CAC IS NOW HIRING A COMMUNITY LAWYER

Release Date: January 25, 2016
Applications accepted until: March 15, 2016
Start Date: Immediately upon hire: The Elmhurst-based Citizen Advocacy Center is a more than 20-year old, dynamic, award-winning, nonprofit organization dedicated to building democracy in the 21st century by strengthening the public’s capacities, resources, and institution. CAC is seeking an energetic person who is able to advance our mission by using legal advocacy skills, including public speaking/media relations, writing, and litigation. Lawyers with excellent research, writing, speaking, advocacy, mentoring and litigation skills are encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities of this position are set forth in the attached job description. The ideal candidate will have had at least two years of litigation and advocacy experience and want a long-term career in public interest legal advocacy. Lawyers with less experience but with long-term public interest dedication may apply.

• Start Date: Immediately Full-Time
• Compensation: $28,000 - $35,000, depending on prior experience and hours worked, with a potential to increase with the growth of the organization and job performance; excellent benefits, including health care, vacation, and pension when vested
• CAC is an equal opportunity employer
• Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume to Ms. Maryam Judar, Executive Director at CAC@CitizenAdvocacyCenter.org.

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Prior to submission of cover letter and resume, please review the job description as well as the Intern Edition of CAC’s 2015 newsletter, Everyday Democracy, which is posted on the Citizen Advocacy Center’s website, www.citizenadvocacycenter.org.
 
JOB DESCRIPTION: COMMUNITY LAWYER FOR THE CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER

PROVIDE LEGAL ASSISTANCE

• Provide legal assistance to citizens and organizations that telephone, visit our storefront office, or email CAC with questions or concerns about the laws that protect and ensure citizen participation in the decision-making process and about issues of public significance. Answer legal questions that are matters of public concern and fit within our mission and criteria of building democracy for the 21st century.
• Conduct legal research and public interest litigation at all levels of state and federal court.
• Supervise the legal projects of student interns and other volunteers, including cooperating attorneys.
• Refer citizens who have legal problems that are outside the scope of the CAC's service or beyond CAC’s capacity.

ORGANIZE COMMUNITIES

• Work to promote democracy, teach leadership skills, and maximize power and participation of community groups.
• Develop the sustainability of communities through grassroots organizing.  This includes building community groups from scratch, developing new leadership where none existed, and organizing the unorganized.
• Help community groups organize campaigns and plan strategies that will enable them to advance a community cause.  Improve communities by sharing information on issues identified by community members including legal information, raising questions, exploring options and alternatives, setting goals and deadlines, solving conflicts, and creating positive change.

ADVOCATE/ EDUCATE

• Educate citizens and youth about how to be an active, informed, and effective community participant through speeches, written materials including lesson plans, one-on-one conversations, and the media.
• Advocate on behalf of the democratic process and issues that affect the well being of the communities and the citizens served by CAC, by writing, giving public comment at government meetings and speaking to community groups and professional organizations.
• Work with policy makers at all levels of Illinois government to promote policies and practices the increase government transparency, accessibility and accountability
• Work with policy makers and educators to build youth civic engagement policies, opportunities and curricula.

MONITOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS/INSTITUTIONS

• Work in collaboration with executive director to manage and facilitate grant programs per objectives established by executive director.
• Monitor local governments for abuses of power and undemocratic practices.
• Hold government officials and entities accountable when antidemocratic policies are being implemented that dissuade public participation.
• Litigate, when necessary, to hold public officials accountable for acting contrary to the public interest or to reform anti-democratic policies.