Civil Rights Attorney

CAIR San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance

3% employer-matched retirement plan

12 vacation days and 10 sick days

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

A nonprofit civil rights organization in San Diego is seeking an attorney with a commitment to public interest advocacy. The role involves investigating legal claims within diverse communities, providing education on civil rights, and managing various legal cases. Candidates should have a law degree, California Bar admission, and some experience in public interest law. This position offers a competitive salary range of $80,000 - $95,000 with generous benefits.

Qualifications

• 1-3+ years of experience in public interest law.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Basic computer proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Review and investigate legal claims.
• Communicate with community members for legal intakes.
• Manage a caseload of 200+ legal claims annually.
• Draft legal documents including pleadings and motions.
• Educate community members on their rights.

Skills

Strong time management skills

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Demonstrated problem-solving skills

Experience with diverse communities

Legal research and writing

Public speaking experience

Self-motivation and creativity

Education

Law degree from an ABA-accredited school

California State Bar admission

Tools

Office 365

WestLaw Next

SharePoint

Job description

Work Location: San Diego, CA

Term: Full-time, occasional evening and weekends required.

Position Status: Exempt

Pay Range: $80,000 - $95,000

Reports to: Executive Director

Generous Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance for employees & dependents, 3% employer-matched retirement plan, 12 vacation days, 10 sick days and 12 holidays, and temporary hybrid work schedule. Budget for legal association membership fee, bar license renewal fee, CLE funding support, and malpractice insurance.Temporary hybrid work schedule, with three days in-person and two days remote.

About Us: Join the largest American Muslim civil rights organization at the frontlines in protecting the rightsoffree speech, freely practicing one's faith, pursuing employment opportunities without harassment, and living as an active and engaged American without reprisal.The Council on American-Islamic Relations, California (CAIR-CA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. We recognize that our employees are passionate and talented and are our most valuable resource. With an important vision to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding, our diverse workforce stands together to demonstrate our values for everyone who joins the efforts.

About the Role: The San Diego office of CAIR (CAIR-SD) is seeking a candidate who will demonstrate a commitment to public interest advocacy and serving diverse communities. The candidate will be a motivated individual with experience and interest in many different types of public interest law who will be expected to identify, strategize, and use creative legal and grassroots advocacy solutions to address systematic issues facing the American Muslim community. Practice Areas: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (Religious Freedom), Employment, National Security & Law Enforcement Practices, Public Accommodations, Prisoners' Rights, School Issues, Hate Crimes/Incidents, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review and investigate an array of legal claims brought by an incredibly diverse community.
• Conduct intakes of legal claims as necessary through effective communication with members of the community.
• Manage a considerable caseload (our attorneys currently manage approximately 200+ intakes each per year)
• Provide assistance on assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Depending on experience, identify, develop, lead, and manage assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Perform in-depth legal research.
• Legal writing including, but not limited to, drafting complaints, discovery, briefs, letters, and memos; and non-legal writing, including drafting community advisories, issuing briefings, and reports
• Communicate with outside parties such as attorneys, employers, law enforcement agents, administrative agencies, media contacts, etc.
• Work to educate and empower community members on their rights through community presentations and material distributions.
• Prepare and assist in CAIR-California reports.
• Travel for outreach, including participating in community events and coalition meetings
• All CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach, fundraising, and other office tasks as required

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Law degree from an American Bar Association-accredited school
• California State Bar admission
• 1-3+ years of experience advocating for, representing, and/or litigating on behalf of clients in areas such as employment law, religious discrimination, public accommodation, denial of benefits by governmental and private actors in courts and administrative agencies
• Strong time management skills with a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with outstanding attention to detail
• Comfort working productively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including public speaking experience
• Experience working with people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
• Access to a working vehicle and the ability to drive throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area
• High degree of self-motivation and creativity
• A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR's mission
• Basic computer proficiency, including knowledge of Office 365, OneDrive, and WestLaw Next
• Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint, Office365, and social media applications (preferred)
• Conversational proficiency in Arabic, Farsi, or Urdu (preferred but not required)

TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter and updated resume with writing sample and professional 3 references.

Equal Employment Opportunity: CAIR-CA is an equal-opportunity employer and adheres to all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.