Legal Fellow - Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

The Public Law Center (PLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981, providing free legal services to low-income residents and other nonprofits in Orange County. Last year, PLC staff and volunteers delivered over 65,000 hours of free legal services across 4,500 cases, benefiting low-income children, adults, and seniors. Services include counseling, individual representation, community education, and strategic policy advocacy to challenge societal injustices.

About the Role

PLC’s Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit seeks an energetic advocate to join the team in fighting for justice for low-income tenants and self-represented litigants in Orange County. This role focuses on innovative, collaborative, and community-centered lawyering to address inequities and pursue access to affordable housing. The Unit provides high-quality direct representation and coordinates pro bono representation in cases involving unlawful detainer, discrimination, harassment, housing voucher disputes, and affordable housing advocacy. The role also includes community education, clinics, and local/statewide advocacy. This position offers an opportunity to transition to a Staff Attorney role after one year, contingent upon bar admission.

Responsibilities

• Handle a diverse caseload on behalf of low-income tenants, including eviction defense, discrimination, habitability, subsidized housing cases, and other landlord/tenant issues.
• Coordinate referrals to other PLC units to provide comprehensive legal services.
• Investigate clients’ cases, including inspecting housing units and obtaining/reviewing documents from government agencies.
• Represent PLC at networking and community outreach events.
• Attend meetings (remote and in-person) outside the PLC office, including travel throughout Orange County, Los Angeles County, and neighboring counties.
• Occasional evening and weekend work required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Active membership in the California State Bar, or pending Bar membership, or eligibility to practice under the State Bar Multijurisdictional Practice Program.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish or English/Vietnamese) preferred.
• Eviction defense and/or housing law experience preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with low-income communities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, work independently, and collaborate as part of a team.
• Must have reliable transportation and ability to work at PLC’s Santa Ana office.

Pay

Compensation is $70,000 while licensure is pending; $79,000 once admitted to the California Bar.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance (100% of employee premiums and 50% of dependent health insurance premiums paid by PLC).
• Flexible Spending Account for medical expenses and childcare costs.
• 15 paid holidays per year.
• Approximately 1 paid week off during winter office closure (between Christmas and New Year’s Day).
• 21 paid sick/wellness days per year.
• 15 paid vacation days per year.
• Birthday paid time off (2 hours during birthday month).
• 403b retirement plan with 100% matching contribution (up to 3-4% of salary deferral after 6 months).
• Monthly $55 stipend for Wi-Fi and cell phone use.
• Monthly Bilingual Pay Premium ($50 for oral and/or written proficiency upon successful testing).
• Optional monthly peer support group facilitated by a third-party mental health clinic.
• Opportunities for growth and advancement.