Managing Attorney - Statewide

Description:

Overview of The Role
Managing Attorneys are responsible for day-to-day management and supervision of their legal teams and directly report to A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's Director of Legal Services. Managing Attorneys must work directly with staff on their team to support their development and skills at A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization. Managing Attorneys are expected to carry a lower case load than Staff Attorneys, to reserve sufficient time for supervision, and are strongly encouraged to co-counsel all their cases except counsel/advice cases. Managing Attorneys are supported by the Director of Legal Services, and also work with each other and with the Executive Team. Managing Attorneys provide leadership within their teams to ensure high quality services, to create a cohesive work environment including linkages to other teams, and to build strong partnerships that advance local and statewide goals. A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's legal program management is collaborative and based on a framework of support, education, and team accountability.

We are seeking lawyers who are committed to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression, as well as passionate about supporting young people. We seek candidates who are willing to go beyond the traditional attorney role to move towards cultivating holistic advocacy models to identify and execute creative—and sometimes nonlegal—strategies alongside youth. Candidates should work well both independently and as a team member, be respectful and passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds, enjoy creative problem solving, and value the creation of relationships across disciplines.

This Statewide Managing Attorney supervises statewide attorneys, who carry caseloads in King, Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima Counties, as well as a Case Support Specialist. The team represents young people (ages 12-24) in those four counties on civil legal issues, prioritizing youth who have been impacted by juvenile court involvement or are highly at risk for court involvement. Priority legal representation is around education and housing stability in community. The statewide team includes two specialist attorneys, one focused on education law and the other on housing. Senior Attorneys carry case loads in their area of focus and are also expected to support other staff attorneys in those case areas. They both co-counsel and develop case handling materials. In addition to direct services, A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's attorney work also includes outreach, community education, and policy work.

This position can be located in near proximity to any of our four regional offices: King, Pierce, Spokane, or Yakima Counties and can expect to travel regularly in person to each of our four regional offices throughout the year in support of the statewide team and organizational work.

Primary Responsibilities:
Supervises team staff, which includes:

• Supporting a team that will be physically located in four different geographic locations in building a cohesive, collaborative, informed, and competent staff that can effectively fulfill their job duties and the mission of the organization
• Facilitating and directly supporting the onboarding of new legal staff, volunteers, and interns
• Ensuring case management support and oversight of staff, volunteers, and interns
• Supporting training, professional/leadership development, and staff recognition for local office staff
• Co-counseling cases with Staff Attorneys
• Learning about and applying innovative and collaborative models of management and leadership
• Cultivating a transparent and collaborative work environment
• Facilitating collaborative development and implementation of teamwork plan, including determining caseloads, that ties into A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's mission and statewide impact goals
• Facilitating the team's collaborative development and implementation of outreach, training, and community engagement
• Communicating and advocating for staff needs, concerns, and suggestions to the Executive Team
• Approving timesheets, vacation request and expenses
• Encouraging and modeling self-care and work-life balance
• Partners with Director of Legal Services, other Managing Attorneys, legal program staff, and policy and community engagement staff to develop coordinated strategies to achieve impact for clients/communities.
• Maintains continuous communication with Executive Team about the needs of the Statewide Legal team, including:
• Administrative needs, such as office space location, lease arrangements, supplies, and technology
• Human resources, including staffing needs, supervision and support needs of staff
• Team needs, such as resources for program/project implementation or other identified needs of the community and clients
• Communications needs, such as press inquiries, public announcements, and social media
• Budgeting, including coordination with legal program team and Executive Team to develop and implement a budget
• Ensuring your team is informed and included in these processes
• Models, centers and upholds A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's shared values.
• Adheres to A Nonprofit Civil Legal Aid Organization's anti-racism principles.
• Participates in hiring, termination, promotion, and special assignment of employees and interns, including law students, summer clerks, and temporary employees.
• Identifies and helps develop funding opportunities that support local efforts and advocacy needs including building and maintaining partner/funder relationships and coordinates closely with Executive Team and staff on grant proposals, individual giving, special project needs and events, fellowship opportunities, etc.
• Works with Operations, Communications, Development (fundraising), and program teams to manage local contracts, grants, and funding applications (private and public). Collaborates to ensure contract expectations align with our work and that staff and activities are completed and documented to meet contract deliverables and deadlines.
• Maintains an appropriate client case load dependent on the number/size of local office staff and their supervision needs.
• Maintain contemporaneous timekeeping in statewide electronic database on cases and community engagement work;
• Maintain coherent and clear electronic case files
• including detailed notes of case and client activities and time spent in the case file;
• uploading all related documents, correspondence, records, and court paperwork to the legal file; and
• updating the case file with new information, contact information, change of circumstances.;
• Documentation of training, outreach, and community activities;
• Writes retainer agreements on active representation and brief services cases with youth to ensure understanding and agreement of the scope of representation; and send closing correspondence when legal representation is completed;
• Develops content expertise in substantive areas of law that we regularly practice, including education law, access to services and public benefits, family law, civil rights, post-conviction, and collaboration with defense counsel.
• Participates in internal work groups at TeamChild regarding hiring, policies, retreats, and other internal functions and collective agency work