Staff Attorney-Family Law Program

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K retirement plan

Paid annual leave and sick leave

Paid holidays

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Job summary

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc. (SDVLP) seeks a Staff Attorney for its Family Law Program to provide high‑quality legal services to low‑income San Diegans facing family law matters, including domestic violence, custody, and divorce.

The role includes recruiting pro bono attorneys, community outreach, and supervising non‑attorney staff. The position operates on a hybrid schedule (on-site 2–3 days/week) with a 37.5‑hour week, and opportunities to contribute to training materials and

Qualifications

• Must be a member in good standing of the California Bar.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Mentorship and teaching skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with the public, volunteers, court personnel, government agencies, and partner organizations.
• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with accuracy and minimal direction.
• Ability to travel to court hearings and SDVLP’s other offices throughout San Diego County.

Responsibilities

• Advising clients, including preparing self-represented litigants for custody and domestic violence hearings.
• Provide services remotely, in-person and at court-based custody and domestic violence clinics.
• Mentoring, training, and supervising pro bono attorneys.
• Recruiting new pro bono attorney volunteers through community outreach and attendance at networking events.
• Developing and maintaining written training materials for pro bono attorneys.
• Custody and domestic violence restraining order cases.
• Maintaining knowledge of other legal services programs to provide targeted referrals for issues outside the scope of SDVLP programs.
• Training and supervising non-attorney staff.
• Managing and compiling statistical data and assisting with the drafting of narrative reports to funding sources.
• Engaging in other tasks and projects as needed to further SDVLP’s mission.

Skills

Communication skills

Mentorship

Team collaboration

Public speaking

Independent work

Education

California Bar admission

Tools

Word

Outlook

PowerPoint

Job description

Established in 1983, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc. (SDVLP) is the oldest and most comprehensive pro bono legal services program in San Diego County. SDVLP’s mission is to provide equal access to the justice system by serving as a bridge between indigent and other disadvantaged people in San Diego County and the volunteer lawyers who are willing to donate their time and resources. Our team of talented and passionate employees is collegial, supportive, and committed to providing top-quality legal services to indigent, vulnerable San Diegans.

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY:

The Staff Attorney for SDVLP’s Family Law Program provides top-quality legal advice and representation to low-income San Diegans in a variety of family law matters, including domestic violence, child custody, and divorce cases. The Staff Attorney will also work closely with SDVLP’s Pro Bono team to recruit pro bono attorneys and place clients with attorneys for pro bono representation. In addition, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for performing community outreach and legal education and supervising the work of non-attorney staff.

Our family law programs include the Vision for Justice Collaborative, which provides family law assistance to immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence, our Domestic Violence Restraining Order Program, and our Shriver Program, which provides legal assistance to low-income San Diegans in child custody and domestic violence cases.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

The Staff Attorney will be responsible for:

• Advising clients, including preparing self-represented litigants for custody and domestic violence restraining order hearings.
• Provide services remotely, in-person and at court-based custody and domestic violence clinics.
• Mentoring, training, and supervising pro bono attorneys.
• Recruiting new pro bono attorney volunteers through community outreach and attendance at networking events.
• Developing and maintaining written training materials for pro bono attorneys.
• Custody and domestic violence restraining order cases.
• Maintaining knowledge of other legal services programs to provide targeted referrals for issues outside the scope of SDVLP programs.
• Training and supervising non-attorney staff.
• Managing and compiling statistical data and assisting with the drafting of narrative reports to funding sources.
• Engaging in other tasks and projects as needed to further SDVLP’s mission.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be a member in good standing of the California Bar.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must have excellent mentorship and teaching skills.
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to successfully work as part of a team, and with the public, volunteers, court personnel, government agencies, and partner organizations.
• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with accuracy and minimal direction.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as required by events and deadlines.
• Excellent Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income and disadvantaged people.
• Ability to travel to court hearings and SDVLP’s other offices throughout San Diego County, as necessary.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This position is on a hybrid rotation, requiring ability to work on site a minimum of 2-3 days per week; minimum 37.50-hour work week.
• No billable hours requirement.

SALARY & BENEFITS:

• The salary range is $77,250.00 - $82,000.
• 401K retirement plan with employer match after 6 months of employment.
• 15 days paid annual leave (increases to 20 days after 2 years), 10 days paid sick leave, 16 paid holidays and other time off programs.
• SDVLP is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program