About the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) & CED Law

Our mission

We partner with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity. We do this by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth. We use an ever-evolving set of legal, economic and advocacy tools to challenge and dismantle unjust systems, building quickly towards a world where all people have what they need to live and thrive.

Our OrganizationThe Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit. Launched in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, our organization was formed to keep our neighbors housed during the pandemic. Working with clients, we built a “one-stop-shop” approach to eviction, foreclosure, and homelessness prevention that centers the legal and financial needs of housing-insecure families and uses a variety of tools to keep them housed.

Our team now serves more than 1,000 people per month, bringing together housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy-experts, organizers, and technologists to serve our clients. In the previous two years, we have distributed more than $100 million in aid and served more than 40,000 Coloradans. We have also contributed to the passage of major legislation to prevent eviction, stop economic abuse, and make credit and life-saving medication cheaper. CEDP’s model has been cited as a best practice by White House, HUD, the Urban Institute, and in the media.
Building on our work to stop evictions, CEDP has further expanded its integrated services model to include disaster response, predatory towing, debt collection, benefit access & navigation, long-term rental assistance, and homelessness response. Similar to CEDP’s work on rental housing, these efforts offer a continuum of care that includes navigation and advisory services, targeted payments, legal support, and the ability to participate in advocacy.

More about the Director of Benefits Assistance RoleAt CED Law, we are launching a new program to assist eligible clients in accessing a broader range of public benefits, focused initially on federal disability income support, SNAP, and tax benefits. We understand the challenges individuals face in securing benefits and are committed to improving the success rate of applications and appeals. For example, only 29% of current SSI/SSDI applicants succeed in their first application, and just 39% of applicants ever receive benefits. Particularly among applicants experiencing homelessness who applied for SSI/SSDI between 2007-2017, more than 50% were denied. However, those with legal support are nearly twice as likely to obtain household-sustaining benefits. To address this issue, we are seeking an attorney with significant experience in handling SSI and SSDI benefits appeals to help us design and implement our new program as the Director of Benefits Assistance.

In this role you will:

• Build first-of-its kind program in Colorado that integrates benefits enrollment and benefits appeals with a direct referral pipeline for clients at high-risk of eviction and displacement
• Lead CEDP’s Benefits Assistance legal team within CED Law, helping hundreds of people proceed through the application and appeals process
• Work with the leadership team at CED Law to set the future course of the legal team and expand services for clients
• Develop the tools and systems needed to provide high-quality legal services to clients in the SSI and SSDI benefits application and appeals process
• Review case-related documents developed by attorneys, paralegals, and enrollment specialists on the Benefits Assistance team and provide relevant feedback and guidance
• Create relevant training and professional development materials for attorneys, paralegals and enrollment specialists working on benefits appeals cases
• Develop CEDP’s intake channels to ensure that we equitably and broadly reach Coloradans eligible for CEDP’s benefit appeals program
• Help determine appropriate cases and strategies to effect long-term change
•  Identify and manage referral and service partner relationships
•  Manage a full caseload of benefits appeals clients
• Coordinate across CEDP to ensure timely tracking and reporting based on grant requirements
•  Collaborate with partners across the organization to serve clients efficiently and effectively
• Receive direct supervision from the Head of Firm

Position Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years' experience in litigating SSI and SSDI appeals, with an overall 5 years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Licensed and in good standing with the Colorado State Bar.
• Demonstrated history of building new programs from the ground up.
•  Ability to independently manage a substantial caseload.
• Ability to train and supervise less experienced attorneys and paralegals in the provision of legal assistance in SSI and SSDI applications and appeals.
•  Demonstrated passion for social and racial justice, underpinning a commitment to fighting for the rights of vulnerable communities.
•  A strong desire to prioritize client and community needs, placing their well-being at the center of your work.
• Willingness and ability to travel within the Denver Metro area and surrounding suburbs to serve clients effectively.
• Proven ability to excel in a hybrid work environment. A home office setup will be provided by the firm, along with access to our office located in downtown Denver.
•  Knowledge of MS Office suite, CLIO, and Google Suite is desired.
• Strong organizational abilities coupled with excellent interpersonal communication skills.
  A creative, self-driven attitude combined with a strong desire to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment dedicated to social justice and equity.

Additional Details:

• Candidates must reside in Colorado, ideally within the greater Denver Metro area. The position includes competitive pay, flexible time off, benefits package (including medical, dental, vision), and 401k.
• Salary is $90,000 - $97,500 per year, based on experience.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis but must be received by May 15, 2024
• The estimated time to complete the recruitment process will be by May 31, 2024
•  As in-person work is frequently required, all employees at CEDP & CED Law are expected to maintain current vaccination status in keeping with CDC recommendations.
•  CEDP is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.