Staff Attorney : Louisiana
New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice
Staff Attorney
Based in New Orleans, LA
About the Organization:
The New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice is a multi-racial membership-based organization dedicated to building the power and participation of poor people in order to expand democracy and transform the economy. We organize directly affected people, and couple their courage with strategic legal, policy, and communications work to build campaigns that advance racial justice, immigrant rights, and a fair economy. Our members are African American and immigrant workers and families in New Orleans and the Gulf South. The Workers’ Center anchors three grassroots membership organizations: the Congress of Day Laborers, Stand With Dignity, and the Seafood Workers Alliance. Over the last thirteen years, the Center’s organizing and policy victories have substantially improved the material conditions for poor people in the South. Together with our allies, we are building a new freedom movement to fight for dignified work, racial justice, liberation that transcends borders, and our full participation in every decision that affects our lives. For more information, including profiles of our wins in the New York Times, Time Magazine, and Newsweek, visit: www.nowcrj.org.
NOWCRJ’s Legal and Policy Department provides support to NOWCRJ’s organizing projects and members to force employers and federal, state, and local agencies to comply with existing laws, to build worker power, and to protect workers’ rights to organize. Our Department is nimble, intersectional, and committed to using creative, innovative and participatory legal strategies.
Primary practice areas include workers’ rights, immigration, and civil rights. Our docket historically has included federal impact litigation and law reform cases, strategic immigration and detention work, administrative advocacy, policy analysis and advocacy reports, and campaign research and support.
About the Staff Attorney Position:
The Staff Attorney develops legal tools and strategies to support NOWCRJ’s campaigns and members. The Staff Attorney reports to the Senior Staff Attorney and the Legal and Policy Director, and works closely with organizers and members to advance the strategic objectives of NOWCRJ. Specifically, the Staff Attorney is responsible for:
- Managing cases and developing legal resources to support NOWCRJ’s campaigns and strategic objectives.
- Collaborating with organizers and members to identify legal needs and opportunities.
- Maintaining regular communications with clients, co-counsel, partner organizations, and government actors.
- Assisting with the training and supervision of interns and student law clerks.
- Staying abreast of developments in the law related to immigrant and workers’ issues; advising and sharing developments with staff and members.
- Preparing regular docket reports.
- Assisting in the management and administrative tasks of the Department.
- Qualifications:
- Minimum 1-3 years litigation experience in labor, employment, immigration, and/or civil rights law.
- Deep commitment to lawyering in a way that empowers collective vision and action by low-income workers and communities of color.
- Exceptional research, writing, and oral communication skills.
- Juris Doctor and Louisiana bar admission (or willingness to take the Louisiana Bar Exam).
- Spanish fluency preferred. Please indicate all languages spoken and your level of proficiency in your application.
- Ability to implement vision, think strategically, creatively problem solve, exercise good judgment, and lead with both enthusiasm and humility.
To Apply:
Please email a cover letter, résumé and writing sample to: careers@nowcrj.org, subject line: Staff Attorney – Your Last Name. Applications will only be accepted electronically and will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Women, people of color, people with disabilities, returning citizens and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.
WHEN APPLYING: Be sure to indicate that you saw this information at UNIONJOBS.COM.
Job Posting Courtesy of UnionJobs.com
