Staff Attorney

The Staff Attorney provides a range of civil legal services to individuals engaged in the Holistic Intervention Partnership (HIP) in Contra Costa County. HIP is a public-private partnership between the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender, multiple County agencies, and community-based partners, which focuses on early intervention with indigent County residents at the time of police contact in misdemeanor cases. The program provides interdisciplinary case management and other services to indigent individuals to ensure timely and coordinated access to a client-centered array of housing, behavioral health, transportation and legal services at the critical time of initial law enforcement contact.
The staff attorney will work as part of the HIP team providing direct civil legal services in a variety of areas including restraining orders, driver’s license suspensions, housing, and family law. It is a full time, exempt position.

TERM: This is a temporary position set to commence on November 16, 2025 and terminate on May 15, 2026.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Program Services: Provide legal services and representation to individuals in the HIP program in a variety of civil issue areas including but not limited to restraining orders, housing, family law, and driver’s licensing.
• Specific duties include:

1. Defending against and/or initiating domestic violence, civil harassment, elder abuse, and workplace violence restraining order cases
2. Representing HIP participants in Administrative Per Se hearings with the Department of Motor Vehicles after DUI arrest
3. Providing advice and counsel to HIP participants facing immediate eviction
4. The attorney will also report monthly to the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office on the status of the civil legal participant cases and quarterly to California State University Long Beach on participant progress and services rendered.    

• Program Engagement: Responsible for coordination of legal services with Contra Costa Public Defender and other HIP service team members and partners; maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders and partners including legal and non-legal CBOs.
• Legal Team Engagement: Coordinate services with other Rubicon legal service team members; supplement other program services as called upon; stay abreast of developments in best practices regarding the role of legal services in reentry strategies and successful evidence-based practices.

COMPETENCIES

• CA State Bar license
• Knowledge and preferably experience in one or more subject matter areas served by program.
• Skillful in working as part of a team in partnership model with Public Defender and other non-lawyer service providers; excellent written and oral communication skills; strong organizational skills and ability to work independently
• Demonstrated skills in cultural awareness, sensitivity/humility, social and cultural analysis, particularly in the areas of race and racism; comprehensive knowledge of the intersection of racial justice with other justice issues, in particular criminal justice
• Cultural Responsiveness and an alignment with our values and commitment to equity and inclusion
• If you don’t currently possess our organizational core competencies of Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Coaching, you are expected to participate in the necessary training Rubicon provides

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• $75K-$85K DOE
• Medical, Dental and Vision health plans. Kaiser and Sutter Health options.
• Generous paid vacation and sick leave, 10 paid holidays.
• Employer sponsored retirement plan.

About Rubicon

An $18M non-profit Rubicon, provides direct services at eight locations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and operates a growing commercial landscape social enterprise program that is a leader in sustainable practices. Rubicon transforms East Bay communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. Recognized as a national leader in workforce development, Rubicon provides individualized one-on-one career advising, job search support, financial education, wellness and legal services, to very low-income people who face significant barriers to achieving economic mobility.

Rubicon is a 2022 Great Place to Work, on a journey towards becoming a high-road employer and an anti-racist organization. We are committed to systems change and advocacy through efforts like expanding and deepening Employee Resource Groups; the launch of an internal Racial Justice Task Force; and implementation of talent and culture supports that acknowledge and facilitate healing from the direct and indirect effects of racial trauma.

Rubicon actively recruits staff members with a diversity of culture, thought, and lived experiences who are not only highly skilled, but who consistently demonstrate a commitment to our vision of an East Bay without poverty and are passionate about this work.

Rubicon is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and values diversity of culture, thought, and lived experiences. We seek talented, qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, conviction history, uniform service membership/veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical conditions, genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression regardless of physical gender, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. 

Rubicon uses E-Verify to validate the eligibility of our new employees to work legally in the United States.