Background: Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to those households whose income falls below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Farmworker Unit serves eligible farmworkers who worked in North Carolina, a state that depends heavily upon farmworkers to cultivate and harvest tobacco, fruits, vegetables, and Christmas trees. Many workers live in labor camps and are dependent upon their employers not only for work and housing but also for access to goods and services. Cases often involve a failure to pay required wages, civil rights violations, substandard living and working conditions, unlawful recruitment practices, and claims of human trafficking and sexual assault. Unit attorneys frequently litigate in federal court, sometimes bringing cases as collective actions on behalf of similarly situated persons. Unit attorneys and staff also handle immigration cases, including applications for survivors of labor trafficking.
The Farmworker Unit’s office is centrally located in Raleigh, but staff and volunteers make regular visits to rural areas where farmworkers live and work. The Unit has four lawyers, three paralegals, a community education coordinator, and support staff. Unit staff work cooperatively with advocates in community-based organizations and other providers of legal services including farmworker advocates throughout the nation. For more information about the Unit and its work, see http://www.farmworkerlanc.org.
The Unit has an active outreach and community education program to teach these workers about their legal rights, how they can exercise those rights, and the services the Unit provides. The Unit uses a variety of methods for community education — printed materials, online resources, other media (print and radio), interactive presentations at places where farmworkers gather, evening visits to workers in labor camps, and training of staff and volunteers of other agencies or organizations which interact with these workers. The Community Education Coordinator organizes all these efforts, and Unit attorneys and paralegals also participate as needed.
Qualifications:
We recognize that it is unlikely that any candidate will possess all relevant qualifications.
Required: fluency in written and oral English and Spanish; excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills; strong writing skills; excellent general computer skills, tech troubleshooting, and intermediate Excel skills; ability to learn and perform diverse tasks and to work independently; and skill in or the ability to learn how to effectively use software such as Adobe InDesign Piktochart, and our in-house outreach-planning app. Must possess a valid driver’s license and feel comfortable driving SUVs in both urban and very rural parts of the state.
Preferred: experience with farmworkers or other low-income Latino communities; experience working with low-literacy adults; experience with popular education, theater, or radio programming; experience with WordPress; experience with large databases and app development; experience managing Facebook pages, including using Facebook ads and Meta Business Suite. Ability to speak French, Haitian Creole, or Indigenous languages from Mexico or Central America is a plus. Experience working in a law office would be helpful.
Responsibilities & Duties:
Develop and maintain working relationships with others in organizations in contact with the client population, such as churches, press, community groups, coalitions, and migrant education and health programs. Find sites for presentations and outreach and develop new training modules on issues related to the Unit’s priorities for farmworker education.
Run Unit’s Spanish and English Facebook pages (3500+ likes) and web pages (1000 monthly users); answer incoming requests for information and legal assistance received through Facebook. Develop and implement media community education about farmworkers’ rights. Complete a paralegal training course and assist with paralegal duties, like case investigation, translation, and intake. Merge data from multiple government sources to maintain internal database of active labor camps. Collaborate with external web development team to continue transition to using a bespoke app for outreach planning and data management.
Train staff and volunteers who will perform community education. Supervise interns and volunteers who assist with community education. Participate in or lead a share of camp visits and presentations. Maintain two Unit vehicles used for outreach. Answer and triage Unit requests for computer assistance. Perform other tasks assigned by Managing Attorney.
The Community Education Coordinator will have a flexible schedule but should expect to work up to two evenings per week at least half of the year, and some weekend work throughout the year.
Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by date of hire to be considered for this position.
Salary:
The starting salary for this position is $40,000 with additional credit given for relevant experience. Excellent benefits package. Relaxed office atmosphere.
Application Deadline:
Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Send cover letter, résumé and names/contact information for three references to the Human Resources Department at Jobs at legalaidnc.org
Legal Aid of North Carolina is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All are welcomed to apply. Selection will be based on relevant qualifications and will be made without discrimination because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, creed, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, genetic information, disability, marital status, familial status, service in the military or any other legally protected category. We thrive when we are diverse and inclusive therefore, we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizational culture and hiring. We highly encourage candidates with lived experience, in the communities that we serve, to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k)
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance
