Jobs and Internships

Jobs

Staff Attorney

The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LaFHAC) seeks a Staff Attorney to work on the investigation and litigation of civil rights violations. The Staff Attorney will represent clients and the organization in fair housing and related civil rights matters in federal, state court, and administrative proceedings.

Education and Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a JD from an ABA-accredited law school and be a current member in good standing of the Louisiana Bar. We are unable to accept those who have not yet applied for the bar or are awaiting results at this time.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate has all or most of the following qualifications:

A demonstrated commitment to civil rights work is required.
Significant experience as a practicing attorney, including federal court litigation experience. At least five years litigation experience is preferred. Prior experience in fair housing and/or other civil rights litigation is highly desirable but not required.
Ability to handle a diverse caseload with substantial independence, requiring little direct supervision.
Excellent legal research, writing, and speaking skills.
Creativity and willingness to work with others to develop effective legal and other advocacy strategies for advancing civil rights.
Ability to speak to and work with clients and communities of diverse backgrounds.
Excellent time management skills, including the ability to meet tight and overlapping deadlines.
Ability to present information clearly and effectively to a range of audiences, both legal and non-legal.

Responsibilities

The Staff Attorney will handle all aspects of pre-litigation advocacy and litigation in housing discrimination and related civil rights cases, as well as assist with education efforts and policy advocacy. The Staff Attorney’s essential responsibilities will include:

Assist with the screening of requests for legal assistance and the investigation and development of potential new matters.
Where appropriate, assist the Coordinator of Investigations with developing complaint-based testing/investigation strategies.
Engage in a full range of advocacy services, including but not limited to: general legal advising, drafting demand letters and requests for reasonable accommodations.
Devise creative litigation strategies aimed at providing the greatest positive outcome for the client and larger community.
Represent LaFHAC and clients in administrative civil rights enforcement activities and federal court proceedings.
Maintain full and accurate case files for legal proceedings, and assist with the maintenance of records for grant reporting, audits, and other purposes as necessary.
Supervise legal interns, cooperating attorneys, and volunteer attorneys in fair housing litigation and administrative enforcement activities.
Represent and advocate for LaFHAC and the communities we serve at fair housing meetings, events, and before government entities.
Develop and maintain networking relationships within the community.
Safeguard clients’ records and confidentiality.
Work as a team to further the mission and goals of LaFHAC and all its programs
Other duties as assigned.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range is, and ranges from $60,000-$65,000 based on experience. Benefits include:

100% employer-paid medical insurance with available dental and vision coverage
Flex spending account
401(k) with employer-matched contributions
Paid vacation and sick leave
Paid parental leave.

Please Note: LaFHAC’s staff continues to work hybrid due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Employees are required to work in the office two days per week.

How to Apply

The position is open until filled. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and legal writing sample to resumes@lafairhousing.org. The writing sample should be no longer than five (5) pages, should reflect the applicant’s own work without significant revision from others, and should include discussion of a complex legal issue. Correspondence may be addressed to Ameca Reali, Executive Director. Please note: due to the expected volume of applications, we are unable to confirm receipt of individual application materials. Applicants selected for an interview will be notified via email.

LaFHAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. LaFHAC values diversity and inclusion in the workplace because it enhances the work we do, reflects the communities we serve, and embodies the values we further and defend. Candidates of all backgrounds are welcome.

Eviction Defense Attorney

The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LaFHAC) seeks an experienced attorney to support the efforts of LaFHAC’s New Orleans-based team. The Eviction Defense Attorney will support LaFHAC’s Enforcement team as they provide eviction defense to clients.

Project Description:

The Eviction Defense attorney will work on LaFHAC’s eviction defense project, with an emphasis on serving clients that fall outside of legal aid’s service boundaries. The Eviction Defense attorney’s work will be focused solely on eviction defense in Orleans Parish/City of New Orleans as a response to the ongoing eviction crisis. The attorney will work closely with the local LSC-funded legal aid organization, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, to identify the populations that are most likely to be underserved, as well as to provide and be a source for referrals. The Eviction Defense attorney will appear regularly in Orleans Parish Civil District Court, to defend tenants facing eviction.

