What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Attorney – Portland Regional Office position at National Legal Aid & Defender Association?
Position Description
The Portland Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon is seeking a bilingual (Spanish-speaking) attorney to serve domestic and sexual violence survivors in Multnomah County. The position is a hard-funded position. This will primarily be a family law caseload including representation of clients in restraining orders, divorce and custody matters with the opportunity to expand into other areas of civil litigation as it relates to survivor rights. This position will be eligible for a partial remote work option.
The position is primarily funded by Oregon’s State Justice Reinvestment Grant Program and services are restricted to survivors of crime with legal matters that arise in Multnomah County.
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 three specialized statewide programs focused on services to farmworkers, people facing tax disputes 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
Responsibilities will include conducting multiple weekly trauma-informed consultations and providing timely advice and information for survivors. For priority/high-lethality matters, the attorney will provide representation to survivors of crime, including domestic and sexual violence and stalking. The litigation caseload will include restraining orders, custody and divorce matters, and other civil legal needs. This attorney will be responsible for quarterly grant reporting alongside the Regional Director. This attorney is also expected to work closely with community-based organizations as a liaison to LASO for organizations that that serve Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities to receive referrals, identify legal issues important to crime victims, conduct regular trainings and attend outreach events.
Qualifications
Competitive candidates will be bilingual in English and Spanish; be current members of the Oregon State Bar or are able to gain admission through reciprocity; have proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income Oregonians, specifically DV/SA survivors; experience providing trauma-informed services to survivors; enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively in a high volume environment; demonstrate an understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, demonstrate cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $66,200 – 73,700 for 0-5 years’ experience; $75,200 – 81,200 for 6-10 years’ experience and $82,700 - $105,200 for 11-30 years’ experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our collective bargaining agreement. An additional $4,300 to $5,700 annually is available to bilingual staff, depending on proficiency. In addition, LASO offers a 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 May 15, 2026.
Applications
Send resume and letter of interest (including a response to the supplemental question below) to:
Melissa Haggerty
projobs@lasoregon.org
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Trisha Baier at Trisha.Baier@lasoregon.org
Supplemental question
Please provide a written response to the following question and submit 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 Portland Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon is seeking a bilingual (Spanish-speaking) attorney to serve domestic and sexual violence survivors in Multnomah County. The position is a hard-funded position. This will primarily be a family law caseload including representation of clients in restraining orders, divorce and custody matters with the opportunity to expand into other areas of civil litigation as it relates to survivor rights. This position will be eligible for a partial remote work option.
The position is primarily funded by Oregon’s State Justice Reinvestment Grant Program and services are restricted to survivors of crime with legal matters that arise in Multnomah County.
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 three specialized statewide programs focused on services to farmworkers, people facing tax disputes 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
Responsibilities will include conducting multiple weekly trauma-informed consultations and providing timely advice and information for survivors. For priority/high-lethality matters, the attorney will provide representation to survivors of crime, including domestic and sexual violence and stalking. The litigation caseload will include restraining orders, custody and divorce matters, and other civil legal needs. This attorney will be responsible for quarterly grant reporting alongside the Regional Director. This attorney is also expected to work closely with community-based organizations as a liaison to LASO for organizations that that serve Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities to receive referrals, identify legal issues important to crime victims, conduct regular trainings and attend outreach events.
Qualifications
Competitive candidates will be bilingual in English and Spanish; be current members of the Oregon State Bar or are able to gain admission through reciprocity; have proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income Oregonians, specifically DV/SA survivors; experience providing trauma-informed services to survivors; enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, and willingness to work collaboratively in a high volume environment; demonstrate an understanding and commitment to anti-bias principles, demonstrate cultural competency and addressing systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $66,200 – 73,700 for 0-5 years’ experience; $75,200 – 81,200 for 6-10 years’ experience and $82,700 - $105,200 for 11-30 years’ experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our collective bargaining agreement. An additional $4,300 to $5,700 annually is available to bilingual staff, depending on proficiency. In addition, LASO offers a 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 May 15, 2026.
Applications
Send resume and letter of interest (including a response to the supplemental question below) to:
Melissa Haggerty
projobs@lasoregon.org
If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Trisha Baier at Trisha.Baier@lasoregon.org
Supplemental question
Please provide a written response to the following question and submit 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.
Salary : $4,300 - $5,700