Staff Attorney, Consumer Housing Unit

PLA seeks qualified, enthusiastic applicants to the following role: 

Position:  Staff Attorney, Consumer Housing Unit

Job Type: Full-Time Position

Anticipated Start date: Spring 2021

Hiring Timeframe: Rolling, final application deadline of March 15, 2021

Application requirements: Cover letter and resume

BACKGROUND:

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (“PLA”) is the federally funded civil legal aid provider for Philadelphia’s indigent community.  We provide high-volume, high-quality and innovative legal representation in administrative and court proceedings, including all levels of state and federal courts. We also provide community education, advice, referral, and support of pro se representation. Our focus is on legal matters addressing basic human needs: family safety, health, income maintenance, and home preservation.

 

PLA seeks to immediately hire a full-time permanent attorney to work as part of its Consumer Housing Unit, with a focus on using litigation to prevent low-income homeowners from losing their homes to tax and mortgage foreclosure. The attorney selected for this exciting and demanding position will help low-income individuals throughout Philadelphia preserve their homes, stabilizing families and neighborhoods in the process.  While the primary focus will be litigation, the job responsibilities will also include some community outreach, education, and policy advocacy on issues affecting home ownership, as well as providing support to paralegals working on a foreclosure prevention hotline.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Law degree and admission to a PA Bar, or a willingness to take the PA bar exam.  Candidates with at least 3 years of client representation experience are preferred, but less experienced attorneys will be considered;
  • Creativity, tenacity, empathy and a passion for justice for low-income individuals;
  • Experience in defending against tax and mortgage foreclosure and in real estate transactional work preferred, but not required;
  • Experience representing debtor’s in chapter 13 bankruptcy preferred, but not required;
  • Fluency in a second language, particularly Spanish, preferred;
  • Ability to manage a significant caseload of individual clients;
  • Excellent legal analysis skills;
  • Excellent work ethic, organization, and communication skills;
  • Excellent legal research and writing skills;
  • Excellent litigation skills and oral advocacy skills;
  • Experience and interest in policy work and others forms of systemic advocacy;
  • Possess sound professional and legal judgment;
  • Experience and ability to work with low-income and vulnerable diverse individuals;
  • Illustrate a high-level commitment to racial justice advocacy;
  • The ability to work cooperatively as part of a team

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary is commensurate with years of experience based on union scale. Full health coverage for employees and their dependents.  Generous holiday and leave benefits.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA 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. PLA 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.  Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume, preferably in one PDF document, to: work@philalegal.org.    

Application deadline is March 15, 20221.   However, the position will be filled as soon as an appropriate candidate is identified.

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