Legal Fellow, Reproductive Justice for Farmworkers

LEGAL FELLOW, REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FOR FARMWORKERS

Center for WorkLife Law

Class: Level 2 / Class 2051 / Exempt / Full-Time / Benefitted / Remote-eligible

Anticipated Hiring Rate: $80,000 Annually

THE DEPARTMENT

The Center for WorkLife Law is a national research and advocacy organization affiliated with UC Law SF that seeks to ensure no person is forced to choose between economic security and their family’s health and well-being. The Center advances gender and racial equity by building legal rights for pregnant people and family caregivers at work and school. The WorkLife Law team provides direct assistance to workers and students in need and addresses structural inequality by changing public policy at the state and national levels.

THE ROLE and RESPONSIBILITIES

The Legal Fellow will advance the rights of pregnant and lactating farmworkers in California by playing a central role on the team running Dar a Luz: Legal Rights for Farmworkers in Pregnancy and Postpartum. Under the supervision of WorkLife Law’s Senior Staff Attorney, the Legal Fellow will provide free legal assistance to workers on the Dar a Luz helpline, educate key stakeholders through public presentations, develop practical tools for healthcare providers and workers, and engage in agency advocacy. This is a 12-month fully benefited position, with the possibility of extension depending on the availability of funding.

Typical duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Legal Helpline: Provide direct assistance to farmworkers on the Dar a Luz free legal helpline with compassion, cultural competency, and clarity. The helpline offers information and practical support on accessing workplace accommodations for pregnancy and lactation, state disability insurance and paid family leave, and relief from employment discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and caregiving. The Legal Fellow will be responsible for analyzing callers’ situations by listening closely, reviewing documents, and applying relevant laws. With support from the Senior Staff Attorney, the Legal Fellow will formulate a strategy for serving each caller and will engage callers throughout the process.
• Resource Creation: Create and update know-your-rights documents for workers, as well as practical and educational materials for healthcare providers and other key audiences. This will include researching and fact checking to ensure materials remain up to date, as well as seeking and incorporating feedback from stakeholders to ensure the materials meet their needs.
• Training: Lead trainings for community health workers who support pregnant and breastfeeding farmworkers in California. This will include recruiting trainees, designing and delivering trainings, and soliciting feedback following the trainings.
• Policy Advocacy: Advocate with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and other key stakeholders to strengthen workers’ rights to access and receive California State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL). This includes participating in public meetings, as well as researching and writing comments, testimony, and other advocacy materials.
• Project Administration: Proactively plan and actively participate in meetings of the Dar a Luz team and its various advisory committees. Also work with senior staff to ensure smooth administrative functioning of all aspects of the Dar a Luz project, such as managing logistics around the legal helpline, coordinating with providers of Indigenous language interpretation services, proofreading written materials, editing PowerPoints, scheduling meetings, organizing files, and other administrative functions as needs arise.

REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• J.D. degree required (however bar admission is not required)
• 1-5 years of relevant experience strongly preferred (can include clinical, externship, and/or pre-law-school experiences)
• Experience providing direct services (whether legal or otherwise) to people in crisis in a culturally competent manner strongly preferred

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Detailed knowledge of California’s State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave programs and general knowledge of California employment laws (particularly the California Pregnancy Disability Leave Law and the Fair Employment and Housing Act) strongly preferred;
• Commitment to the goals and values of WorkLife Law and the Dar a Luz initiative;
• Strong legal research and writing skills with excellent attention to detail, as well as proficiency with Lexis and/or Westlaw;
• Comfort and skillfulness with public speaking;
• Ability to understand legal concepts and thoughtfully translate them for lay audiences in an accessible way;
• Effective organization, time, and project management skills with a nimbleness to shift between tasks as needs evolve;
• Ability to credibly, clearly, professionally, and reliably communicate orally and in writing;
• Ability to speak with people in crisis with compassion and cultural sensitivity;
• Adaptable, with an eagerness to problem-solve;
• Ability to engage in travel within the state of California (approximately once every 2 months, typically for 2-3 days at a time);
• Desire to work in a group that prioritizes open communication, work-life balance, personal health, and positive relationships; and
• Fluent in Spanish (very strongly preferred); proficiency in at least one variant of Mixteco is a plus.

The skills listed above are comprehensive, and we understand there are great candidates who possess only a subset of those skills, or who have other important skills. If you match some of these skills, please do not hesitate to apply.

BENEFITS

Health and Welfare Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts for transportation-related, healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Legal Insurance
• University of California Retirement Plan (a defined benefit plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plans/Pre-tax Retirement Savings Programs

For your Work/Life Balance

• Fifteen paid holidays per year
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• Commuter Benefits Program

THE HIRING PROCESS

A cover letter is required. Your cover letter should explain why you would like to work for the Center for WorkLife Law, and highlight relevant experience you have, particularly including any related to California paid leave, advocacy for farmworkers and/or speakers of Indigenous languages, and providing direct services (whether legal or otherwise).

This position has been designated as “sensitive” and requires a pre-employment background check.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact Human Resources if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Applicants who meet the position requirements will be competitively evaluated to identify the individuals whose breadth and depth of experience and education most closely relate to the stated requirements and the needs of the College. Depending on the quality and number of the applications received, only the better qualified applicants may be contacted for an interview. The position is open until filled.

UC Law SF is an equal opportunity employer. UC Law SF strives to provide a diverse and inclusive educational environment that fosters cultural awareness, mutual understanding and respect. UC Law SF is interested in candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching. Qualified women and members of underrepresented minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.