Director Of Legal Services

Profile

Director Of Legal Services

The candidate will focus on providing holistic civil representation to youth and young adults placed in Washington Juvenile Rehabilitation’s three institutions and nine community facilities. Will be responsible for leading and maintaining high quality and holistic direct legal services program consistent with the organization’s values, vision and mission. Provides litigation and other case handling support to Managing Attorneys and other staff attorneys across the state. Oversees and manages attorney licensing, protocols and professional and ethical duties related to case handling and contract acquisition, deliverables, and reporting related to the legal services program activities. Reports to the Executive Director, is a member of Executive Team, and works with all staff in supporting strategic policy advocacy, community engagement, and communication efforts to ensure visibility and accountability across diverse communities and social justice movements. Primary Responsibilities: Leadership: Collaboratively develop, coordinate, and lead the strategic direction and implementation of Company statewide direct legal services program in alignment with Company Values, Vision and Mission. Expand tools and impact of Company legal services program by exploring and developing anti-racist strategies, including community or movement lawyering. This involves collaboration with the Policy Director, Community Engagement and Anti-Racism Director, staff and youth and communities most impacted by juvenile court involvement. Build and cultivate relationships and engage directly with both TeamChild staff and youth and communities most impacted by juvenile court involvement to ensure alignment with and accountability to impacted communities. Work with allies and partners within and outside the legal community to advance strategy and impact goals. Work collaboratively with Executive Team and Board, including assistance in budget development and stewardship of resources. Collaboratively create and ensure leadership and professional development opportunities are equitably distributed to staff. Communicate and advocate for staff needs, concerns, and suggestions to the Executive Team. Collaboratively develop and model strong relationships as well as timely and consistent lines of communication between the Executive Team, Managing ttorney Staff and Program Staff. Supervision: Supervise Managing Attorneys and Juvenile Rehabilitation Institutions and Reentry Project staff: Lead and coordinate onboarding of new Managing Attorneys and JR staff. Conduct performance evaluations and provide support, ongoing mentoring and training, and professional development opportunities for direct reports. Approve and manage timesheets, vacation requests, and expenses for direct reports. Foster and develop skills for supportive and collaborative teamwork. Support and ensure culturally relevant onboarding, training and professional development of all legal services staff: Collaborate with Executive Director and TeamChild attorneys to continue refining and improving onboarding, training and development opportunities for attorneys. Collaborate with Executive Director, Managing Attorneys and non-attorney advocates to establish onboarding and training structures for non-attorney advocates. Oversee and hold Managing Attorneys accountable to provide proper onboarding, support and development to Staff Attorneys and non-attorney advocates, using staff feedback. Collaborate with Managing Attorneys to coordinate onboarding and proactively connect staff with training, development and CLE opportunities based on staff needs and interests. Identify and develop external networks and resources for consultation and development. Create and maintain an accessible resource bank/legal library, including briefs, templates, relevant case law and other institutional knowledge. Collaborate with Community Engagement and Anti-Racism Director and Policy Director to build staff capacity to engage in youth and community-driven advocacy, including community or movement lawyering. Provide litigation and case support: Oversee and manage organization’s litigation docket, including regular assessment of capacity and meeting support needs of each office and the program overall. Assess, communicate, and develop strategy and impact of Company legal services program. Provide guidance, expertise, and technical assistance on litigation in coordination with Managing Attorneys and Policy Director. Coordinate with Managing Attorneys to provide case coverage during vacation, sick and other leaves or during periods of staffing transitions. Co-counsel as appropriate to provide training and development opportunities to staff. Oversee amicus work in coordination with the Policy Director. Facilitate co-counseling arrangements across local offices. Recruit pro bono and other litigation support for attorneys/offices and facilitate communication and connection where needed. Management: Ensure licensing compliance of all TeamChild attorneys. Ensure compliance with Rules of Professional Conduct. Manage license renewal process. Manage Fellowships and Pro Bono Attorneys. Centralize fellowship inquiries and work with local offices to develop fellowships in alignment. Supervise and oversee the planning of fellowship projects, including the development of big picture goals and checkpoints. Monitor the progress of fellowship projects on a quarterly basis. Recruit and centralize information and access to attorneys interested in volunteering. Oversee and manage contract acquisition, deliverables, and reporting related to the legal services program activities, with primary responsibility on JR Project and Fellowships. Review data and edit reports for local office contracts prior to submission. In coordination with Executive Team, Managing Attorneys and impacted employees, seek funding, develop proposals, communicate with funders and develop funder relationships. Oversee and collaboratively develop program policies and practices for the legal services program work, including case handling protocols, document management, electronic case management and timekeeping tools, conflicts of interest, and volunteer and intern management. Should be a Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or willing to seek admission to the Washington State Bar Association. Demonstrated commitment to and competency with building meaningful relationships with youth, young adults and communities impacted by the systems in which we are working. Experience providing legal aid or public defense representation to individual clients is preferred. Experience in relevant areas of law (school discipline/special education, Medicaid/EPSDT, delinquency, child welfare, or other areas of youth law, juvenile defense) is preferred.

Additional Information

Send a letter of interest and resume.

Company info

Teamchild
1225 South Weller St, Suite 420
Seattle
Washington
United States 98144
Website : http://www.teamchild.org/