Central Valley Empowerment Alliance
Legal Services Program Attorney
JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title: Legal Services Program Attorney
Location: CVEA Office, 14665 Rd 192, Poplar, CA 93257
Reports To: Executive Director
Status: Exempt, Salary, Regular, Full-Time
Benefits: Benefits Eligible
Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000
About Central Valley Empowerment Alliance
Established in 2019, the Central Valley Empowerment Alliance (CVEA) is a grassroots community development organization serving rural farm worker communities in the counties of Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern in the Central Valley. CVEA applies Saul Alinsky’s grassroots community development organizing model of hundreds of
one-on-one and house meetings. CVEA also holds fundamental beliefs that those most impacted are the experts. Centering meeting the community where they are at, with no judgment to lead its work. CVEA defines its own model of organizing as an expression of Radical Love.
Position Summary
This position will provide direct legal services to farm workers facing employment-related harm, conduct Know Your Rights workshops, co-develop education materials, and supervise supporting staff. Working collaboratively with CVEA and other community organizations, the attorney will help tailor services to the evolving needs of the community. While the work will be employment-law heavy, the approach is holistic and rooted in the understanding that workers’ rights extend beyond the workplace - addressing interconnected issues such as housing access, and other social determinants
of well being. This position blends litigation and community lawyering - focused on access, dignity, and system-level
impact.
Key Responsibilities
- Community Organizing & Leadership Development
- Conduct six (6) to twelve (12) - Field-based, legal clinics, and pop-up services
- Conduct a minimum of eleven (11) - Know Your Rights/Workers’ Rights Trainings and workshops
- Advise on and develop outreach materials
- Legal Support & Case Management
- Provide minimum of fifty (50) to seventy-five (75) legal consultations, advice, and direct representation in employment matters: wage theft, health/safety violations, retaliation, and leave protections over a twenty-four (24) month period from the employment effective date
- Lead impactful cases (individual and class action) in state and federal courts, handling research, strategy, drafting, and trials for relevant issues. Tracking systemic issues and identify cases with high-impact or organizing potential
- Participate in monthly progress meetings, providing pertinent updates and data
- Assist with administrative claims before DLSE, Cal/OSHA, and other state agencies
- Support training and mentorship of support staff on triage, legal navigation, and systems advocacy
- Coordinate holistic support for clients by identifying and connecting them to appropriate legal services, both within the organization and through external partners, to ensure comprehensive care that addresses the full spectrum of their needs
- Maintain confidentiality and apply trauma-informed practices at all times.
Required Qualifications
- Must live within 60 mins of Tulare County
- Active license to practice law in California, in good standing
- Bilingual in English and Spanish (spoken and written); additional language fluency (Mixteco, Tagolog, Ilocano, Hmong etc.) strongly preferred
- Strong legal research and writing skills
- Commitment to racial, economic, and immigrant justice
- Ability to work some evenings/weekends in alignment with community schedules
- Comfortable with mobile, on-site legal work in agricultural areas and community settings, sometimes in the evenings and on weekends
Preferred Qualifications
- Lived experience in immigrant, low-wage, or rural communities
- Experience working in collaboration with community-based organizations or organizers
- Familiarity with trauma-informed legal practices and non-punitive intake structures
- Ability to mentor or train non-attorney community advocates
- 2–5 years of experience in labor/employment law or workers’ rights advocacy
Physical Requirements
- Must be able to occasionally lift up to 15 lbs.
- Able to remain in a stationary sitting position for up to 50% of the time.
- Able to frequently work outside in adverse weather and terrain as required by CVEA programming.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.