Temporary Economic Justice Attorney - SSI

Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) is a non-profit law firm. Our staff provide free civil legal services to individuals and families living in poverty throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our community-based service model includes a wide range of access points, including legal hotlines, six physical offices, and community-based advocacy clinics and intake points. We practice in multiple inter-related legal substantive areas to prevent and stop homelessness, increase economic stability, protect low-income consumers, expand access to healthcare, and enhance safety for survivors of interpersonal violence. Our clients include the working poor, families with children, foster youth, seniors, immigrants, veterans, individuals impacted by the criminal and juvenile legal systems, and persons with disabilities. The core of our community-based practice is working alongside our individual clients to protect their legal rights, resolve immediate crises and remove legal barriers to long-term stability and escaping poverty. BayLegal is also uniquely positioned to identify patterns of illegal practices and engage in opportunities to protect the legal rights of low-income communities and increase efficiency and effectiveness of public services through broader advocacy and impact litigation.      

BayLegal’s San Francisco Economic Justice / Social Security Disability Advocacy Practice Team seeks an attorney with a strong commitment to the public interest to join our team. Based in our San Francisco office, this position represents unhoused San Franciscans with claims for Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). The position requires regular outreach at city shelters, as well as travel in the city/county to best serve our clients. As a member of BayLegal’s regional practice, there may also be travel within BayLegal’s broader service area for purposes of training and advocacy. This is a temporary position lasting approximately 6 months. 

Key Responsibilities:  

• Learn and advocate for the diverse legal needs of undeserved and vulnerable communities in San Francisco and the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance stability, and address social justice. 
• Represent clients in Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and California Assistance Program for Immigrants claims and appeals. Represent clients in all stages of administrative proceedings from initial applications through federal court. 
• Assist clients with accessing other county, state, and federal public benefits programs, as needed. 
• Identify and employ impact advocacy strategies to remove systematic barriers to public benefits for clients, including people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities. 
• Develop relationships and engage in collaboration with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies and community-based organizations, to outreach clients, ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing BayLegal's client community. 
• Track and document client and project services and funding deliverables in compliance with BayLegal policies and funding requirements and help promote BayLegal's mission and resource development. 
• Work collaboratively with attorneys practicing in BayLegal’s other substantive areas. 
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission and operations as a non-profit.  

Required Qualifications: 

• Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program. Candidates who have recently passed the CA Bar or graduated and will be taking the bar exam at the next sitting are welcome to apply.
• Commitment to complying with all California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices. 
• Current proficiency, and ability to improve proficiency, in technological equipment, hardware, and software necessary to perform duties of the position.
• Humility in working with colleagues and clients, and individuals of all identities, experiences, and perspectives
• Commitment and desire to work with low-income and unhoused individuals.
• Willingness to travel to and meet clients in the community at homeless shelters, SROs, jail, and other locations where clients are at.
• Experience representing clients with government benefits programs, especially Social Security disability/SSI benefits, preferred.
• Ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
• Strong oral advocacy skills; thoughtful and attentive to client communication.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic team. 
• Sense of humor, curious and self-directed.  
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details.  

Hybrid Work Option: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community.  Being accessible to our client communities and reducing barriers for them to access our services is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm.  BayLegal employees are expected to work on-site and in-person at a BayLegal office or community-based advocacy site at least three (3) days per week and may work remotely from home on a part-time basis.  Employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location, and to other service delivery locations as needed, during the standard work week.   

Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family-friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with medical and dental benefits, paid holidays, and sick leave.  Compensation is based on experience and competitive public interest salaries. The estimated annual salary range is $80,719 - $132,815 placement in range determined primarily by years of related experience.   

Work Environment and Physical Demands:  

Work Environment: This position is primarily sedentary. When in office, the applicant can expect to be working at a desk in a temperature-controlled office, in a modular space or individual office. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. In-person appearance at Social Security offices and the Office of Hearing Operations, as well as periodic intake at San Francisco homeless shelters, and some travel to client housing is required.  

Physical Demands: While performing duties of job, employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

Applications: BayLegal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Recruitment, placement and promotions are conducted without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, veteran status or sexual orientation, or any other classification protected by Federal, State, and local laws & ordinances. We will consider qualified candidates with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of all Federal, state and local laws. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.