CRLA: Organization Mission and Commitment
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) is an organization dedicated to providing legal services to some of the most underrepresented and vulnerable individuals in California’s rural communities. Established with a core mission to ensure that low-income residents in the state have equal access to justice, CRLA seeks to empower individuals and families to overcome obstacles that they may face. The organization’s work includes addressing systemic poverty in areas such as immigration, farmworker rights, housing conditions, and health care access.
Through its collaboration with private attorneys and local organizations , CRLA handles cases that are often overlooked or difficult to litigate. This can range from housing related issues can be as complex as addressing tenant rights and tenant eviction issues. Cases can also include a wide variety of matters such as food stamp eligibility and legal protections for survivors of domestic violence. While all these areas are important to the people served, they also highlight the level of complexity and depth of support that CRLA provides to individuals in need. The impact of CRLA’s work is broad and far-reaching, helping thousands of people each year to resolve their legal issues and improve their lives. Because of the many struggles the rural communities face, CRLA attorneys are on the front lines, often advocating for the local community and working to promote broader policy changes. This advocacy work is crucial in supporting local economies and community stability, as well as helping individuals gain autonomy and dignity in their lives.
California Rural Legal Assistance Employment
CRLA offers a range of job opportunities across various legal practices and locations. Common positions include staff attorneys who carry out individual representation and seek class action remedies, paralegals who support legal teams in various practice areas, and law students who contribute as either summer clerks or academic year clerks. Staff attorneys typically maintain a full caseload while also engaging in systemic advocacy and supporting law student volunteers. CRLA regularly hires for paralegal positions throughout its California offices; these professionals conduct client interviews, assist in trial preparation and represent clients in administrative hearings. Law students can apply for law clerk positions at the beginning of the year and generally take on significant responsibilities in their field of interest, alongside CRLA attorneys. In addition to these roles, CRLA employs support staff that coordinate the logistics of a busy law office and ensure efficient service delivery to clients and effective internal communications. Although support staff at CRLA are not paralegals, this position provides an entry-level point into the legal profession and the opportunity to gain experience in coordination, communication, and interaction with clients at a law office, particularly in the immigration practice area.
The Significance of California Rural Legal Assistance
CRLA serves a critical role in California, which has 58 counties, 452 cities, 313 census-designated places and 477 federally recognized Tribal reservations. Many of these jurisdictions are remote and physically isolated from the southern and northern urban areas of the state. The communities that CRLA serves are located on the extremely sharp and rugged mountainous regions of Sierra Nevada and the Coastal Ranges and in the mostly flat agricultural valleys of the Central Valley and Salinas Valley.
California is the most populous state in the U.S., and yet has the greatest disparities in income and wealth. While the state’s rural population grew 2% from 2000-2006, these communities experienced an 8% to 10% increase in their need for low-income legal assistance. Low- and very low-income residents of rural areas of California face the highest barriers to accessing civil legal assistance of any community in the state. CRLA serves the client groups in most need of its assistance, including farmworkers, women who rely on non farmwork income, Latinos, Native Americans, disabled persons, families with children in financially precarious situations and the elderly.
California’s rural communities encounter a wide range of legal problems, especially concerning landlord-tenant issues, employment-related problems, access to health care, barriers to public benefits, housing, education, immigration, domestic violence, and consumer rights. CRLA operates a statewide system of 22 offices, along with schools, migrant communities, youth centers, domestic violence shelters and tribal governments in 29 counties across California.
Qualifications and Skills Necessary
The qualifications and skills required for a career at California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) vary depending on the position available, but in general, candidates are expected to indulge in a minimum of four years of experience in related fields alongside a graduate degree from a recognized institution. As a significant number of the jobs at CRLA require a legal background, every individual working here should possess a graduate degree in law or a professional equivalency; however, there are several other positions that do not have any such requirements. For example, the positions currently available at CRLA include the following:
• Associate Counsel
• Staff Attorney
• Paralegals
• Merced Office Coordinator
• Office Specialist
• New Entry Program Coordinator
• Southern San Joaquin Staff Attorney
Essential skills that are useful for these positions are communication knowledge, interpersonal skills, work ethic, and analytical skills. For the positions available at the New Entry program specifically, job candidates should also be proficient in ESL instruction, public speaking, and provide some knowledge of public speaking. Additionally, candidates interested in pursuing this area of work should have the skill to create training and resources for participants, non-immigrant agencies, and the general public.
Applicants for these positions must also have a strong humanitarian approach that supports disadvantaged individuals, which is a necessary part of most jobs here CRLA. Compensation packages offered by CRLA differ from position to position, but benefits include health insurance, active retirement plans, and job training opportunities for employees at CRLA.
