Staff Attorney-Youth Justice Project (Employment Unit)

Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is seeking a staff attorney for our Youth Justice Project (YJP) to tackle barriers to employment and workplace rights impacting young people. The YJP, situated within CLS’s Employment Unit, provides holistic legal screening, assistance, and representation to transition-aged low-income young people in Philadelphia and advocates for young people to have access to income, stability, and opportunity.

CLS is a non-profit public interest organization providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area, CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities. We provide high quality direct legal representation, engage in systemic policy advocacy with the goal of creating broad-based change, and conduct community education and outreach.

In particular, this role will involve representing young people to clear their juvenile, criminal, and ChildLine registry records and advocating for young people with records to be able to be employed, go to school, and get occupational licenses. The staff attorney will also represent young people facing other types of workplace issues, including wage theft, discrimination, harassment, and leave issues.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Job duties and responsibilities include:

• Direct representation of youth clients facing a range of legal issues with a particular focus on juvenile and criminal record barriers.
• High-level policy advocacy on the local, state, and national levels to eradicate barriers to employment, education, and occupational licensing caused by records, as well as engage in other advocacy projects to advance rights and opportunities for young people.
• Participation in outreach events and legal clinics at youth-serving organizations around the City in collaboration with the YJP social worker, paralegal, and other CLS staff.
• Assisting with other YJP tasks including the operation of YJP intake streams, our holistic screening model, and connecting with advocates in other units and at other organizations to ensure youth clients receive excellent holistic representation.
• Assisting with programming to engage young people with lived experience in the work of the YJP and working in coalition with other youth advocates and organizations to further youth policy agenda.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar or ability to waive in.
• Excellent negotiation and analytical skills.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to youth justice/working alongside young people, working with diverse populations, and advocating for racial and economic justice.
• Experience in policy advocacy, litigation and other forms of impact advocacy.
• Sound professional and legal judgment.
• Experience working with low-income and vulnerable individuals from a variety of backgrounds, while demonstrating cultural humility.
• Excellent work ethic, organization, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest work.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Substantive knowledge and experience with employment law
• Ability to speak Spanish or other languages
• Lived experience with the impact of the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems

To Apply: CLS will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position has been filled. However, candidates are highly encouraged to submit their application by Friday, May 26, 2023, for consideration for first round interviews. You can submit your application on CLS’s website online at https://clsphila.org/careers/ OR submit your application below by clicking "Apply Now"

What to Include in your application: Please include a cover letter, resume, three professional references (past or current supervisors preferred) identifying your relationship, and one brief writing sample (10 pages or less).

CLS values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Compensation: This is a full-time position covered by the collective bargaining agreement between CLS and the Philadelphia Legal Services Union N.O.L.S.W./Local 2320/UAW. CLS offers a competitive salary based on experience. The current minimum starting salary is $62,000 for newly admitted attorneys, which increases with relevant years of experience and according to the provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Benefits: CLS offers a very generous and competitive benefits package including 100% employer paid medical (including gender affirming care), life, and short/long-term disability benefits, a 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contribution, and generous leave package, including 13 paid holidays and five personal holidays each year.

Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.  CLS, Inc. does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.  In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.