Description

Title: Tenant's Rights Trial Attorney
Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Pay Range:  $110,000-$125,000  
Location: San Francisco, CA.

This is a hybrid position, and candidates must be able to work at least four days per week in our San Francisco office.

JOIN OUR MEDA TEAM

Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic development and job creation in San Francisco's Mission District. Founded in 1973, MEDA has a long history of serving the community by providing access to capital, technical assistance, and training programs for entrepreneurs and small businesses. We also partner with individuals and families to build lasting prosperity through housing stabilization, small business support, workforce development, financial coaching, and education support. Rooted in San Francisco’s Mission District, we’ve seen how economic opportunity transforms lives—and we’re expanding that impact to communities nationwide.

YOUR CAREER OPPORTUNITY

In 2022, MEDA formed Housing Stabilization & Eviction Defense (HSED) to appropriately serve the Mission Community with culturally competent legal services for housing conflicts. To further our impact, MEDA is hiring a Tenant Rights Trial Attorney to join our HSED legal staff. 

The position requires a candidate who will actively work with clients facing tenants’ rights issues and eviction lawsuits to avoid displacement. They will join HSED counsel to carry out the daily operations of the eviction defense service line, lead legal representation in unlawful detainer actions, fair housing & civil rights matters, and post-eviction housing stability cases. The role involves direct client representation, litigation, and strategic advocacy to prevent displacement, address discrimination, and support tenants’ reentry into stable housing after eviction. The Tenant Rights Trial Attorney will support and represent clients to understand and navigate their current housing situations, determine and explain their rights and contractual obligations, and help them make well-informed decisions to best protect their household interests. The attorney will provide legal counsel and be responsible for performing trial representation, discovery collection, legal research, drafting and filing motions along with other documents, handling depositions, and keeping client files up to date. The attorney will handle a wide range of landlord/tenant disputes, including issues related to rental rates, late or unpaid rent, nuisance situations, no-fault evictions, disagreements about the habitability of rental units, subtenancy challenges, and other tenant and landlord rights matters. Trial experience in representing tenants against unlawful detainer claims is a requirement for the role. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide full-scope representation for tenants facing eviction, including all aspects of unlawful detainer proceedings.
• Handle all court filings, discovery, motion practice, depositions, and trial representation related to case management.
• Work with low and moderate income clients on legal matters related to staying in their homes.
• Negotiate settlements and stipulations to preserve tenants’ housing.
• Offer limited-scope representation or counsel for tenants navigating escalated housing predicaments.
• Investigate and litigate housing discrimination and retaliation claims under federal, state, and local law.
• File and pursue administrative and judicial complaints to enforce tenants’ fair housing and civil rights.
• Represent and advise tenants on post-eviction legal issues, including recovery of security deposits, lease termination disputes, and eviction record expungement or sealing.
• Collaborate with MEDA’s housing counselors to help clients rebuild financial and housing stability after eviction.
• Establish and refine operating procedures and policies to ensure appropriate handling of client cases, files, and other aspects of legal service delivery.
• Help shape and strengthen the eviction defense service line, including development of internal systems, case management protocols, and quality control standards. 
• Support data tracking, reporting, and grant compliance requirements. Collaborate with housing counselors and other MEDA programs to create integrated service pathways for clients. 
• Contribute to program strategy, community partnerships, and advocacy efforts to expand tenant protections. 
• Support training and mentorship of legal staff, fellows, or volunteers as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned  

YOUR KEYS TO SUCCESS

To perform successfully in this role, you will need to leverage these key qualifications:

• Bilingual Spanish and English required.
• Active membership in good standing in the State Bar of California.
• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Professional or lived experience working with communities of color required.
• Minimum 1–3 years of litigation experience, including trial or evidentiary hearing representation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a caseload of eviction defense and housing litigation matters.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills are required to work with clients, staff members, and senior attorneys.

YOUR MEDA EXPERIENCE

Do meaningful work in an innovative workplace while being challenged for your professional growth.

Joining MEDA means having meaningful experiences that develop achievers – from across the Mission neighborhood and from within our organization. We find meaning and fulfillment in our work as we see our community thrive and are driven to achieve better outcomes by challenging ourselves to innovate in our ways of working.

We offer a market-leading benefits program that reflects MEDA's values and mission. We invest in people's lives and support our own people's health and financial well-being.

Our core benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance for employees and their dependents – 100 percent covered by MEDA
• 401(k) plan for employees
• Generous paid time off - with a minimum of 20 days for new employees
• Employee Assistance Program that offers free financial or legal counseling to employees or their families
• Other forms of voluntary benefits

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.