Associate Attorney - Post-Foreclosure Unlawful Detainer Litigation

Associate Attorney – Post-Foreclosure Unlawful Detainer Litigation

Monrovia, California | On-Site | Full-Time | $125,000–$150,000 DOE + Benefits

An Unusual Opportunity for the Right Attorney

We are looking for an intelligent, hardworking California attorney who wants to become exceptionally good at a specialized area of litigation and build a long-term career in a small, highly focused law practice.
If you are the successful Candidate:

You will work directly with Sam Chandra, an attorney with more than 25 years of experience in post-foreclosure unlawful detainer litigation. You will receive hands-on training in an area of California law that is specialized, challenging, and consistently in demand.

The successful candidate will ultimately be expected to take substantial responsibility for cases, clients, staff, and the day-to-day operation of the practice.

This is not a position where you will spend your day doing one small piece of someone else’s cases. You will learn how a case is analyzed, prosecuted, managed, litigated, billed, and brought to completion.

About the Practice

We are a small Monrovia law office with a significant statewide practice in post-foreclosure unlawful detainer litigation.

Our clients include institutions and professionals who have been with the office for more than 20 years. We do not actively solicit new clients and do not maintain a significant web presence. Our work comes primarily from long-standing client relationships and referrals.

That stability allows us to concentrate on what we believe matters most:

Doing excellent work, doing it quickly, being dependable, and treating our clients’ interests as though they were our own.

The practice is busy. Most days are fast-paced and require focus, organization, judgment, and attention to detail. We are proud of the amount of work we accomplish while maintaining a predictable schedule and quality of life.

Our normal hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with a mandatory 30-minute lunch at noon. We work hard to leave on time and achieve that goal approximately 95% of the time. There are occasional exceptions when the work requires it.

The Work

The practice focuses primarily on post-foreclosure unlawful detainer litigation throughout California, along with conventional unlawful detainer matters in Southern California.

The Successful Candidate will be trained in all aspects of the practice, including:

· Analyzing new cases and developing litigation strategy

· Managing cases from inception through completion

· Drafting and responding to pleadings and discovery

· Drafting oppositions to motions to quash, motions to strike, demurrers, motions to stay, and other dispositive or procedural motions

· Drafting motions relating to related cases and consolidation

· Drafting discovery requests and responses and motions to compel

· Preparing motions for summary judgment and supporting declarations

· Analyzing California Civil Procedure and landlord-tenant law

· Researching and analyzing local rent-control and just-cause ordinances

· Preparing motions for relief from the automatic stay and motions to remand

· Appearing in court and developing oral advocacy skills

· Developing case strategy and making independent decisions

· Managing clients, deadlines, staff, billing, and all other aspects of a case

Training is provided. You do not need to arrive knowing post-foreclosure UD law.

What you do need is the ability and desire to learn it.

What We Are Looking For

The most important qualifications are intelligence, judgment, work ethic, and attention to detail.

We are looking for someone who:

· Is an active member of the California Bar

· Writes exceptionally well

· Can analyze complicated legal issues and learn new areas of law quickly

· Has strong oral advocacy skills

· Has excellent attention to detail

· Takes ownership of his or her work

· Can work independently without constant supervision

· Can also take direction and accept constructive criticism

· Works well with attorneys and staff at every level

· Is willing to help coworkers and contribute to a supportive office

· Can both teach and be taught

· Thrives in a high-volume environment without sacrificing accuracy

· Takes pride in doing things correctly and efficiently

Knowledge of California Civil Procedure, landlord-tenant law, unlawful detainer practice, real estate law, or foreclosure law is a plus, but is not required.

We are much more interested in your ability to think, write, learn, and work than whether you have already practiced in this particular niche.

A Long-Term Opportunity

We are looking for more than someone to fill a chair.

The right attorney will have the opportunity to learn the practice directly from its owner and progressively take responsibility for increasingly important aspects of the firm’s operations.

That includes not only litigation, but also:

· Client relationships

· Case management

· Staff supervision

· Workflow and office procedures

· Billing and collections

· Firm operations

· Training other employees

· Business and practice management

Our goal is to find someone who wants to make this practice their long-term professional home and who has the ability and ambition to eventually take on significant responsibility for running it.

If you are looking for a position where you can learn a specialized practice, develop real responsibility, and potentially build a long-term future in an established law firm, this may be an unusually good opportunity.

Compensation & Schedule

$125,000–$150,000 per year, depending on experience, plus benefits.

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

On-site in Monrovia, California.

This is not a remote or hybrid position. Being physically present in the office is important because the position involves learning the practice directly, working closely with the team, and eventually learning how to manage the office and its employees.

How to Apply

If you believe you would excel in this environment, please submit your CV/resume and a cover letter.

Your cover letter should tell us more than why you want a job. Tell us about yourself, what kind of attorney you want to become, why you think you would excel in a small, high-volume litigation practice, and what you are looking for in your next long-term position.

We are interested in getting to know the person behind the resume.