California Tribal Families Coalition (CTFC) is a coalition of tribes in California working to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of tribal children and families which are inherent tribal governmental functions and are at the core of tribal sovereignty and tribal governance. In service to member tribes, CTFC has a small team that is dynamic, highly selfmotivated and places a high value on deep relationships. CTFC values the wellness of members of its small team and works hard to maintain team connections despite an all-remote work environment. CTFC serves and is led by its member tribes, with nearly 50 of the 109 tribes in California as members. California has the largest American Indian population of any state with 364,826 tribal people claiming California as home. The work of CTFC produces benefits for all tribal children and families in California, though we may focus on specific regions where tribal children are negatively impacted to a greater degree. We use a three-pronged approach to develop, implement, and enforce policies that ensure equity for tribal children and families and protect tribal sovereignty. Using this method, we have amended over 50 provisions of the California Welfare and Institutions Code, trained more than 2,000 individuals in charge of implementing these policies and initiated three lawsuits to enforce these policies. Simultaneously, we work every day to not only hold state systems accountable, but also to build up tribal systems, with the long-term goal of tribal social services systems being able to serve tribal children directly, thereby eliminating the need for state intervention. In 2022, we also launched the Legal Counsel for Tribes Project. The LC4T Project is intended to solve the problem of tribes being the only unrepresented party in a case governed by the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) by building a program that leverages state and federal funds that are already available to create a team of highly trained specialists that any member tribe can access for any state court ICWA case in California. CTFC now seeks a motivated Staff Attorney with outstanding professional credentials and knowledge of the California dependency system, deep experience working with tribal communities, and relationship-based values to join the Legal Counsel for Tribes team. Responsibilities Reporting to a Senior Attorney, the Staff Attorney investigates, manages and represents Tribal Nation clients in cases governed by ICWA and associated state law. Applicants for the Staff Attorney position should have a minimum of one year of experience as a practicing attorney, including litigation experience that prepares the applicant to handle dependency litigation in California. Staff Attorney applicants are expected to possess experience sufficient to allow them to work with substantial independence in furtherance of CTFC’s mission. Non-litigation advocacy is also required, including writing and publishing reports, planning and participating in community events and tribal listening sessions, legislative research and advocacy, working with law clerks, and training attorney and non-attorney audiences. Staff Attorneys shall have excellent written and oral communication skills, excellent project management skills, and a deep interest and understanding of working for Tribal Nations and carrying out CTFC’s mission. Requirements Member of the California Bar. 1 years litigation experience Experience with dependency and juvenile justice legal representation. Experience representing Tribal Nations. Strong academic qualifications. Excellent writing, verbal and interpersonal skills. Strong organizational skills. Public speaking skill and experience. Compensation and Benefits This is a full time, exempt position. Work will be primarily performed remotely as the Coalition operates as a remote organization. Staff are generally required to attend meetings between 8:30am5:00pm Pacific. Shall have ability to travel statewide approximately twice a quarter and work atypical hours on occasion. Compensation consists of a base salary range of $85,000 - $105,000 commensurate with experience. This position is eligible for a full benefits package including, but not limited to the following, subject to changes at employer’s discretion. Experienced attorneys may be eligible for other open positions including a Senior Staff Attorney. - Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): fifteen paid holidays annually, ability to accrue vacation on an increasing scale based on time with organization beginning with 96 hours a year, one week of additional personal holiday, and ability to accrue up to 120 hours of health leave time - Up to $2,500 Employer-Paid Health Insurance Monthly - Additional Employer-Paid Dental and Vision Coverage - Up to $500 Professional Development Stipend Annually - $100 Home Office Stipend Monthly - Up to $2,000 Initial Home Office Setup Application Applications welcome immediately; position open until filled. Applications must include: 1) a cover letter that addresses your goals and your interest in this position; 2) resume; 3) writing sample; and 4) names of three references Submit electronic application to Legal Director, Kimberly Cluff, at Kimberly.cluffcaltribalfamilies.org with the words “Staff Attorney Application” in the subject line. Persons with lived or work experience in tribal communities based in California and persons with disabilities, persons of color, women, and other minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information on the California Tribal Families Coalition visit caltribalfamilies.org.
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Staff Attorney