Research Attorney

YIMBY Law is seeking a creative, entrepreneurial lawyer to join our team. This role will advise housing activists and housing developers across the country on how to apply the new pro-housing state laws being passed by YIMBY activists and also advance pro-housing interpretations of existing housing laws.

YIMBY Law is a program of Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY), a 501c3 non-profit. YIMBY Law, together with our affiliate, YIMBY Action, advances policy changes that increase the supply of housing in high-opportunity cities and neighborhoods. We advocate to increase the supply of all types of housing, including market-rate, subsidized affordable, and public housing. Our vision is a racially & economically integrated and environmentally sustainable society in which every person has access to a safe, affordable home near jobs, services, and opportunity. Read more: www.yimbylaw.org.

Up until now, YIMBY Law has exclusively operated in California, enforcing state housing laws like the Housing Accountability Act, the Permit Streamlining Act and state Housing Element law. In the coming year, we will expand our activities to other US states.

The Research Attorney will be responsible for quickly getting up to speed on housing law in new U.S. states in response to inquiries from our local activists, developing and writing pro-housing legal interpretations, and educating housing activists and housing developers in applying the law to advance housing projects. In the event that YIMBY Law or a local YIMBY Action has standing to sue to compel approval of a housing project we are supporting, the Attorney will also identify local land use lawyers to represent us, and supervise our partnership.

A successful candidate will be willing to push the envelope, interpret new laws that have rarely been used, and sometimes to develop novel legal theories. 

Metrics

Measurables of success for this position may include:

  • # of states with YIMBY Law activity

  • # of housing projects supported with YIMBY Law comment letters

  • # of template letters developed

Key Responsibilities


Legal Research & Pro-Housing Legal Interpretations (50%)

  • Research legal questions YIMBY Law receives from housing activists and housing developers.

  • Research housing law in new states by reviewing case law and interviewing practitioners and other local experts. A successful candidate will have a number of strategies to get up to speed very quickly.

  • Develop pro-housing interpretations of the law and build a library of pro-housing legal arguments. Many of these arguments will be novel and will push the envelope.

  • Create template letters articulating these arguments that can be sent to City Councils or Planning Commissions in support of approving proposed housing. Iterate on letters and template materials as arguments are tested and refined.

  • Supervise Legal Associate in customizing letters for specific housing projects and disseminating them.

Advise and Train Activists and Housing Developers (30%)

  • Meet with housing activists, developers, and other stakeholders to answer questions and advise on how they may apply the law to get housing approved.

  • Prepare and deliver presentations to housing activists, developers, and other stakeholders on pro-housing legal arguments and applications. Coordinate with YIMBY Action’s marketing team and Business Membership Manager to recruit participants and develop regular programming.

  • Assist with the development of written educational materials for public talks and publications. Write memos, blog posts, letters and other kinds of copy to facilitate broadcasting the results of your research. Collaborate with staff to update the yimbylaw.org website, including the blog and housing law library.

Supervise Lawsuits with Outside Counsel (20%)

  • In the event that YIMBY Law or a member of YIMBY Action has standing to pursue a lawsuit, interview and source local land use lawyers to represent YIMBY Law or the member.

  • Collaborate with outside counsel to ensure they are advancing YIMBY pro-housing legal arguments.

  • Supervise progress of the case, including managing costs.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will have previous experience in land use law. We are open to candidates from nontraditional backgrounds who have acquired these skills in other ways. Candidates do NOT need to be licensed to practice law in any of YIMBY Law’s states.

In addition, qualified candidates will have:

  • A demonstrated commitment to housing justice. Believe that we need more housing of all types, including market-rate and subsidized affordable housing. Have a passion for reforming regulatory constraints to new development, particularly as these are wielded in bad faith by affluent cities and towns.

  • Strong research and writing skills, legal and non-legal, and be able to turn around written assignments on short deadlines.

  • Familiarity with search techniques and operation of Lexis and similar legal research databases.

  • Excellent computer skills, written and oral communication skills, and attention to detail. Be able to learn and use Google Calendar, Google Sheets or Excel, Airtable, Squarespace and Slack.

  • Ability to quickly respond to changing instructions and understand complex cases.

  • Comfort speaking on the phone with a wide range of actors.

  • Ability to explain complex concepts to diverse audiences. 

  • Ability to plan, organize and complete tasks without close supervision and manage multiple time-sensitive tasks at once.

PREFERRED

  • Knowledge of/previous experience in housing activism

Location

Flexible within the United States; this is a remote position. Note that internal meetings are generally scheduled between 10am and 3pm Pacific Time.

Schedule

Full time 40 hours/week. Some flexibility of schedule, but internal staff meetings are held 10 am – 3 pm PT. Evenings and weekends may be required.

Compensation

$85,000 - $105,000 / year salary depending on experience and qualifications

YIMBY Action and YIMBY’s compensation is based on a comprehensive analysis of other nonprofit organizations, with an aim to offer highly competitive compensation in comparison to similarly sized nonprofits in the Bay Area. Salary offers within our posted compensation range are based on quantity of relevant experience and demonstrated success. In order to preserve parity in the hiring process, we make it a policy to lead with our best offer and not negotiate on salary.

Benefits

  • Up to 80% employer funded comprehensive medical coverage (employees in California may be able to access a 100% option through Kaiser)

  • 100% employer funded dental, vision, and life insurance

  • 401k enrollment opportunities

  • 3 weeks paid vacation time

  • 20 paid holidays per year

  • Paid sick time

  • Paid family & disability leave

  • Significant professional development opportunities, including paid professional development stipend

  • Flexible work hours within a 40 hour work week

  • Membership in YIMBY Action nationwide activist network and vibrant  4,300+ member Slack community

  • Access to YIMBY Action network of elected officials, journalists, and business leaders

To Apply

Please complete the application form here. Please apply by February 25th, 2024 at midnight PT.

