Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney

Prison Law Office; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 134,000 - 266,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Job summary

Prison Law Office in Berkeley, CA is seeking Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney with 3+ years of experience. The role involves leading civil and class-action litigation on behalf of incarcerated people, with travel to correctional facilities and collaboration with partner organizations.

The position operates in a hybrid setting, requiring in-office attendance at least two days per full week. The ideal candidate will have CA Bar admission (or eligibility), strong writing and advocacy skills,

Qualifications

• At least three years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Experience developing and litigating complex civil cases.
• Admission to the California Bar, plans to sit for the next California Bar Exam, or eligibility for California’s Multijurisdictional Practice (MJP) Program.
• Experience or interest in criminal legal system matters.
• Excellent analytical, legal research, and writing skills.
• Excellent oral advocacy skills; bilingual in Spanish preferred.
• Ability to mentor paraprofessional staff, interns, and fellows.

Responsibilities

• Serve as counsel on individual and class action litigation for people in prisons, jails, and detention centers.
• Participate in all phases of litigation from factual investigation to appellate work.
• Conduct interviews with incarcerated clients, witnesses, and staff.
• Engage in post-trial remedial monitoring and litigation to enforce court orders.
• Lead tours of correctional facilities to assess conditions and monitor compliance.
• Draft high-quality legal pleadings, briefs, motions, and other materials.
• Maintain regular communication with clients and class members with empathy and professionalism.
• Collaborate with PLO team members, co-counsel, and partner organizations on strategy.
• Supervise paraprofessional staff and interns; provide feedback.

Skills

Analytical skills

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Spanish language

Mentoring staff

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

California Bar admission

MJP eligibility

Job description

Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney* 3+ years of experience

Compensation: $134,055- $265,903, commensurate with experience (see full salary scale below), plus benefits

Location: Berkeley, CA preferred (remote option subject to negotiation). PLO operates a hybrid workplace with in-office attendance at least two days per full week, including Wednesdays. Candidates who can comply with this practice are strongly preferred.

Application Deadline: November 2, 2026

*Attorneys with 8+ years of experience have the Senior Staff Attorney title. See below for role responsibilities for each.

What We Do:

The Prison Law Office is one of the nation’s leading experts in prison conditions litigation, defending the rights of incarcerated people through class action lawsuits, monitoring, and education. In addition to litigation and advocacy, the Prison Law Office works directly with correctional agencies to develop practical, sustainable reforms to improve conditions of confinement for incarcerated people.

The Role:

Staff Attorneys and Senior Staff Attorneys play a central role in PLO’s litigation and advocacy work on behalf of incarcerated people. Attorneys lead individual and class action litigation from case development through resolution and are deeply involved in post-trial remedial monitoring of long-running institutional reform cases. The work requires excellent legal judgment, strong client-centered advocacy, and a commitment to advancing civil and human rights in carceral settings. This role requires regular travel to prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers and close collaboration with colleagues, clients, and external stakeholders.

Staff Attorney Role Responsibilities:

• Serve as counsel on individual and class action litigation on behalf of people in prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers
• Participate in all phases of litigation, including factual investigation, discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiations, trial, and appellate work
• Conduct interviews with incarcerated clients, witnesses, and correctional staff
• Engage in and develop post-trial remedial monitoring and remedial litigation to enforce compliance with court orders and decrees
• Lead tours of correctional facilities to assess conditions of confinement and monitor compliance
• Research and draft high-quality legal pleadings, briefs, motions, and other advocacy materials
• Maintain regular communication with clients and class members with empathy and professionalism and in line with legal strategy
• Collaborate with PLO team members, co-counsel, and partner organizations on litigation and advocacy strategy
• Oversee and direct the work of paraprofessional staff (including investigators, special assistants, and litigation assistants) on assigned matters and provide constructive feedback
• Supervise law student interns, legal fellows, and paraprofessional staff and provide constructive feedback

In addition to the Staff Attorney Role Responsibilities listed above, the Senior Staff Attorney Role Responsibilities include:

• Lead complex, high-impact litigation on behalf of incarcerated people and serve as a primary architect of litigation and remedial strategy in individual and class action matters
• Exercise advanced judgment in high-stakes negotiations with state, local, and federal officials and opposing counsel
• Take a lead role in shaping post-trial remedial frameworks and long-term compliance strategies
• Serve as a thought partner to PLO management on litigation priorities, case development, risk assessment, and legal strategy
• Represent PLO in external legal, policy, and advocacy settings as needed as a senior organizational representative
• Manage all phases of litigation, including factual investigation, pleadings, motion practice, discovery, settlement negotiations, trial, and appellate work
• Guide post-trial remedial strategy and reform efforts to ensure meaningful and durable outcomes
• Provide consistent mentorship, coaching, and feedback for Staff Attorneys, legal fellows, law student interns, and paraprofessional staff (including investigators, special assistants, and litigation assistants) working with the attorney on assigned matters
• Supervise Staff Attorneys, legal fellows, law student interns, and paraprofessional staff

The ideal candidate will have:

• At least three years of experience as a practicing attorney
• Significant experience developing and litigating complex civil cases
• Admission to the California Bar, plans to sit for the next California Bar Exam, or eligibility to participate in California’s Multijurisdictional Practice (MJP) Program
• Experience or interest in criminal legal system matters
• Excellent analytical, legal research, and writing skills
• Excellent oral advocacy skills, with both legal and non-legal audiences
• Excellent communication skills; bilingual skills in Spanish preferred
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and work independently
• Demonstrated ability to interact cooperatively, professionally, and effectively with co-workers, clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and jail/prison staff and administrators
• Experience working and communicating with marginalized or vulnerable communities
• Demonstrated ability to mentor paraprofessional staff, legal fellows, and law student interns, and, for the Senior Staff Attorney role, other Staff Attorneys

Compensation:

The salary for this position is based upon a non-negotiable salary scale for attorneys at PLO; the range listed is from the 2026-2027 salary scale for attorneys:

• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $134,055 - $157,776
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $165,500 - $188,670
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $194,407 - $219,011
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $225,631 - $254,318
• 21 years since law school graduation: $265,903

Benefits:

• Generous health insurance policy
• Dental care stipend
• Annual wellness bonus
• Life insurance
• 403(b) retirement accounts with employer matching at 5% of annual earnings
• Repayment of qualifying federal educational loans up to $1,300/month
• Paid time off
• All federal and state holidays off
• Office closure the last week of the year

Prison Law Office is committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization and community. We can only maintain excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse staff that includes all races, ages, backgrounds, citizenships, national origins, disabilities, gender identities, languages, military experiences, sexual orientations, religions, socioeconomic status, work experiences, and historically excluded communities.