The Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (“PLSE”) is currently accepting applications for a new Employment Opportunity Legal Corps (EOLC) Fellowship, sponsored by the Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps. PLSE has been selected as a host site for the new Fellowship program which will work to remove legal barriers to employment for economically disadvantaged individuals across the nation. The EOLC Fellow will provide legal assistance to individuals with a legal barrier to employment such as an expungement-eligible criminal record, revocation/denial of an occupational license, or the loss of a driver’s license.

PLSE is sponsoring one Fellow to work on expungement and employment-barrier issues in its Philadelphia office. PLSE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit legal aid organization that provides direct representation to low-income individuals seeking expungement of their criminal records in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

PLSE’s mission is to work toward just outcomes for low income individuals who interact with the Pennsylvania criminal justice system and to create a more equitable social environment, including access to employment and social services for those with criminal records. PLSE works with law students at several area law schools, and identifies clients by conducting monthly community-based intake sessions in the communities most affected by criminal history record information. PLSE also brings strategic cases on behalf of job applicants whose rights under Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Record Information Act (“CHRIA”) may have been violated by potential employers.

PLSE’s impact derives from its innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approach to addressing the needs of our clients while pressing for systemic change.

Based on Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps guidelines, the term of service for the new Fellow will begin on or about September 2014. The Fellowship term is two years from the fellow’s start date, pending renewal after the first year.

The Fellow's time will be split between direct representation of clients and other duties, with 80% of the Fellow’s time being devoted to direct legal representation and 20% of the Fellow’s time being reserved for following up with clients, gathering employment data, and building partnerships with job-skill, and job-seeking organizations. The Fellow will receive substantive training and will become an expert in the nexus of criminal and civil law.

The Fellow must be admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and have graduated from an Equal Justice Works member law school. The Fellow will need excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as interpersonal, organizational, and negotiation skills and the ability to work collaboratively and independently. Familiarity with social media platforms, data collection, and statistics a plus.

Knowledge of the collateral consequences of criminal records, criminal law, employment law, experience with low-income or economically disadvantaged individuals or families and knowledge of a second language is preferred. Position requires completion of NSOPR, state(s), and FBI Fingerprint, criminal background checks, as well as compliance with all CNCS Federal Regulations throughout the fellowship program. PLSE only considers past convictions to the extent that they would impede the essential function of the position and is not an automatic disqualifier.

More information on the position is available in the full positions announcement and more information on PLSE is available at the links below.

Applications should be submitted no later than August 15, 2014. To apply please e-mail resume, cover letter, writing sample (no longer than ten pages), and a list of references to:

Michael Bernard Lee, Executive Director
Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
lee@paexpungementproject.org

Full Position Announcement

More on PLSE at:

• www.plsephilly.org
• www.twitter.com/plsephilly
• www.paexpungementproject.org
• www.twitter.com/crepinfo
• www.facebook.com/plsephilly