Associate Counsel Labor & Employment

A law firm seeks an Associate Counsel to join its Oakland, CA, office in a hybrid capacity. This role focuses on union labor, employment, and employee benefits law, advancing workers’ rights through both individual and class-action matters. Benefits include health, dental, and vision coverage; life and long-term disability insurance; cell phone reimbursement; and 401(k) participation with employer contributions after one year.

Duties

• Partner with union representatives, benefit trust funds, and workers to craft litigation and transactional strategies

• Conduct comprehensive legal research and draft pleadings, briefs, and correspondence in support of labor-rights matters

• Advocate for clients in court and administrative hearings, including motion practice and trials

• Manage case files, coordinate with support staff on billing records, and supervise task delegation

• Advise clients on procedural options and negotiate resolutions that align with collective bargaining objectives

Requirements

• 1–5 years of experience or demonstrable interest in union labor, employment, and employee benefits law

• Proven commitment to workers’ rights and the broader labor movement

• The capacity to juggle multiple matters independently while collaborating across teams

• Comfortable working in a hybrid model, with a specified number of in-office days in Oakland

• Proficiency in legal research platforms and standard office software

Education

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school

Certifications

• Active membership in good standing of the California State Bar

Skills

• Advanced legal research and analytical reasoning

• Strong advocacy and courtroom presentation abilities

• Excellent drafting and written communication proficiency

• Effective interpersonal skills for stakeholder engagement

• Technology-savvy, with quick adaptation to new tools and platforms

This Bay Area firm, with two offices in California, focuses on the representation of employees and labor unions. The firm boasts a longstanding dedication to the labor movement, exemplified by the firm's reform litigation, individual, and class action cases.