Staff Attorney — Energy Unit
Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia | Website
Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is a non-profit public interest agency providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area, CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities. We provide high quality direct legal representation, engage in systemic policy advocacy with the goal of effectuating broad-based change, and conduct community education and outreach. CLS has ten legal units covering a wide range of civil legal services.
CLS’s Energy Unit (FAU) seeks a staff attorney with one to three years’ relevant experience. The Energy Unit advocates so that people have access to affordable water, heat, and electricity in their homes. Through direct legal representation, policy advocacy, and pushing for legislation to improve energy affordability, our cutting-edge work promotes health and safety in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.
Energy Unit attorneys engage in multi-pronged strategies to increase access to affordable utility service for low-income Philadelphians. The selected attorney will develop creative solutions, build engagement with stakeholders, and cultivate technical expertise to benefit the communities that we serve. Through representation of individual and group clients (including potential cross-unit representation with other CLS practices), the selected attorney will identify opportunities for strategic litigation, participate in utility rate and regulatory proceedings, engage in media strategies, and pursue policy and legislative change to benefit low-income utility consumers. The selected attorney will also represent individual clients seeking to obtain and maintain access to affordable utility service through advocacy with local utilities and in the Public Utility Commission.
Lawyers may also be asked to provide some supervision and training of paralegals and student interns.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum one year relevant experience
- Excellent work ethic, organization, and communication skills
- Strong written and oral advocacy skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Experience and ability to work with low-income and vulnerable individuals and strong cultural competency
- High level commitment to racial justice advocacy
To Apply: CLS will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position has been filled. However, candidates are highly encouraged to submit their application by Friday, October 29, 2021 for consideration for first round interviews. You can submit your application on CLS’s website online at: https://clsphila.org/careers/ OR submit your application below by clicking “Apply Now”
What to Include in your application: Please include a cover letter, resume, three professional references from current or former supervisors and one brief writing sample (10 pages or less). CLS values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people with disabilities to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.
The staff attorney position is a full-time position covered by the collective bargaining agreement between CLS and the Philadelphia Legal Services Union N.O.L.S.W./Local 2320/UAW. The current minimum starting salary is governed by that agreement and is subject to change according to the provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement. Raises and benefits are also governed by that agreement. CLS offers a very generous and comprehensive benefits package.
Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. CLS, Inc. does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
To apply, click here.