Staff Attorney

About Us: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services. OLC operates eleven offices around the state. It has a litigation support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program.

OLC strives to create a supportive work culture enriched by values of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all staff. Our commitment is deeply connected to our ability to achieve client- oriented advocacy and access to justice. The diversity of our staff is a strength and an asset to our organization that helps reflect and effectively advocate for low-income client communities of diverse backgrounds.

Position: Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a staff attorney in its statewide Farmworker Program to provide civil legal services to low-income individuals on employment and employment-related housing, health and safety, immigration (focused on U and T visas and SIJS), and civil rights matters. The position is based in Woodburn, Oregon and serves farmworkers statewide. Woodburn is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley between Salem and Portland and has a rich history of farmworker movements, from the labor movement to the development of off-farm community housing, to community health, and more.

OLC’s Woodburn Farmworker office comprises three staff attorneys, one supervising attorney, one paralegal, and the Farmworker Program Director and Managing Attorney of the Farmworker Program both work from the Woodburn Farmworker Office, as part of a larger Farmworker Program. The Farmworker Program sets priorities according to client need: current priorities include employment, occupational safety, immigration, and health, housing, and civil rights. Most of our clients speak Spanish or one of the indigenous languages native to Mexico and Central America, such as Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, Mam, and Akateco. They experience a wide variety of legal problems, including unpaid wages, inadequate housing, unsafe work conditions including excessive heat, hazardous chemicals, violence, and sexual harassment. The most common form of discrimination they face is retaliation for asserting their legal protections.

Responsibilities: The staff attorney will handle all phases of litigation in state and federal courts including intake, investigation, filing complaints, engaging in discovery, making, and defending dispositive motions, alternative dispute resolution, and trial. The staff attorney will also analyze eligibility for U and T visas, and SIJS relief. There will be significant emphasis on impact work that affects large numbers of farmworkers, such as class actions. The staff attorney will meet, investigate, and interview farmworkers on assigned cases, sometimes outside of normal business hours, as well as engage in intensive community outreach and education together with OLC’s community educators involving educational presentations to farmworkers and community-based groups. Attorneys in the Farmworker Program do travel during the daytime and occasionally overnight to both meet with clients and perform outreach.

OLC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive work environment. OLC encourages applications from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, including members of historically underrepresented groups, such as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and others. Even if you are unsure whether you meet every qualification described, we welcome your application.

Requirements:

• Admission to Oregon Bar.
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Desire and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to manage a litigation caseload.
• Commitment to developing litigation and other advocacy skills.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Adobe, and web-based video conferencing and learning platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams).
• Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process.

Preferences:

• Experience representing low-income clients, especially farmworkers.
• Experience with complex, impact litigation.
• Employment law experience.
• Experience with U and T visa applications

Salary/Benefits: Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week and ranges from $65,500 – $102,500, based on years of experience as an attorney. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, 6% employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, and paid moving expenses, among others.

How to Apply: Application review will begin November 30, 2025. Open until filled. To apply, submit your resume, cover letter, and list of three references to Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, hekemper@oregonlawcenter.org

As part of your cover letter, please address the following:

OLC 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, in serving clients, that we are also committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to assist OLC in achieving these commitments?

If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Heather Kemper, Deputy Director, at hekemper@oregonlawcenter.org.