Currently Accepting Applications for:
Paralegal, Housing Justice & Right to Counsel
STAFF ATTORNEY - HOUSING JUSTICE / RIGHT TO COUNSEL
COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT, INC. - MIAMI, FLORIDA
We are hiring!
Community Justice Project, Inc., a social justice legal organization based in Miami, Florida, seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to work on housing justice issues, with a minimum of 3-5 years experience, more experienced attorneys will also be considered. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a team of passionate, creative social justice lawyers engaged in a critical practice and committed to accompanying organized communities in their pursuit of justice and equity.
Founded in 2015, Community Justice Project uses a community lawyering - or movement lawyering - approach. We collaborate closely with community organizers and grassroots groups in low-income communities of color because we believe that a more democratic, just and equitable society can only truly come about through grassroots organizing and social movement. We are a part of that social movement in Florida and strive to support organizing through our varied and often innovative legal work.
We use an intersectional lens to advocate for racial justice and economic equity. Substantively, our work is oriented towards being responsive to what communities determine to be their needs. We believe that lawyers must ground their legal advocacy in community-based efforts and that without the strength and backing of an organized and informed community, legal gains ring hollow. As a result, we are seeking a lawyer who is comfortable confronting a wide range of legal issues using a variety of legal tools.
The Staff Attorney will have a background in, and passion for, housing, as well as an interest in addressing the historical and structural roots of injustice, including gender, racial and economic oppression. This position will be responsible for building out a right to counsel practice in eviction cases in close collaboration with community organizers. A priority of the program is addressing the gap in representation for immigrant communities. Candidates should have experience in eviction defense and litigation of housing matters. Fluency in Spanish or Haitian Creole is a strong plus. Experience in policy advocacy and working closely with community organizations and organizers in undertaking social justice campaigns is a plus. A strong candidate for the position will be both rigorous in their advocacy and innovative about how we as lawyers can be better at supporting community-defined objectives.
While this position will specifically focus on tenants' rights and housing justice issues, the Staff Attorney will be exposed to the range of other movement lawyering work of CJP. Our community partners include Dream Defenders, Florida Immigrant Coalition, WeCount!, Miami Workers Center, Family Action Network Movement, The Black Collective, and Florida Rising. We support them and others in a range of campaigns, including: protecting immigrants’ rights through challenging ICE detainers; expanding tenants’ rights and affordable housing; combating climate gentrification in Miami; protecting the right to protest; and advocating for equitable disaster recovery.
Qualifications:
J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school
Admission to the Florida Bar
Minimum of 3-5 years experience and at least 1-3 years litigation experience in Landlord/Tenant Law. The role is also adaptable to a more senior attorney
A strong grounding in intersectionality, racial justice and economic justice scholarship and advocacy
Aptitude and interest in building innovative programs to address systemic issues
Fluency in Spanish and/or Creole a plus
Experience working with organizers and community organizing groups a plus
Compensation:
Competitive salary and benefits, including vacation, sabbatical and parental leave time. Salary chart commensurate with experience (for example, third year attorneys earn a base salary of $72,500 and fifth year attorneys earn a base salary of $80,000, plus a 5% employer contribution to a retirement account, fully covered medical insurance for the employee, and other benefits).
Send a resume, cover letter and three references all in one PDF document saved as YourName_Attorney to info@communityjusticeproject.com. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until filled.
CJP is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and actively recruits people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and those with lived experiences in the systems we seek to dismantle.