Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) is an effective, high-quality legal services program with a mission to achieve justice for the low-income communities of Oregon.
LASO emphasizes areas of law where these needs are greatest and where representation and advocacy can have the most impact for vulnerable Oregonians.
Current Employment Opportunties
Legal Aid Services of Oregon supports the decision of the Oregon Supreme Court to grant diploma privileges to 2020 law school graduates and will not discriminate in hiring against lawyers admitted to the Bar through diploma privileges.
Legal Aid Services of Oregon provides a supportive, challenging, and humanistic work environment that is conducive to professional growth. We seek staff members who are committed to justice for low-income Oregonians, willing to work as a team, and have good judgment, initiative, and an overall positive attitude. Attorney positions require excellent legal skills and most require an interest in litigation.
Legal Aid Services of Oregon is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Persons of color, LGBTQI individuals, veterans, persons with disabilities, and persons from other traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
No phone calls please.
The Portland Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) is seeking full-time outreach coordinator to expand outreach and community education to seniors and English language learners across our service region. This position can be staffed by an attorney or paralegal/paraprofessional. This position will focus primarily on expanding outreach and community education to client populations and service providers in addition to carrying a case load of referrals generated from the community outreach. This position will be eligible for a partial remote work option but will require regular in-person work at our Portland Regional Office in downtown Portland, at our Gresham office, and will require regular travel to Clackamas, Hood River, Wasco and Sherman Counties for in-person outreach, education and consultations.
Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs focus on services to farmworkers and on issues impacting Native Americans. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems.
The Portland Regional Office of LASO serves a poverty population of more than 220,000. The office serves Multnomah, Clackamas, Hood River, Sherman and Wasco counties, a diverse service area requiring the ability to work effectively with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. The Portland Office has adopted a race equity agenda to guide its work with clients as well as its internal operations. The office has a strong commitment to building an inclusive, diverse workplace.
Responsibilities
The staff attorney or paralegal will be responsible for conducting trauma-informed intake interviews, maintaining a senior-focused caseload, and coordinating and attending outreach and community-based clinics/events. This position is also expected to work closely with community-based organizations as a liaison to LASO for organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and immigrant communities to receive referrals, identify legal issues important to low-income seniors, conduct regular trainings, and attend outreach events. This position is responsible for some grant reporting and management.
Qualifications
Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income and other vulnerable senior populations. Enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively. Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression. Experience handling senior law, elder abuse and impact cases is a plus.
LASO has a hiring preference for candidates who are bilingual in Spanish and/or another language commonly spoken by our client population. Please indicate your proficiency level in languages other than English in your application materials.
For attorney candidates, we have a preference for hiring members of the Oregon State Bar. A paraprofessional must be willing to become certified under the new Oregon Paraprofessional program and must take meaningful steps to attain the certification within 6 months after completion of the introductory period.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
Work in an office environment including working at a workstation, attending meetings, etc. This position will involve regular travel around the Portland Regional Office service region focusing specifically on Clackamas, Hood River, Sherman and Wasco counties and, as such, requires a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain one within 60 days of hire date. Use of computer and other general office equipment during a 7-hour workday.
Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our Collective Bargaining Agreement. For attorneys, the salary range is $66.2K – 73.7K for 0-5 years’ experience; $75.2K – 81.2K for 6-10 years’ experience and $82.7K-105.2K for 11-30 years’ experience annually. For paralegals, the salary range is $46.2K – 52.2K for 0-5 years’ experience; $53.4K – 58.2K for 6-10 years’ experience and $59.4K-70.2K for 11-20 years’ experience annually. For both, additional $4.3K annually for bilingual ability. Full benefits package including individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.
Closing Date:
Open until filled. Review of resumes to begin on January 2, 2024.
Applications
Send resume and letter of interest to:
As a part of your letter of interest, please address the following:
LASO is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. It is essential to our mission that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which differences are acknowledged and valued.
How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences in your response.
Please note, we will not review applications that are not emailed directly to the above email address.
We celebrate diversity.
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.
Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks clerks and/or externs for Summer 2024.
Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems. LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. LASO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.
Positions
LASO is seeking law clerks for summer 2024. General clerkship positions are available in our regional offices in Albany, Pendleton, Portland, and Roseburg. LASO also offers the following additional clerkship opportunities: Farmworker Program clerkships are available in Woodburn and Hillsboro. Statewide Tax Clinic clerkships are available in Portland. For the full Farmworker Program and Statewide Tax Clinic clerkship descriptions, please visit LASO’s employment page: https://lasoregon.org/employment/.
The typical work schedule is based on a 35-hour work week, Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 with a one-hour lunch break. Work location can be in-office or partially remote. Extended remote and flexible work schedules may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Type of Legal Work
Clerkships in the regional offices (including Albany, Pendleton, Portland, and Roseburg) will have an emphasis on domestic violence, family law, housing, and/or public benefits, depending on office need and the interests of the clerk, all within a framework of providing trauma-informed care. Under the supervision of staff attorneys, law clerks will work on many aspects of client services, which could include:
- Conducting trauma-informed client intake and interviews, including staffing various subject-specific intake shifts and hotlines;
- Providing information and brief advice to potential clients;
- Providing litigation support;
- Document drafting;
- Legal research and writing; and
- As eligible: Represent clients as certified law students in protective order hearings and administrative hearings.
Qualifications
Class standing of 1L or above at time of application. Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income and other vulnerable populations. Enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively. Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression. LASO has a hiring preference for bilingual candidates who speak English and Spanish or another language.
Funding
Law clerks will be paid a salary of $7000 for 10 weeks of work, with an additional $50 per week for bilingual ability in language(s) that serve our client communities. Clerks will be paid semimonthly. LASO will also coordinate with fellowship programs.
