Eastern WA Staff Attorney job opportunity at CLS

04/06/2022 1:10 PM | WWL Admin (Administrator)

Columbia Legal Services is a civil legal aid organization that advances social, economic, and racial equity for people living in poverty. We support communities and movements by bringing deep legal expertise that is grounded in – and strongly guided by – an understanding of race equity.

 

We seek systemic solutions by bringing class action lawsuits, using cutting edge legal theories, engaging in policy advocacy, and supporting communities in building their own power. We have a special responsibility to serve people whose access to free legal services is restricted, due to institutionalized or immigration status.

 

At CLS we seek a team that reflects our organizational values of community, race equity, and justice. This includes hiring staff with connections to the communities we serve whenever possible, and a commitment to strive for justice and equity in our hiring practices and in our staff culture.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CLS staff have primarily been working remotely. Once it is safe to fully reopen CLS offices, employees will still be able to do some work remotely; however, this position will also require some physical presence at the office, as well as an ability to attend required meetings at the office, and regular engagement with the local community.

Beginning February 1, 2022, CLS is requiring that all employees adhere to our COVID-19 vaccine mandate through proof of vaccination or by requesting a medical or religious accommodation.


Columbia Legal Services has open opportunities in Kennewick, WA and Yakima, WA for bilingual (English/Spanish) Staff Attorneys to join our statewide advocacy team working to dismantle the structures that perpetuate poverty, racism, and other injustices in Washington and increase communities’ access to political power. CLS staff attorneys work as part of a larger team, engaging in systemic, multi-forum legal advocacy and community engagement.

Our offices in Eastern and Central Washington have historically had a strong focus on serving immigrant client communities, consisting largely of farmworkers and their families. Examples of recent and current work include class action litigation on behalf of H-2A farmworkers, raising federal anti-trafficking and state wage law claims; class actions to obtain the right to overtime pay for dairy workers; legislative advocacy to ban private, for-profit detention, including the Northwest Detention Center; supporting workers at fruit packing sheds in their efforts to gain union recognition; challenging county jails’ practices of collaborating with ICE; and advocating for regulations to protect residents of temporary farmworker housing from COVID-19.

We seek a mix of both developing (0+ years) and more experienced candidates for these full-time positions; all interested applicants are encouraged to apply. Because building relationships with our client communities is vital to this work, the ideal candidates for these open roles will have existing relationships with immigrant communities in Eastern or Central Washington and will live in close proximity to their home office.

CLS offices have a collegial atmosphere that emphasizes teamwork, flexibility, and mutual accountability. All staff members are expected to strive to understand the values, cultures, and concerns of the client communities we serve, and to uphold Columbia Legal Services’ values of community, race equity, and justice.

Send a cover letter highlighting your relevant skills and experience, resume, and a 5-10 page writing sample, in PDF format to careers@columbialegal.org. Please make Eastern WA Staff Attorney your subject line.

Position is open until filled, with priority given to applications received before April 15, 2022. CLS will only contact you if we decide to pursue your application. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application process, please contact the above email.

We are committed to an environment of mutual respect, collaboration, and equal opportunity for all employees, and strongly encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, people who have been affected by mass incarceration, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. We believe in building and sustaining an organization that is reflective of the communities we serve, and is diverse in work background, experience, education, race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities. We believe that the resulting diversity is both a source of program strength and a matter of fundamental human fairness.



Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software