Employment Opportunities

Staff Attorney – Tenants’ Rights Program

As San Diego’s housing crisis deepens due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SDVLP seeks a full-time staff attorney to expand its Tenants’ Rights Program (TRP). The TRP utilizes a pro bono model to provide education and legal assistance to vulnerable, low-income tenants, with the goal of preventing evictions and promoting housing stability, especially in communities of color. The TRP Staff Attorney will work with pro bono attorneys to provide advice and representation to low-income San Diegans facing myriad housing issues, such as eviction, habitability problems, and discrimination.

The Staff Attorney will be responsible for mentoring, training, and supervising pro bono attorneys in legal clinic settings and direct representation cases, as well as offering substantive trainings and creating written training materials. As part of the Tenants’ Rights team, the Staff Attorney will provide direct legal services to tenants while helping to design new and innovative pro bono projects that respond to evolving community needs and maximize pro bono involvement. Additional duties include performing community outreach, education, and networking, as well as supervising the work of non-attorney staff. This position provides an opportunity to exercise creative thinking, project planning, and implementation skills. Some travel will be required.

Our team is collegial, supportive, and committed to providing top-quality legal services to indigent, vulnerable San Diegans. No billable hours requirement.

Minimum qualifications include admission to practice law in California, a commitment to SDVLP’s mission of connecting indigent clients with pro bono attorneys, excellent mentorship skills and communication skills, willingness to learn new processes and new areas of law, and flexibility/adaptability in response to changing needs and priorities. At least one year of public interest legal experience preferred, ideally in housing/eviction defense. Bilingual (Spanish) oral and written communication skills are preferred. Salary range is $75,000 – $80,000. Medical, dental, vision, 401(K), and sick, annual leave, and holiday pay provided. SDVLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a legal exemption applies. The position will be performed onsite at SDVLP’s main office in downtown San Diego and will require occasional travel to SDVLP’s other offices in San Diego County.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references to attyhiring@sdvlp.org. No phone calls, please.

Staff Attorney – Microbusiness and Nonprofit Support Program

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc. is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney to support its Microbusiness and Nonprofit Support Program (MNSP). The MNSP provides legal assistance and education to low-income entrepreneurs and microbusinesses in San Diego County, and to nonprofit organizations that serve low-income and disadvantaged San Diegans. The MNSP Staff Attorney will provide legal counsel and assistance to small businesses and nonprofit organizations on transactional matters. The Staff Attorney will also work closely with SDVLP’s Pro Bono team to recruit pro bono attorneys experienced in business law, and place clients with attorneys for pro bono representation. In addition, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for performing community outreach and legal education.

Our team is collegial, supportive, and committed to providing top-quality legal services to indigent, vulnerable San Diegans. No billable hours requirement.

Minimum qualifications include admission to practice law in California; at least three years of experience, preferably in the area of business transactional law; a commitment to SDVLP’s mission of connecting indigent clients with pro bono attorneys, and excellent communication skills. Salary range is $75,000- $80,000 DOE. Medical, dental, vision, 401(K), and sick and annual leave provided. SDVLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references to attyhiring@sdvlp.org . No phone calls, please.

Accountant

SDVLP has an immediate opening for a Part-Time Accountant to work approximately 25 hours per week. This professional-level position will be onsite for two days at our downtown San Diego Office, and the option of working remotely will be available for the third day. This part-time position is ideal for work-life balance.

This position is responsible for performing all day-to-day accounting activities necessary to maintain the fiscal integrity of the organization. The Accountant is responsible for the full cycle of accounting functions, including accounts payable and bill paying, accounts receivable invoicing, payroll, and grant and contract accounting. This position is responsible for month-end account reconciliations, journal entry accruals, and financial reports to management. Additionally, the Accountant provides support for the budget process, annual Audit and tax preparation, and funder audits and reviews. This position is located at SDVLP’s downtown office.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable – Records vendor invoices in the accounting system, verifies amounts are due and payable, obtains all approvals, produces checks in a timely fashion, maintains vendor files.
Accounts Receivable, Cash receipts, and Deposits – Prepares bank deposits and records the revenue accordingly. Follows up with past due and late payments from funders.
Payroll – Processes payroll including verifying timesheets are properly entered and approved. Ensures employee payroll deductions and time off are properly tracked and accurately accounted for. Responsible for ensuring that wages and benefits are charged to grants in accordance with employee time tracking.
Grant Accounting – Possesses a solid understanding of the budget and financial spending requirements for all grants and contracts. Prepares monthly and periodic invoices and reports in accordance with funder requirements.
Monthly Journal Entries – Reconcile bank accounts, prepare journal entries including payroll liabilities and expense allocations, revenue recognition, amortization of prepaid assets, depreciation of fixed assets, and investment gains & losses.
Audit, Taxes, and Funder Reviews – Prepare schedules and documents for annual CPA audit and tax preparation. Coordinate submission of document requests for periodic funder reviews.
Budgeting and financial reporting – assist with the preparation of annual and contract budgets. Assist with preparation of monthly financial management reports including organization and contract actual expenditures to budget and projections for contract spending.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with at least 3-5 years of related experience.
Experience managing government contracts preferred.
Flexibility in managing multiple deadlines and priorities.
Proficiency in QuickBooks with at least intermediate-level Excel skills.
Possesses a natural tendency and desire towards improving processes and workflows for better efficiency and productivity. Finding the best way to complete tasks while maintaining or improving financial reporting timeliness, transparency, and accuracy.
Ability to explain accounting transactions, results, and metrics in terms relatable and understandable by non-financial management leadership.
Ability to work independently with solid problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Ability to understand strategic thinking and connect processes to broader strategic objectives.
Team player mindset with a positive attitude and collaborative work habits.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a permanent part-time position (approximately 25 hours per week).
Salary range $59,000 – $62,000 annually.
Partial medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401(k), sick, annual leave, and holiday pay provided.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to hiring@sdvlp.org. San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program is an equal opportunity employer.