Closing Date
Positions open until filled. Review of resumes to begin November 20, 2023 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only if there are still positions available, LASO will interview at the Northwest Public Service Career Fair. To apply there, see instructions here: https://law.lclark.edu/nwconsortium/nw-public-service-career-fair/. Materials are due there by January 16, 2024 at 12 pm.
To Apply
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter, which includes your response to the supplemental question below. Please also note if you are bilingual in Spanish and/or another language and describe your level of competency. Submit a copy of your application materials to all offices in which you are interested in working:
Albany: albanyjobs@lasoregon.org Attn: Alivia Stretch, Regional Director
Pendleton: pendletonjobs@lasoregon.org Attn: Martha Klein Izenson, Regional Director
Portland: projobs@lasoregon.org Attn: Emily Brown Sitnick, Regional Director
Roseburg: rosejobs@lasoregon.org Attn: Joan Marie Michelsen, Regional Director
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.
Supplemental question
Please provide a written response to the following question and submit it as part of your application materials. Limit response to 500 words.
LASO is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. It is essential to our mission that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences in your response.
We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.
The Farmworker Program of Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks clerks and/or externs for Summer 2024.
Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems. LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. LASO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.
Positions
LASO is seeking law clerks for summer 2024. Farmworker Program clerkships are available in Woodburn and Hillsboro. LASO also offers clerkship opportunities in other programs and offices. For an up-to-date list of positions, please visit LASO’s employment page: https://lasoregon.org/employment/.
The typical work schedule is based on a 35-hour work week, Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 with a one-hour lunch break. Work location can be in-office or could be partially remote. Extended remote and flexible work schedules may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Type of Legal Work
LASO’s Farmworker Program represents agricultural workers in cases that involve employment, housing, unemployment, and civil rights issues. Law clerks will work on many aspects of client services including outreach to labor camps and community organizations, legal research and writing, conducting client interviews, and drafting administrative complaints and pleadings.
Qualifications
Class standing of 1L or above at time of application. Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income and other vulnerable populations. Enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively. Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression. LASO has a hiring preference for bilingual candidates who speak English and Spanish or another language. For Farmworker Program positions, Spanish language proficiency is highly preferred.
Funding
Law clerks will be paid a salary of $7000 for 10 weeks of work, with an additional $50 per week for bilingual ability in language(s) that serve our client communities. Clerks will be paid semimonthly. LASO will also coordinate with fellowship programs.
Closing Date
Positions open until filled. Review of resumes to begin November 20, 2023 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only if there are still positions available, LASO will interview at the Northwest Public Service Career Fair. To apply there, see instructions here: https://law.lclark.edu/nwconsortium/nw-public-service-career-fair/. Materials are due there by January 16, 2024 at 12 pm.
To Apply
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter, which includes your response to the supplemental question below. Please also note if you are bilingual in Spanish and/or another language and describe your level of competency.
Please send your application materials to:
Laurie Hoefer, Farmworker Program Director, at laurie.hoefer@lasoregon.org.
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.
Supplemental question
Please provide a written response to the following question and submit it as part of your application materials. Limit response to 500 words.
LASO is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. It is essential to our mission that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences in your response.
We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.
The Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) Statewide Tax Clinic seeks clerks and/or externs for summer 2024 and the 2024-2025 academic year.
Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems. LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity. LASO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.
Positions
LASO is seeking law clerks for summer 2024 and the 2024-2025 academic year. Statewide Tax Clinic clerkships are available in Portland. LASO also offers clerkship opportunities in other programs and offices. For an up-to-date list of positions, please visit LASO’s employment page: https://lasoregon.org/employment/.
The typical work schedule is based on a 35-hour work week, Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 with a one-hour lunch break. Work location can be in-office or partially remote. Extended remote and flexible work schedules may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Type of Legal Work
Our Tax Clinic seeks to alleviate poverty through the use of the tax code; working to assist taxpayers with Limited English proficiency and other taxpayers who face disproportionate outcomes despite the “neutral” administration of the tax code. The Tax Clinic assists Oregonians across the state to resolve disputes with the IRS and related Department of Revenue matters, including settling tax debt through the Offer in Compromise process; installment agreements or hardship requests; representation in tax audits and in U.S. Tax Court; help with worker classification issues; and assistance in applying for innocent or injured spouse relief.
Qualifications
Class standing of 1L or above at time of application. Previous experience in tax or familiarity of the tax code is not necessary. Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income and other vulnerable populations. Enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively. Demonstrated understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression. LASO has a hiring preference for bilingual candidates who speak English and Spanish or another language.
Funding
LASO will pay law clerks a salary of $7000 for 10 weeks of work, 35 hours per week, with an additional $50 per week for bilingual ability in language(s) that serve our client communities. Clerks working less than full time will be paid a pro rata equivalent. Clerks will be paid semimonthly.
Closing Date
Positions open until filled. Review of resumes for Summer 2024 to begin on January 17, 2024. Additionally, the Tax Clinic accepts resumes and makes law student placements throughout the year and post-graduation.
To Apply
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter, which includes your response to the supplemental question below. Please also note if you are bilingual in Spanish and/or another language and describe your level of competency.
Please submit your application materials to: Shannon Garcia, Supervising Attorney, at taxjobs@lasoregon.org.
The Tax Clinic will schedule in-person and/or virtual interviews, depending on the preference of the applicant. Those interviews are slated to be conducted the last week of January 2024.
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.
Supplemental question
Please provide a written response to the following question and submit it as part of your application materials. Limit response to 500 words.
LASO is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. It is essential to our mission that we also work to create an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences in your response.
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.
We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.