Benefits and Professional Growth at CRLA
CRLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our salaries are competitive with the legal services community and are managed based on the attorney’s years of experience and number of years with CRLA. We believe that a well-supported attorney is a successful attorney. At CRLA, you will find that we are ready to invest in you, your career, and the communities we serve. We offer the following professional development incentives to our staff: competitive salaries, hiring bonuses of up to $5K for certain staff, relocation grants and transportation benefits, loan repayment programs, a loan assistance program, education grants, volunteer time off programs, 403(B) retirement savings plans with employer contributions, paid sabbaticals after seven years of employment, supported mentoring programs, partial reimbursement for licensing fees, diversity recruitment partnerships, competitive leave benefits (including parental leave), and an array of medical plans, flexible spending accounts, and family leave options .
Training and professional development are always a high priority at CRLA. In addition to providing regular in-house trainings and attending trainings organized by statewide programs, we are pleased to offer an array of hot spot trainings supervised by expert CRLA staff and/or outside consultants. Hot spots typically focus on a small number of key areas of law or advocacy that align with the current CRLA priority areas so that CRLA staff have the most up-to-date information and skills to effectively serve our clients.
Application Process for CRLA Positions
California Rural Legal Assistance’s list of employment opportunities are available for viewing on their Jobs page. Open positions are organized according to the agency or program, and include links to position descriptions and applications. Current CRLA jobs include Employment Law Attorney, Freedom Schools Coordinator, and Consumer Protection Staff Attorney in a variety of regions all over the State.
Jonas Prien is CRLA’s Human Resources Recruitment Manager. He can be reached at (707) 307-8800.
The CRLA application procedure is concise and thoughtful. Candidates must submit an application through the online Job Opportunities site. The application requires submission of a cover letter and resume, with detailed information about the applicant’s background, educational and professional history, and skills. Applicants will also be asked to respond to an application questionnaire. Selected candidates will be contacted for screening, and must complete an employment application before being interviewed.
Applicants selected to interview may be asked to submit an authorization consent form to perform a criminal background check or prepare a 5-minute presentation for use in an interview setting. CRLA handles background investigations internally, enabling an efficient process for candidates.
Interview candidates will be asked to respond to questions about their professional experience and employment history. Finalists may also be asked to return for a second or third interview.
CRLA seeks candidates in positions at their Berkeley and Sacramento offices who are familiar with the social justice mission of the organization. Prior experience working in a legal aid organization is an asset for candidates. All levels of experience will be considered.
Current CRLA Employee Feedback
Maria, a CRLA attorney in the immigration unit, shares her story: "I worked as an immigration attorney for many years before coming to CRLA. I love what I do, and I have never been happier or more fulfilled in my career than since I joined the CRLA team. I love how CRLA values diversity and strives to improve leadership and opportunities for everyone. Everyone here is committed to the work we do, and I also appreciate how my colleagues always lend a hand when I need some help or lose sight of the bigger picture."
Giovanni, a current CRLA employee in Calexico, adds: "I came to the CRLA office with an open mind not knowing if this was going to be a good fit for me or not. It took some time to get used to the constant battles with public agencies that constantly place obstacles in the way of benefits and services for their clients. Nevertheless, once I got settled in, I realized that helping the underserved, impoverished, and oppressed community whom the U.S. takes advantage of on a daily basis was a very rewarding and satisfying job. I am proud to be part of CRLA and I hope that I can make a positive and determined difference in the lives of the people I serve."
The Future of California Rural Legal Assistance
The landscape of rural legal assistance in California is being reshaped, thanks to ongoing improvements in technology and access to resources. The future of rural legal assistance in this state promises to be more interconnected and efficient, providing new opportunities for both legal professionals and the communities they serve.
One of the more pressing challenges facing the future of rural legal assistance in California is the need to adapt to changing sociopolitical climates. Issues such as immigration enforcement, worker rights, and land disputes have created a greater demand for legal aid at a time when resources are already stretched thin. Rural Legal Services, including CRLA, face the difficult task of balancing their commitment to providing legal support with the realities of scarce funding and personnel.
Collaboration within and beyond communities is vital for overcoming these challenges. Community partnerships, networked programs, and public-private collaborations will continue to play an essential role in the sustainable growth of rural legal assistance . CRLA, with its robust history and extensive experience, remains a leader in forging these critical partnerships.
The future of rural legal assistance in California presents abundant opportunities for growth and innovation. Technology, in particular, has the power to transform how legal aid is provided. From enhanced communication tools to data analytics that monitor and predict legal needs, technology can streamline workflows and empower legal advocates to spend more time in the field, serving those in need.
One of the most significant opportunities lies in CRLA’s ability to train and equip the next generation of rural legal professionals. As this new wave of leaders emerges, they will be better positioned to understand and meet the unique challenges faced by rural communities. Through training and mentorship programs, CRLA can help to ensure that the future of rural legal assistance in California remains bright and impactful.