YIMBY Action and YIMBY provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

 

Legal Associate

YIMBY Law is seeking a detail-oriented and organized Legal Associate with excellent writing skills to help enforce housing law across the country. 

YIMBY Law is a program of Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY), a 501c3 non-profit. YIMBY Law, together with our affiliate, YIMBY Action, work to advance policy change that will increase the supply of housing in high-opportunity cities and towns. We advocate to increase the supply of all types of housing, including market-rate, subsidized affordable, and public housing. Our vision is a racially & economically integrated and environmentally sustainable society in which every person has access to a safe, affordable home near jobs, services, and opportunity. Read more: www.yimbylaw.org.

The Legal Associate will be part of a small legal team that enforces housing law by researching housing law in each target state, developing legal arguments that apply the law to argue that new housing should be approved, disseminating letters with our legal arguments to Planning Commissions and City Councils, and educating housing activists and housing developers on applying the law. The Legal Associate will provide critical support for this operation, including customizing and disseminating letters, maintaining YIMBY Law’s data and files, coordinating the logistics of partnerships with developers and land use law firms, and helping to write educational materials. 

This is an early career role for someone who is passionate about increasing the supply of housing and looking to build proficiency in housing law, legal writing, and legal analysis.

Metrics

Measurables of success for this position may include:

  • # of letters sent

  • # of housing projects supported with YIMBY Law arguments

  • Metrics related to use and visits to yimbylaw.org

Key Responsibilities


Customize and Disseminate YIMBY Law Letters (40%)

  • Develop proficiency with YIMBY Law legal arguments and collaborate with Intake Attorney to identify housing projects where they apply.

  • Customize letters in alignment with specific housing projects. 

  • Identify letter targets (Planning Commissions and City Councils) and disseminate letters. Follow up as needed to confirm receipt.

Maintain YIMBY Law Data and Files (20%)

  • Maintain Airtable database of housing projects, including updating information and regularly cleaning records.

  • Develop proficiency with relevant Airtable automations and integrations to streamline data updating and communication with relevant stakeholders. Maintain and optimize automations and integrations. Troubleshoot technical issues.

  • Maintain and organize YIMBY Law digital files, including template letters and cases.  

Coordinate Partnerships (20%)

  • Research local landscape of land use lawyers and housing developers in new target geographies. 

  • Contact law firms and developers to set up informational interviews and presentations, or disseminate YIMBY Law educational information.

  • Coordinate scheduling with YIMBY Law team and outside stakeholders.

  • Take meeting notes and disseminate notes to partners.

Writing and Administrative Support (20%)

  • Assist with the development of written educational materials for public talks and publications. Write memos, blog posts, letters and other kinds of copy to facilitate broadcasting the results of your research. 

  • Collaborate with staff to update the yimbylaw.org website, including the blog and housing law library.

  • Provide legal research support to Intake Attorney. 

  • Provide other administrative support to YIMBY Law team, as needed.

Qualifications

We believe a variety of different work, school, volunteer, or community experiences could make you a good fit for this job. We welcome candidates from nontraditional backgrounds.

You are our ideal Legal Associate if you:

  • Are deeply excited about the YIMBY mission and vision. You believe that we need more housing of all types, including market-rate and subsidized affordable housing. You have a passion for reforming regulatory constraints to new development, particularly as these are wielded in bad faith by affluent cities and towns.

  • Have excellent writing skills. Ability to synthesize complex arguments into clear, persuasive writing. Ability to write for a variety of different audiences. Interested in learning and improving writing skills continually.

  • Have an exceptional ability to carefully manage many tasks at once and relentlessly prioritize; a knack for keeping a project going and not dropping balls. Passionate about task management tools. Very, very organized and disciplined.

  • Are proficient in Airtable, or you’ve worked with similar database systems and are able to pick up Airtable quickly.

  • Have excellent customer service skills. Very comfortable with different communications styles and channels. You should be comfortable on the phone, text, email, slack, and in person.

PREFERRED

  • Knowledge of/previous experience in housing activism

Location

Flexible within the United States; this is a remote position. Note that internal meetings are generally scheduled between 10am and 3pm Pacific Time.

Schedule

Full time 40 hours/week. Some flexibility of schedule, but internal staff meetings are held 10 am – 3 pm PT. Evenings and weekends may be required.

Compensation

$63,000 - $73,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications

YIMBY Action and YIMBY’s compensation is based on a comprehensive analysis of other nonprofit organizations, with an aim to offer highly competitive compensation in comparison to similarly sized nonprofits in the Bay Area. Salary offers within our posted compensation range are based on quantity of relevant experience and demonstrated success. In order to preserve parity in the hiring process, we make it a policy to lead with our best offer and not negotiate on salary.

Benefits

  • Up to 80% employer funded comprehensive medical coverage (employees in California may be able to access a 100% option through Kaiser)

  • 100% employer funded dental, vision, and life insurance

  • 401k enrollment opportunities

  • 3 weeks paid vacation time

  • 20 paid holidays per year

  • Paid sick time

  • Paid family & disability leave

  • Significant professional development opportunities, including paid professional development stipend

  • Flexible work hours within a 40 hour work week

  • Membership in YIMBY Action nationwide activist network and vibrant  4,300+ member Slack community

  • Access to YIMBY Action network of elected officials, journalists, and business leaders

To Apply

Please complete the application form here. Please apply by February 25th, 2024 at midnight PT.

YIMBY Action and YIMBY provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.