Fresno Based Reentry Attorney

Root & Rebound seeks a social-justice minded attorney to serve the Central Valley.

About Root & Rebound: 

Root & Rebound (R&R) is a national reentry advocacy nonprofit, whose mission is to help people navigate reentry and reduce the harms perpetuated by mass incarceration. Root & Rebound provides holistic reentry legal services across all of California, with offices in Fresno and Oakland, and staff in Los Angeles as well. We provide legal know-your-rights information, and individual services on a wide variety of collateral consequences of a conviction including getting ID and voting, conditions of parole and probation, and employment and housing rights as they relate to an arrest or conviction history. 

Our Central Valley Program (serving Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, & Kern Counties) is unique in pairing reentry legal services with in-house social services and employment coaching. The Central Valley team works closely together to ensure that the people in our program get consistent and compassionate holistic services to achieve their individual, self-identified goals. 

Employment Status: This is a full-time, exempt role, reporting into the Deputy Director of California Programs. 

Location: Fresno, California. This position requires working in the office at least three days/week and is a hybrid role until further notice.

About Fresno Reentry Attorney position: R&R is currently hiring a Fresno Reentry Attorney to support Central Valley clients in their reentry needs. 

The Fresno Reentry Attorney’s practice will focus on communities of color in the Central Valley who have been involved in the justice system and/or are formerly incarcerated, using R&R’s holistic practice of reentry law.  Our ideal candidate is compassionate, personable, and team-oriented.  This person is excited about advancing the rights of people with criminal records and expanding R&R’s services and impact across the Central Valley. The successful candidate will communicate effectively, have organizational strategies, and be open to regular check-ins via video conference-calls with various members of the R&R team.

Responsibilities & Duties:

Direct Legal Services (85%):

• Conduct holistic legal intakes, through R&R’s Friday reentry legal hotline and AOD shift (approximately 4 hours per week), to assess callers’ reentry legal needs and develop appropriate legal services plans;
• Carry and independently manage a reentry legal caseload (with an emphasis on employment and economic stability) of between 30-40 clients across the Central Valley;
• Develop Know Your Rights fact sheets about relevant reentry legal issues and update our current educational resources, as needed and as time permits; 
• Present regional know-your-rights trainings and facilitate legal clinics on key reentry topics; 
• Work as a team in collaboration with no-legal, programmatic staff including the social services manager, and employment coaches; and
• Maintain necessary records for effective teamwork on cases, grant proposals, reports, and audits. 

Community Outreach and Partnership (10%):

• Build partnerships and relationships with Central Valley stakeholders who may be aligned with Root & Rebound’s work and mission, including, but not limited to, legal services providers, government organizations, foundations and directly-impacted organizations;
• Expand and maintain strong relationships with local law firms, law school clinics, volunteer attorneys, and legal service organizations; and
• Oversee selection and supervision of legal volunteers and interns.

Support the Fundraising efforts as needed (5%):

• Maintain necessary records for grant reporting and audits;
• Support Development, Communications, and Storytelling projects as needed; and
• Support fundraising efforts in the Central Valley that will sustain and grow the program, including meetings with local institutional partners, foundations, government agencies, and individual donors. 

Qualifications:

• Licensed to practice law in the state of CA, in good standing;
• Ability to manage a demanding case load; 
• Experience working directly with clients, with direct experience working with system-impacted individuals preferred;
• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and collateral consequences of a criminal record;
• Strong work ethic, resilience, and determination;
• Flexible and able to prioritize work effectively with excellent time-management; and
• Possession of a driver’s license, or ability to acquire one. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Spanish; 
• Training or experience working in the legal fields of reentry, public interest, employment, and economic stability law; and
• Formerly incarcerated and/or system-involved individuals strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation & Benefits: This role is a full-time, exempt position, with a competitive salary between $70,000-80,000 commensurate with experience.  Employees who are fluent in Spanish receive an additional $,2000/year. Employment benefits at R&R include:

• Medical, vision and dental care;
• Employer-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan;
• Internal and external professional development opportunities;
• Three (3) weeks of paid time off per year, plus holiday closures, which includes additional office closure around the December holidays and seven (7) federal holidays, Juneteenth, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day; and
• Sabbatical Program for eligible employees after five (5) years of service.

Conflict of Interest Notice: R&R encourages current and former clients to apply to join our team. However, it is a conflict of interest for R&R to provide legal services to our own employees. We will do our best to ensure that any current clients who are hired by R&R have other legal representation prior to beginning employment. 

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please upload a resume, cover letter, one short writing sample (max. 5 pages), and at least three references (explaining your professional relationship and including their contact information) to this form . Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.

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Root & Rebound is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including formerly incarcerated and/or system-involved individuals.  We look at each applicant’s full experience and consider each applicant.  We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. Individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system and its impacts are strongly encouraged to apply. We depend on a diverse team to accomplish our mission!