Responsibilities included, but are not limited to:

The Eviction Defense Attorney’s duties and responsibilities will include:

Provide quality representation and advice to individuals facing eviction in Orleans Parish.
Collaborate with SLLS to ensure coverage on the help desk 1-2 times per month.
Manage administrative aspects of representation including updating case notes and closing out files.
Serve as a liaison to locally-based coalitions that are working to protect tenants from eviction.
Conduct outreach at community events and during other outreach efforts.
Provide information and education to affinity groups and elected officials to improve conditions and outcomes for tenants.
Other duties as assigned.

Please Note: LaFHAC’s staff continues to work on a hybrid schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Employees are required to work in the office two days per week.

Qualifications:

Our ideal candidate will possess the following:

Current ability to practice law in Louisiana is required. Given the immediate need, we are unable to accept unlicensed or license-pending applicants.
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Experience in housing and ideally eviction defense
Passion for civil rights advocacy and housing justice
Demonstrated commitment to racial equity
Attention to detail
Ability to work on teams and with different working styles

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $60, 000- $65,000. Placement on the pay scale is based on the following factors: years of relevant work experience; relevant undergraduate degree (or higher) or certification received; bilingual language skills; and connections to the community.

LaFHAC’s benefits include:

100% employer-paid medical insurance with available dental and vision coverage
Flex spending account
401(k) with employer-matched contributions
Paid vacation
Paid parental leave
Hybrid and flexible work policies.

How to Apply:

The position is open until filled. Please email a resume and cover letter explaining your interest in the position to resumes@lafairhousing.org with the subject line “Eviction Defense Attorney.” All correspondence should be addressed to Executive Director, Ameca Reali. Please note: due to the expected volume of submissions, we will not be able to return emails or phone calls about specific applications.

Internships & Law Clerkships

Law Clerks

The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (LaFHAC) seeks dedicated, motivated, and talented law students for semester-long and summer internships.

Law clerks assist LaFHAC attorneys with the investigation and litigation of fair housing complaints. Work may involve all aspects of litigation, including client intake, performing legal research, conducting factual investigation, drafting memoranda and motions, analyzing discovery materials, attending court proceedings, and preparing briefs. Law clerks may also assist with community outreach events designed to educate the public about their fair housing rights.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample via email to resumes [at] lafairhousing.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Education, Outreach and Policy Internships

LaFHAC’s Education & Outreach Department provides Fair Housing education to a wide variety of stakeholders including renters, first time homebuyers, landlords, property managers, real estate agents, developers and government officials. We educate the wider public through social media, print and radio advertisements, and targeted outreach. We also conduct workshops for youth and publish an original children’s book The Fair Housing Five. LaFHAC’s Policy Department promotes equitable housing laws and regulations on the local, state, and national levels. Recent victories include the expansion of housing protections for survivors of domestic violence through the passage of the Louisiana Violence Against Women Act in August 2015.

Education, Outreach and Policy Research intern applications are welcomed throughout the year with slots available in the Spring and Fall semesters, as well as over the summer. At this time, internships are unpaid.

Internship Activities

The focus of each internship will be designed in consultation with LAFHAC staff, taking into account department needs and intern skills and areas of interest. Tasks might include:

Producing and posting relevant content (including text, graphics, and video) to Facebook and other social media
Designing advertisements (print, radio, social media), flyers and brochures
Helping plan LaFHAC’s annual Fit for a King Fair Housing Summit, as well as workshops and other events
Tabling at community events and other direct outreach
Assisting with Fair Housing Five youth workshops
Bringing policy related research projects from inception to completion. Projects combine social science skills with project administration (sample projects include research and data collection on the Louisiana state legislature; using U.S. census data to track demographic changes; and mapping opportunity through local land use laws).

Interns should be interested in civil rights, law and policy, history, community education and/or design and marketing. Preferred candidates are tech-savvy, highly organized, and have a basic understanding of federal, state and local government. This is a great way for any social science major to apply classroom skills to real-world challenges. Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours preferred.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to Monique Blossom at mblossom [at] lafairhousing.org and Silas Eames at seames [at] lafairhousing.org. Applications will be considered as follows:

Spring 2024: Applications due October 30th, 2023; candidates notified November 15th, 2023

Summer 2024: Applications due March 31, 2024; candidates notified April 15th, 2024

Fall 2024: Applications due July 15th, 2024; candidates notified August 1st, 2024