Bilingual Staff Attorney, Farmworker Program

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) staff attorney for its Farmworker Program. The position can be based in either Hillsboro or Woodburn and is eligible for a partial remote work option.

Background LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program committed to advocacy strategies with the broadest possible impact on client community problems. LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. We are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.

The Farmworker Program consists of eight staff, including attorneys and paralegal/outreach workers. The majority of our clients speak Spanish and/or one of the Mesoamerican indigenous languages such as Mixteco. We emphasize areas of the law that community members tell us are most important to them and where representation and advocacy can achieve long term change. We work together with our clients to overcome the challenges they face including systemic racism, unpaid wages, poor working conditions, unsafe housing, and other forms of discrimination and retaliation for the exercise of their legal rights. We use strategies including community education, legal representation and systemic advocacy.

Responsibilities The staff attorney will work with our team to represent agricultural workers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. The caseload, involving a combination of impact litigation and brief service cases, consists primarily of employment, housing, health and safety, civil rights, unemployment and tax cases. The staff attorney will also be involved in non-litigation advocacy, community education and outreach to agricultural workers and community-based groups.

Requirements We seek applicants who have

Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for low-income communities and other vulnerable populations Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural knowledge, cultural humility, and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression; Excellent legal and interpersonal communication skills; Membership in the Oregon bar, eligibility for reciprocity or a willingness to take the next bar exam; A high degree of initiative and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively; Ability to speak, read and write Spanish; Willingness to flex their work schedule to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed; and A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel.

Salary/Benefits Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $66,200 – 73,700 for 0-5 years’ experience; $75,200 – 81,200 for 6-10 years’ experience and $82,700 – $105,200 for 11-30 years’ experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Additional compensation of $4,300 to $5,700 is available annually for bilingual ability, depending on proficiency. Full benefits package including individual and family health insurance, vision insurance, and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.

Closing date Position open until filled. Review of resumes is ongoing.

Applications Send resume and letter of interest describing relevant experience:

Laurie Hoefer, Program Directorfarmworkerjobs@lasoregon.org

Supplemental question As a part of your letter of interest, please address the following: LASO is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. It is essential to our mission that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

How do you think your personal background and/or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences in your response.

Applicants must apply via email to the address above.

If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.

We celebrate diversity LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.