About the Legal Aid Justice Center:
The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that partners with low-income clients and communities of color in Virginia to fight for racial, social, and economic justice. We understand that the harms our clients endure are inextricably linked to overarching systems of injustice. Together we are dismantling those systems through a combination of community organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, public relations, and individual legal services.
Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC’s recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation. Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today.
With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change.
LAJC’s latest strategic plan is available at https://www.justice4all.org/lajc-strategic-plan-2022-2026/#area%20d
For more information about LAJC’s work and programs, visit www.justice4all.org.
About the Arlington Intern | Housing and Consumer Justice Program:
The Legal Aid Justice Center partners with communities and clients to fight for racial, social, and economic justice by dismantling systems that create and perpetuate poverty. As a race justice organization, it is critical that we build trusting relationships with communities directly harmed by systemic racism. We want to meet a community’s urgent needs for survival by providing them with individualized legal help, while also helping them build their power as a group so that they can shape their own futures.
The Arlington Housing Intern furthers that mission in Arlington by performing outreach, building trust in client communities, empowering tenants with information, and strategic efforts to meet the self-identified goals of client communities.
About the Position:
The Housing and Consumer Justice Program (HCJP) is seeking a part-time temporary paid intern living in Arlington County. It is important to note that the candidate must reside in Arlington County and be bi-lingual (English/Spanish). The duration of the internship requires a commitment of 6-12 months (negotiable) with a weekly expectancy of 10-20 hours per week. The Housing Organizer Intern will work at the Legal Aid Justice Center as part of a unified front to fight a variety of injustices related to housing instability and involuntary displacement in Virginia, particularly due to eviction.
Job Duties:
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Outreach, Education, and Leadership Development: You will work with the Housing Justice attorney on outreach, active listening, education, and information-gathering regarding housing issues of importance to areas directly impacted by economic and racial injustice. You will also assist the Housing Justice attorney in Northern Virginia to identify and develop community leaders.
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Mobilizing Communities: You will assist the Housing Justice attorney to work alongside low-income community members to identify needs and engage in community advocacy strategies. This includes community participation in local systems to carry out LAJC’s mission and programmatic goals as they relate to the needs of the Arlington County area.
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Campaign Advocacy: You will work with the Legal Directors, Staff Attorneys, and Organizers to support a campaign that will build power and advance policies designed to combat poverty. Your work in the community will help inform HCJP’s campaign strategies.
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Racial Equity: You will promote racial equity across all dimensions, including within LAJC and within your work in the community and with partners.
- Helping to recruit, retain, and support both staff and leadership that reflect the racial composition of our community.
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Cultivating respect for the work of and expanding resources for non-attorney staff that are disproportionately people of color.
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Creating spaces for staff to discuss issues of racial, gender, and all other issues of marginalization.
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Pushing for institutional and cultural changes by management, the board, and staff to further promote racial equity.
Required Qualifications:
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Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice.
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Resident of Arlington County
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Interested in learning about and engaging in advocacy (no direct experience required).
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No professional experience required.
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Lived experience within BIPOC and low-income communities in Arlington County.
Preferred Qualifications:
A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
Start Date: August 2024
Location: This role will be based in our Falls Church offices. Occasional travel between offices will be required. Although a regular presence in the office is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work.
Salary: The salary for this position is $27.50 - $30.00 per hour
Application Deadline: We accept applications on a rolling basis and encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Application Instructions: Complete the online application. This position requires a resume and contact information for two references. Please note, we will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.
Benefits:
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Strong commitment to professional development.
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One-on-one mentorship, career guidance, and resume building.
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Flexible schedule and 20% remote work.
Vaccination Requirement: The Legal Aid Justice Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption as a qualification of employment. Proof of vaccination or accommodation request must be provided within one day of employment.
The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.
