Overview
All new hires must be fully vaccinated, unless they have a legal exception.
License to practice law in the state of California is required.
Dependency Legal Services San Diego (DLSSD) seeks licensed California attorneys who are committed to the fight for social justice, intellectually excited to defend the constitutionally protected relationship between parents and their children, and sufficiently resilient to engage in daily battle against the generational effects of poverty, racism, addiction, domestic violence, and mental health conditions. DLSSD attorneys have frequent client contact and litigate contested matters daily – protecting, and reunifying San Diego County’s most vulnerable families. DLSSD offers competitive salary and benefits based on experience. Ideal candidates have previous public interest and/or criminal law experience.
Staff Attorney’s duties include but are not limited to:
- Legal representation of parents in juvenile dependency proceedings in the San Diego Juvenile Courts. This duty includes in court and out of court representation of parents at all phases of dependency case proceedings.
- Attorneys are to establish and maintain an attorney-client relationship with their client.
- Attorneys are to conduct thorough, continuing, and independent investigations and interviews at every stage of the proceedings on behalf of their client. Attorneys shall utilize the services of law firm social workers and investigators, as necessary. Attorneys are to file pleadings, motions, responses, or objections as necessary on behalf of their clients.
A staff attorney position is currently available in either the North County (Vista) or Meadowlark (Kearny Mesa) courthouses.
Cover letter and resume required. If your resume contains little by way of non-profit, public interest or social justice experience, please explain your interest in and qualifications for, employment in the specific area of Parents’ Representation in Dependency Court.
DLSSD has been representing parents in the County of San Diego since 2016 and is a division of Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, Inc. which has represented parents in the County of Los Angeles since 2007.