Job details
Job type full-time
Full job description
Who we are
We are legal advocates for tens of thousands of low-income members of our bay area communityOur services span the region, from napa valley to silicon valleyWe step in where the social safety net is all too lacking, to stand for equal justice for people who would otherwise have to face the civil legal system alone.
What we do
We work to defend our clients against homelessness, inaccessible healthcare, predatory consumer practices, domestic violence, and economic instabilityWe work to address both the immediate crises that they face when they walk into our offices, and the root causes of their poverty, through systemic advocacy and impact litigation.
Our law clerk program
We welcome between 10-15 law students during the school yearNote that our law school program is primarily remote for the spring semester for safety of our clients, staff and community during the pandemic.
Under the supervision of staff attorneys, clerks have the opportunity to engage in our work by:
Conducting client interviews and initial case statements · preparing clients for trials · obtaining discovery and other evidence writing briefs and other legal memoranda · participating in community outreach and education · assisting self-represented litigants representing clients at administrative hearings and state court hearings/trials · participating in broader impact litigation drafting writs of mandamus to superior court and california appellate courts
Get involved with our priority areas and projects
Consumer protection – alameda, contra costa, san francisco, san mateo, santa clara – assist with advocacy and litigation to address economic and financial problems affecting low-income consumers, who are particularly vulnerable to high-cost credit, predatory loans, credit reporting errors, problems with employment and housing background reports, predatory for-profit schools, and unfair business models such as credit repair organizations and foreclosure rescue scamsAssist with client interviews and learn to issue-spot legal problems, draft legal pleadings, and conduct legal research and writingCertified law students are encouraged to appear in court.
Consumer rights clinics – alameda, contra costa, san francisco, san mateo, santa clara – these clinics consist of know-your-rights workshops and one-on-one meetings with attendees to provide information about consumer law problems and assist with necessary formsLaw clerks focus on assisting people with forms related to debt collection lawsuits and to protect clients` exempt income and wages from collection activitySubstantive training for clinic volunteers is provided throughout the year, applications accepted year-round.
Economic justice (ej) – alameda, marin, napa, san francisco, santa clara – assist clients in obtaining desperately needed health coverage, as well as public and disability benefitsParticipate in direct individual representation and ongoing impact litigationClerks learn about medi-cal, medicare, healthy families, calworks, general assistance, calfresh, supplemental security income (ssi), social security disability insurance (ssdi) and general health access issuesCases often intersect with civil rights, language access, and domestic violenceFor ej clients, clerks have the opportunity to identify their eligibility, gather and build evidence, prepare briefs, assist with negotiations, and possibly represent the client at an administrative hearing.
Family law for domestic violence survivors – alameda, contra costa, napa, san francisco, san mateo, santa clara – participate in our comprehensive legal representation of low-income survivors of domestic violenceProvide litigation assistance in a full range of family law matters, including divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and restraining orders.
Domestic violence restraining order clinic – contra costa, san mateo – assist self-represented litigants seeking civil domestic violence restraining order protection—including child custody, visitation and support orders—through all stages of the processA great opportunity to work directly with litigants by conducting interviews and drafting pleadingsApplications accepted year-round, substantive training provided on a rolling basis.
Health access – alameda, contra costa, marin, napa, san francisco, santa clara, sonoma – an opportunity to assist in providing counsel; to negotiate with agencies and organizations which provide health services; and to represent clients in state administrative hearings (no certification necessary) on a variety of legal issues related to obtaining health care services, including the affordable care act (`obamacare`).
Housing preservation – alameda, contra costa, san francisco, santa clara – work on homelessness prevention, file administrative complaints (hud & dfeh) using fair housing laws to address housing discrimination issues, preserve affordable housing, and fight illegal evictionsInterview clients, prepare legal pleadings and assist with a full civil litigation case over a short amount of time (including possible jury trial).
Housing rights clinic – contra costa – meet with clinic attendees one-on-one to provide information about tenant rights and the unlawful detainer (eviction) processLaw clerks may provide legal information and assist with necessary forms, including answers to unlawful detainers, rent board petitions and demand letters to landlords to make repairsApplications accepted year-round, substantive training provided on a rolling basis.
