Health Consumer Center Attorney

Health Consumer Center (HCC) : The HCC is a team of attorneys who focus on removing barriers to accessing health care in nine counties in the Bay Area Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo (in partnership with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County), Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.

The HCC is part of a network of ten community-based legal services non-profits across California whose mission is to protect consumers' health care rights and ensure a stable health care delivery system for all through systemic advocacy and direct representation.

The HCC engages in a rage of advocacy to assist individual low-incomes and families and create systemic change to expand access to healthcare.

As part of its model, the HCC operates an innovative telephone hotline that provides immediate legal assistance to address callers legal needs related to health care services and coverage.

HCC attorneys participate in various stakeholder workgroups with state agencies and health advocate groups. In addition, the team engages in systemic advocacybringing affirmative lawsuits challenging unlawful administrative procedures and works with government stakeholders to address coverage and enrollment issues affecting Californians.

Position : BayLegal seeks an attorney with a strong commitment to public interest, social justice advocacy, and health care access.

This position is based in our Oakland office serving clients throughout the Bay Area. HCC staff are currently allowed to work primarily remotely.

See below description regarding hybrid work.

As a Health Consumer Center Staff Attorney, you will have the opportunity to :

• Learn and advocate for the diverse legal needs of communities affected by systemic and structural inequities in the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance stability and address social injustice;
• Represent individuals in all stages of administrative hearings and plan grievance proceedings related to healthcare services and coverage, including negotiating with plans and providers for coverage of services and / or access to treatment;
• Answer calls during shifts on the health legal advice hotline to provide immediate access / assistance and address client's needs;
• Provide workshops and technical assistance to community partners and client community on health access issues and a broad range of civil legal issues;
• Develop relationships and engage in collaboration with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community-based organizations, to ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing BayLegal's client community;
• Identify and employ impact advocacy strategies to remove systematic barriers to healthcare services and coverage for client populations, including particularly vulnerable groups such as people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, people suffering from chronic conditions, people who have limited English proficiency, older adults, children, low-income people, and pregnant people.
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further the interest of fostering BayLegal's mission and operations as a non-profit.

Requirements / Qualifications / About the Successful Candidate :

• Humility in working with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and / or limited English proficiency.
• Received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered.
• Successfully clear a live scan background check required by funders given the position involves access to confidential information.
• Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program preferred.

Candidates who have recently passed the California Bar or will be taking the bar exam at the next sitting are welcome to apply.

• Willing to be on-site at BayLegal office as needed to support needs of clients and for periodic team meetings and trainings.
• Language fluency and proficiency in one or more of these languages : Spanish, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, Dari, Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin, or Cantonese preferred (wage differential available upon passing test for fluency and written proficiency);
• Demonstrated working knowledge of or willingness to learn health care related issues, including but not limited to Medicare, Medi-Cal and related programs such as In-Home Supportive Services, managed care plans, employers insurance and self-funded plans;
• Experience or demonstrated commitment to public interest law and social justice advocacy;
• Commitment to complying with all California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices.
• Current proficiency, and ability to improve proficiency, in technological equipment, hardware and software necessary to perform duties of the position.
• Experience and skills maintaining organization of time, managing diverse activities, and meeting critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
• Experience and commitment to working collaboratively with a dynamic team.
• Curious and self-directed with an ability to anticipate what needs to be done.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details.
• Sense of humor and proactive problem-solver.

HYBRID WORK OPTION : BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities and reducing barriers for them to access our services is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm.

BayLegal employees are expected to work on-site and in-person three (3) days per week and may work remotely from home on a part-time basis.

Employees whose primary job duties are on a BayLegal hotline, including Health Consumer Center (HCC), are approved to work remotely on a full-time basis until March 31, 2026, with expectation of being in-person at a BayLegal office or advocacy site as needed to accommodate client needs, attend periodic team meetings and trainings.

Employees must reside and perform all work in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location, and to other service delivery locations as needed, during the standard work week.

Compensation and Benefits : We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package.

• BayLegal's benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents;
• BayLegal student debt reimbursement program; long term disability insurance; employee assistance program; wage differentials for multi-lingual employees whose non-English language skills are regularly used in the provision of work tasks and pass a request test of fluency and / or proficiency;

dependent childcare employer contribution program; employer paid CA Bar license and / or social work license fees; and 401k retirement plan with BayLegal contribution following first year.

BayLegal has a generous paid leave policy which includes sick leave; parental leave; 15 holidays each year; 3 floating holidays each year (days chosen by employee);

and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment). This is a union position (Bay Area Legal Aid Workers, BALAW), and the salary ranges from : $77,614-$127,707 depending on years of experience and the salary scale can be found on our .

Applications : BayLegal thrives on our diversity, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, veterans, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law.

We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegals Human Resources Manager at (510) ###-####.

BayLegal will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Please submit (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample through BayLegals career application portal.

AS PART OF YOUR COVER LETTER, PLEASE ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING :

BayLegals clients are low-income and very low-income members of our communities. They include LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, the working poor, seniors, people who are limited English proficient, veterans, persons with disabilities, survivors of abuse and exploitation, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and people who are experiencing or at risk of homeless, and persons from other underrepresented groups.

To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively across cultures, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community.

We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes;

and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences .

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