Supervising Attorney – Family Law Program

SDVLP is seeking a Supervising Attorney (minimum of five years of family law experience) to lead our Family Law Team of talented and passionate advocates. Our family law programs include the Vision for Justice Collaborative, which provides family law assistance to immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence, our Shriver Custody Program, which provides legal assistance to low-income San Diegans in child custody cases, and our court-based domestic violence clinics, which provide legal help to survivors of domestic violence seeking restraining orders against their abusers.

Job duties include:

Working as an integral part of SDVLP’s leadership team to manage the day-to-day activities of our family law programs and court-based domestic violence restraining order clinics;
Supervising the work of staff attorneys representing low-income San Diegans on a variety of family law matters;
Overseeing the mentoring, training, and work of pro bono attorneys providing representation to SDVLP clients, and working collaboratively within the organization to support efforts to recruit pro bono attorneys;
Representing SDVLP and its important work in the community by performing outreach to the legal community and to social service providers;
As a member of the leadership team, assisting with grant reporting for our family law programs and with applying for funding to support our work.

Our team is collegial, supportive, and committed to providing top-quality legal services to indigent, vulnerable San Diegans. No billable hours requirement.

Minimum qualifications include admission to practice law in California, at least five years of family law experience, a commitment to SDVLP’s mission of connecting poor and vulnerable clients with pro bono attorneys, excellent mentorship skills, and excellent communication skills. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a legal exemption applies. Salary range is $105,000 – $115,000 DOE. Medical, dental, vision, 401(K), and sick, annual leave, and holiday pay provided. SDVLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references to attyhiring@sdvlp.org . No phone calls, please.

Staff Attorney – Family Law Program

SDVLP is seeking a Staff Attorney (minimum of two years of family law experience) to join our Family Law Team of talented and passionate advocates. Our family law programs include the Vision for Justice Collaborative, which provides family law assistance to immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence, and our Shriver Custody Program, which provides legal assistance to low-income San Diegans in child custody cases.

Job duties include:

Providing advice and representation to low-income San Diegans in a variety of family law matters, including domestic violence, child custody, and divorce cases;
Mentoring, training, and supervising the work of pro bono attorneys providing representation for SDVLP matters;
Performing community outreach and education to the legal community and local social service providers;
Assisting in supervising the work of non-attorney staff.

Our team is collegial, supportive, and committed to providing top-quality legal services to indigent, vulnerable San Diegans. No billable hours requirement.

Minimum qualifications include admission to practice law in California, at least two years of family law experience, a commitment to SDVLP’s mission of connecting indigent clients with pro bono attorneys, excellent mentorship skills, and excellent communication skills. Bilingual (Spanish) oral and written communication skills is preferred. Salary range is $75,000 – $80,000. Medical, dental, vision, 401(K), and sick, annual leave, and holiday pay provided. SDVLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references to attyhiring@sdvlp.org . No phone calls, please.

Office Administrator

Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Office Administrator performs a broad range of administrative assignments supporting our day-to-day operations related to office equipment, file management, case management, software, hardware, digital communications, and other areas.

Job duties include:

Providing logistical support to staff to ensure smooth office operations;
Maintaining inventory of office equipment and supplies;
Coordinating with technology vendors and consultants to arrange for repairs, replacements and upgrades of office equipment and systems;
Coordinating with SDVLP’s IT provider and technology vendors to ensure technical support for systems operations, including telephone and computer systems, software, and hardware;
Keeping track of office subscriptions, both paper and digital;
Updating SDVLP’s case management database and organizing and managing files;
Preparing and circulating internal staff newsletter;
Creating email blasts and outreach materials;
Coordinating office meetings and providing support for events;
Providing assistance with other administrative office duties, as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of related experience;
Adept at using a variety of software applications: Microsoft 365 (including Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) Adobe, Canva and Google suite of products (Gmail, GoogleMeet, GoogleVoice, etc.);
Experience in database and file management;
Excellent organizational skills;
Excellent verbal and written communications skills;
Demonstrated interest in SDVLP’s mission, and willingness to accept additional responsibilities and duties to further its work.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a legal exemption applies. The position will be performed onsite at SDVLP’s main office, and will require occasional travel to SDVLP’s other offices in San Diego County.

This is a full-time position (37.5 hour/week), compensated at the rate of $21.00-$23.00 per hour, DOE. Fringe benefits include paid time off and holidays; accrued sick leave; medical, dental and vision benefits; 401(k) retirement plan.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to applicants@sdvlp.org. San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program is an equal opportunity employer.