Staff Attorney

About the role

Dependency Advocacy Center (DAC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides interdisciplinary family defense legal services to indigent parents and children involved with Santa Clara County’s child welfare system and the juvenile dependency court. Our adult clients face the risk of permanent separation from their children due to allegations of abuse and neglect. Substance use disorder, intimate partner violence, and mental health concerns are commonly presenting issues, often rooted in the layered effects of poverty, marginalization, and intergenerational trauma. DAC was founded on the belief that traditional legal advocacy is insufficient to adequately represent our parent and youth clients. Our approach to holistic family defense utilizes an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, and mentor parents to create client-centered legal strategies designed to support the family’s long-term success.

Mission Statement

Dependency Advocacy Center provides zealous legal representation to indigent clients in the juvenile dependency system to promote timely reunification and preservation of families in a safe, healthy environment. DAC believes that every parent and child entering the dependency system has a right to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Dependency Advocacy Center, our mission is to create an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment where respect, kindness, and empathy guide all interactions with our staff, stakeholders, and clients. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization. We firmly believe that every parent and child entering the dependency system deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. These values are not only applicable to our clients but also extend to all staff members. We are committed to continuous learning and self-reflection on matters concerning diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Through ongoing education, training, and critical analysis of our progress, we seek to deepen our understanding and awareness of these issues and the impact it has on our clients and staff members. By doing so, we can more effectively advocate for clients and promote all aspects of inclusion, including diverse representation in our leadership and staff. At DAC, we