Immigration advocacy for domestic violence & sexual assault survivors – alameda, contra costa, napa, san francisco, san mateo, santa clara – assist in our provision of comprehensive legal services to low-income immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assaultAssist with vawa self-petitions and u visa non-immigrant petitions—immigration remedies that provide relief for survivors who are either immediate family members of abusive u.sCitizens or legal permanent residents, or who cooperate with the investigation and/or prosecution of the crimes perpetrated against themLearn how to assess eligibility, prepare immigration pleadings and work directly with immigrant survivors.
Individualized legal support services (ilss) – san francisco –– help eliminate legal barriers to employment, such as suspended drivers licenses, credit & consumer problems, employment rights, criminal & background records/checks, and child support arrears, using a full range of legal remediesIlss provides legal services to individuals on welfare who face legal barriers that prevent them from gaining employment and escaping poverty.
Reentry – alameda, contra costa – low-income individuals seeking to overcome a criminal conviction or arrest history and reestablish themselves within our communities face multiple civil barriers, including in housing, employment, licensing, access to public benefits, and consumer debtHelp to provide wrap-around legal services for these clients by assisting with direct representation in a wide array of civil legal practice areas, and by participating in ongoing impact litigation.
Medical legal partnership (mlp) – contra costa, san francisco – assist in providing wrap-around support for clients whose legal issues are affecting their health, while learning about the mlp model of addressing social determinants of healthThese partnerships are growing across the united states, allowing attorneys to work with clients across multiple areas of lawYou will have the opportunity to meet with families on-site at san francisco general hospital to help identify legal needs and provide counsel or representation in a number of legal areas, including housing, special education, and public benefitsThe contra costa county mlp partners with contra costa health services, and allows public health nurses and social workers to refer their patients to baylegalThis particular partnership mainly receives referrals related to housing and social security, although there are opportunities to represent clients in other areas of law as well.
V* ete *r a* n *s l* e *g al s* e *r vi ces ̶* c_ ont _r a_ _c o_ s _ta, s_ anta _ cl a_ r _a ̶ * help low-income veterans through our wraparound legal services model, with issues impacting their health, housing, economic stability, and access to va services and benefitsOff-site law clerk projects may include staffing the veterans court in santa clara county and regular clinic hours at the va, where clerks and attorneys screen participants for civil legal needsMany cases involve collaborative work with other community agencies or site visits to meet homeless veteransPossible opportunities to represent veterans in administrative matters.
Youth justice project (yjp) – alameda, santa clara – support yjp—an innovative project providing comprehensive advocacy to poor youth with disabilities and mental health needs—by participating in a wide range of legal representation and assistance to ensure access to essential public benefits, special education, housing, and healthcare servicesYjp focuses on young people in, previously in, or at risk of foster care or delinquency who have been denied or not informed about important benefits and services to which they are entitled.
Apply Now
Requirements
Completion of the first year of law school
A passion for social justice and poverty-related issues
A sensitivity to working with people from diverse backgrounds
Funding
Students are encouraged to apply for funding through their law school and other grant opportunities (please contact us if we can be of assistance)See https://www.psjd.org/ for more information.
Desired skills and abilities
We encourage students who have completed the required evidence course to become certified by the california state bar to represent clients in court.
Students who speak spanish, cantonese, russian, vietnamese, or other southeast asian languages, are encouraged to apply.
Special consideration will be given to students who have a demonstrated commitment to serving low-income or disadvantaged communities.
Timeline - spring semester
During the school year, students commonly work 10-16 hours per week via volunteer or externship placementsBaylegal welcomes and gives preference to students who can commit to more than one semester.
Law clerkships are available throughout the year and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis year-round until all positions are filledFor spring, we start reviewing applications in october on a rolling basis, and we recommend applying asap.
Please email a completed baylegal law clerk application (available at baylegal.org) indicating preferred office(s) and project(s) with a copy of your resume, cover letter and writing sample to: apply - spring 2022 law clerk program
Questions? email andrea del-pan, esq., pro bono director – probono@baylegal.org
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Job type: full-time
Work location: multiple locations
