About the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) & CO Stability Fund

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented eviction risk for U.S. renters. Nationwide, more than 15M people are at risk of eviction, with more than 200,000 at risk in Colorado alone. The Community Economic Defense Project (previously known as the Covid-19 Eviction Defense Project) was formed in April 2020. Our mission is to Keep Coloradans Housed. We do this by helping to prevent mass evictions and homelessness. We quickly built a law firm (CED Law), economists, data analysts, policy-experts, and organizers to respond to this crisis.

With guidance from our clients—a majority of whom identify as people of color—and community partners, we launched a “continuum care” approach to eviction prevention that centers the legal and financial needs of housing-insecure families and uses a variety of tools to keep them housed. This position is housed within the law firm, CED Law, which represents tenants in housing and eviction disputes, with support from the broader collective of CEDP, including the Colorado Stability Fund.

As the COVID-19 crisis moves from pandemic to endemic, the Community Economic Defense Project will remain. Our continuum of care offers stability in the face of growing housing instability driven by inflation and ongoing economic challenges. Our continuum of care includes:

• Rental Assistance: For the vast majority of our clients, the Colorado Stability Fund provide rental assistance and we offer negotiation services. We use public funds to pay back and future rent, reinstate leases, and avert evictions through rental debt settlements alone.
• Legal Services: For complicated cases with additional legal issues or difficult landlords, the law firm CED Law offers eviction defense services, paired with rental assistance dollars, to encourage settlement or stabilize tenancies and represent tenants in court when negotiation does not work.
• Rehousing and Case Management: Where legal services do not work, CEDP provides rehousing support services through ERA funding and agency referrals.
• Advocacy: More broadly, CEDP goes case to cause. We work with our clients to tell their stories and amplify their voices into policy change. In the 2020-2021 legislative session, for example, we drafted and, in coalition with other stakeholders and community organizations, passed the renters’ rights legislation that caps late fees, penalizes abusive landlords, and gives Coloradans access to the warranty of habitability without paying a bond.

More about the Senior Housing Attorney Role

As CED Law evolves, we are seeking attorneys to coordinate cases, as well as to set, meet, and track goals.

Senior Housing Attorneys will:

• Each manage a caseload of eviction and housing cases
• Be responsible for setting and completing your case goals
• Coordinate across CEDP to ensure timely tracking and reporting of case completions
• Maintain a regular schedule of hearings, court appearances and conferences based on case requirements
• Interact with partners across the organization to serve clients efficiently and effectively
• Complete required documentation for both case tracking and also personal management

The successful candidate will have:

• Excellent organizational skills
• A supportive, client-focused attitude
• Experience as a practicing attorney
• A creative, self-driven attitude
• A strong desire to work in a collaborative, rapid-change environment centered on social justice and equity
• Ability to work collaboratively with other attorneys and team leads

Position Requirements

• Colorado bar admission and JD
• 3+ years' experience in litigation and/or significant experience in eviction defense specifically
• The ability to, once trained, manage a significant eviction defense caseload by performing the above tasks primarily on their own, with support as needed from supervisors.
• Demonstrated passion for social and racial justice
• Strong desire to center client and community needs
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to travel within Denver Metro area and surrounding suburbs
• Ability to succeed working primarily remotely (a home office set up will be provided by the firm along with access to a co-working space in Denver)
• Strong organizational abilities
• Knowledge of MS Office suite, CLIO, Google Suite desired
• Other language skills not required but are a strong plus and eligible for additional stipend

Equal Opportunity

The Community Economic Defense Project is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Benefits & Compensation

• Salary grade - $85,000 per year
• Benefits include health, dental, vision, unlimited paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, and 401K with 3% employer contribution.

To Apply

Please click on the "apply" button on this page and submit your application online. If you are interested in more than one attorney position, apply for the position you are most interested in and note your interest in the other role(s) in your cover letter.