CASA de Maryland Synopsis:  CASA de Maryland’s primary mission is to work with the community to improve the quality of life and fight for equal treatment and full access to resources and opportunities for low-income Latinos and their families. CASA works with other low-income immigrant communities, makes its programs and activities available to them, and joins with other organizations to advocate for social, political, and economic justice for all low-income communities.
Department Synopsis:  Since its inception more than fifteen years ago, the CASA legal program has been at the forefront of creative strategies to combat the many injustices immigrants face in the state of Maryland and the Washington metro region.  The strategies have included individual representation to recover a quarter of a million dollars each year in unpaid wages; liberation, back wages and legal status for victims of human trafficking; class action litigation to address disparate treatment of immigrant drivers license applicants; organizing to publicly pressure unscrupulous employers to meet their legal obligations; support to CASA’s vibrant community organizing and political action department to stop immigration enforcement abuses, anti-immigrant ordinances, anti-immigrant hate crimes.  We are looking for talented, creative, bi-lingual attorneys to join our bi-lingual and bi-cultural legal team, which collectively has nineteen years’ experience in creative public service legal practice, and more than twenty-four years’ experience in community organizing, union organizing, international development and non-profit management.    

The legal program at CASA de Maryland operates under the principles of Justice is the goal, law is a means. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We endeavor to find the most creative strategies to combat the abuses and injustices identified by our constituents.  We value justice in the largest sense possible, not only one person at a time legal solutions, but broad, transformative solutions created in combination with immigrant leaders, CASA organizers and other staff, other local and national organizations and direct service staff.  We value our time and believe that though hard and sustained effort is often required, real rest is also necessary for creativity, stamina and “a life,” however defined. 
Position Synopsis:  Staff Attorney
    
Department / Program:  Services/ Legal
CASA Site:  Based in Silver Spring Center. It may change according to CASA needs.
Classification:  Exempt Category 3
Hours:  Monday through Fridays, it may include some weekends, and evening hours
Direct Supervisor:  Senior Manager of Legal Program
Salary:  $42,000 to 50,000 plus benefits
    
Duties/ Responsibilities:  A Casa of Maryland staff attorney is on the front line in defending immigrant workers against abuse by employers, the police and immigration officials.  This is an excellent opportunity to build your legal skills, build power in the immigrant community, make a lasting difference in the state of Maryland and to work with a dynamic group of paralegals, lawyers, organizers and social service staff in a friendly, fast-paced, bi-lingual and multi-cultural office.  

Duties may include, but are not limited to, some of the following which are discussed and prioritized by the employee and supervisor, and reflected in individual and program annual workplans: 

Strategic Work with Tenant Organizers
• Support legal needs of dedicated housing organizers who have developed vibrant tenant associations fighting substandard housing conditions, illegal evictions, retaliation for organizing, and race and national origin discrimination. 
• Develop impact litigation to improve access to affordable housing and housing conditions for low-income immigrant families.
• Engage, in coordination with the Community Organizing and Political Action (COPA) Department, in advocacy efforts for improved laws which effect immigrant tenants at local, state and federal level by drafting legislation, presenting testimony, organizing hearings and lobbying 

Direct Legal Work
• Develop and implement impact strategies to address common problems facing immigrants in the housing context, working with pro-bono attorneys for some strategies
• Oversee and participate in legal intakes regarding substandard housing conditions, illegal evictions, retaliation, race and national origin discrimination and other tenant problems.
• Provide referrals, brief legal services and occasionally litigate individual cases of workers who meet established criteria
• Research and identify tenant purchase and condominium conversion opportunities to preserve low-cost housing in suburban Maryland. 

Outreach/Popular Education 
• Engage in education and outreach through “know your rights” presentations, dissemination of materials and “training of trainers” workshops in which organizers and workers are trained to reach out to others to inform them of their rights

Administrative Work
• Complete monthly reports on activities (very light burden)
• Collaborate with other CASA Departments and programs to ensure that high quality services are being delivered to ensure that members enjoy an excellent experience with CASA such that they can contribute to building the power of the immigrant community.  In particular, CASA expects services and organizing to be delivered in an integrated way. 
• Participate actively in the annual planning process, including developing and executing individual workplans, evaluating and providing feedback on plans as the year progresses.
• Meet deadlines established by supervisor and in Department and individual workplan.
• Think creatively about ways to improve further his/her specific job and CASA as an organization.
• And other duties assigned by supervisor related to position. 
    
Qualifications:  • Understanding of and commitment to using the law as part of a multi-faceted, community-based approach to social change
• Creativity and willingness to be a lawyer who says “yes”
• J.D. and admittance to Maryland Bar or willingness to sit for Maryland Bar exam  (less intensive, 1/2 day out of state attorney exam available for those with five years’ practice experience)
• Knowledge of Maryland or another state’ tenant, real estate, or federal civil rights law preferred or demonstrated ability to learn new area of law quickly
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) or willingness to take specific steps to develop functional fluency
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team 
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple ongoing projects
• Two or more years’ experience in community setting preferred
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends
• Because of the need to be onsite at housing complexes, and the limited availability of public transportation, a car is required for this position.  CASA provides mileage reimbursement at the IRS-recommended rate, currently $0.485 per mile, to cover the cost of ownership, maintenance and gasoline.  
 
CASA of Maryland, Inc. is bound by a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Communication Workers of America.
This is a union position. We are members of Local WBNG 32035 -Communication Workers of America (CWA).  If you are offered and accept this position, you will be invited to become a member of the union. All bargaining unit positions require membership or agency fee payer status.
Please send all cover letters and resumes to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a copy to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The name of the position applied for must be included in the subject line of the e-mail. For more information about CASA de Maryland please visit our website at www.casademaryland.org. de Maryland, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or sexual orientation