.
• Personal experience with poverty, disability, or any other minority status or affiliation.

SALARY/BENEFITS: $74,500 to $111,250, based on years of experience as an attorney. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, paid moving expenses and bar study leave, among others.

HOW TO APPLY: Resume review begins on February 17, 2024. Position open until filled. To apply, please submit your resume and list of three references to Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, [email protected]. 

ABOUT US: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services.  OLC operates eleven offices around the state.  It has a litigation support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program. 

OLC’s Woodburn Farmworker office comprises three staff attorneys, one supervising attorney, one paralegal.  Additionally, the Program Director and Managing Attorney of the Farmworker Program both work from the Woodburn Farmworker Office. The Farmworker Program sets priorities according to client need: current priorities include employment, occupational safety, immigration, and health, housing, and civil rights.  Most of our clients speak Spanish or one of the indigenous languages native to Mexico and Central America, such as Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, Mam, and Akateco.  They experience a wide variety of legal problems, including unpaid wages, inadequate housing, unsafe work conditions including excessive heat, hazardous chemicals, violence, and sexual harassment. The most common form of discrimination they face is retaliation for asserting their legal protections.

Position: Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a staff attorney to provide civil legal services to low-income individuals on employment and employment-related housing, health and safety, and civil rights, matters.  In addition, related to employment and housing conditions, OLC seeks a staff attorney in this position to also provide immigration legal services, in particular assisting clients with T and U visas and SIJS applications.  The position is based in Woodburn, Oregon and serves farmworkers statewide.  Woodburn is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley between Salem and Portland and has a rich history of farmworker movements, from the labor movement to the development of off-farm community housing, to community health, and more. 

Responsibilities:  The staff attorney will handle all phases of litigation in state and federal courts including intake, investigation, filing complaints, engaging in discovery, making, and defending dispositive motions, alternative dispute resolution, and trial.  The staff attorney will also analyze eligibility for U and T visas, and SIJS relief.  There will be a significant emphasis on impact work that affects large numbers of farmworkers, such as class actions. The staff attorney will meet, investigate, and interview farmworkers on assigned cases, sometimes outside of normal business hours, as well as engage in intensive community outreach and education together with OLC’s community educators involving educational presentations to farmworkers and community-based groups.  Attorneys in the Farmworker Program work some irregular hours, with some travel during the daytime and occasionally overnight, and some outreach to clients in the evenings. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Requirements:

• Admission to Oregon Bar.
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Experience with immigration law, in particular affirmative relief claims.
• Desire and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to manage a litigation caseload.
• Commitment to developing litigation and other advocacy skills.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Willingness to work irregular hours to meet the needs of clients.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Adobe, and web-based video conferencing and learning platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams).
• Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process.

Preferences:

• Experience representing low-income clients, especially farmworkers.
• Experience with complex, impact litigation.
• Employment law experience.

Salary/Benefits:  The salary scale ranges from $65,500 to $102,500 and placement on the scale is determined by years of relevant experience.  Additional compensation for bilingual ability.  Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave, paid moving expenses and bar study leave, among others.  

Application:  Review of applications will begin February 17, 2025.  To apply, please submit your resume, a description of your Spanish proficiency, and list of three references to Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, Oregon Law Center, [email protected].

ABOUT US: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services.  OLC operates eleven offices around the state.  It has a litigation support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program.

POSITION:  Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a full-time staff attorney to provide civil legal services to low-income clients.  The position is based in Ontario, Oregon and primarily serves clients in Baker, Malheur, Grant and Harney counties.  OLC’s Ontario Office comprises two attorneys and one paralegal. Priorities are set according to client need; current priorities are housing, employment, administrative, and family law. We seek to make a real difference in clients’ lives and to help eliminate the barriers that cause poverty or reduce our clients’ ability to escape poverty.

The staff attorney will handle impact litigation and individual cases, with a significant emphasis on impact work in state and federal courts.  The attorney will conduct community education and outreach to clients and community-based groups, which includes irregular hours, frequent daytime travel and occasional overnight travel.  There are also opportunities to promote the interests of low-income individuals in the development and implementation of laws, regulations, policies and practices that directly affect our clients.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Admission to Oregon Bar, reciprocal eligibility for admission, or availability to sit for next exam.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to independently manage a caseload.
• Desire and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Commitment to developing litigation and other advocacy skills.
• Ability to think creatively about how to address our clients’ legal issues.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), Adobe, Zoom, and cloud-based phone services. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

PREFERENCES:

• Experience representing low-income clients, especially non-English-speaking communities.
• Experience with complex, impact litigation.

SALARY/BENEFITS:  The salary scale ranges from $65,500 to $102,500, and placement on the scale is determined by years of relevant experience as an attorney.  Additional compensation for bilingual ability.  Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, paid moving expenses and bar study leave, among others.

HOW TO APPLY:  Resume submission is open until filled.  To apply, submit your resume and list of three references to Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, [email protected].  If applicable, please describe your Spanish proficiency level.