Directing Attorney

Job Details Job Location:
Lamont Office - Lamont, CA Position Type:
Full Time Salary Range: $92000.00 - $115000.00 Salary Job Category:
Legal Description

California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. offers radically necessary services that vindicate the rights of the rural poor and fight for community-led justice. Our advocates believe that rural communities can thrive and that the legal system must work to the advantage of people who reject poverty and systems of oppression. The work we advance spans an impressive gamut of venues and stands on a bold legacy of success and a vision for the prosperity of our clients.

• Position:
  Directing Attorney
• Experience:
  
  3+ years
• Final date to receive applications:
  Open until filled
• Location:
  
  Lamont, CA
• Term of Employment:
  Regular, Full-Time
• Other: FLSA Exempt, Non-Union Position

The Directing Attorney is a unique leadership opportunity for an attorney committed to community-centered advocacy to lead a team providing services to marginalized rural communities. The Directing Attorney is responsible for developing the office's advocacy vision and tone and leading their team of Staff Attorneys, Community Workers, and legal support team members in delivering high-quality legal services commensurate with that vision.

The Directing Attorney has substantive command of at least one of CRLA's Priority Advocacy areas and is responsible for maintaining their caseload in addition to their leadership role.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervise and guide staff attorneys' litigation and other advocacy work, including assessing legal needs and reviewing and editing litigation-related documents. The Directing Attorney ensures that case handling complies with CRLA policies, Legal Services Corporation regulations, the ABA Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Services, and ethical obligations.
• Maintain an active caseload of both affirmative and defensive in-court and administrative litigation.
• Develop and execute the annualized office work plan. The work plan serves as a blueprint for office change advocacy and sets out a results-oriented program that blends various advocacy approaches to impact change locally, nationally, and statewide.
• Convene the local office advisory committee and work with them to identify opportunities for change advocacy.
• Conduct weekly staff meetings and case reviews to assess new intakes' eligibility and the level of service to be provided. Responsible for ensuring all cases progress as planned and are closed on time.
• Manage, train, provide guidance, and evaluate office staff performance.
• Oversee the planning of community education and outreach activities to raise awareness of diverse advocacy areas in local communities.
• As needed, work with the Development and Finance teams to evaluate grant opportunities. Understand, monitor, and deliver grant deliverables and necessary outcomes, including timekeeping and other LSC requirements.
• Proactively source intern candidates. Oversee intern project assignments to ensure a successful learning experience. Similarly, orient, develop, and supervise pro-bono attorneys and volunteers.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of three (3) years experience practicing law, preferably in the CRLA Priority areas of housing, employment, education, rural health, or similar
• Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory experience and/or proven ability to organize and supervise the casework and advocacy of team members
• Demonstrated ability to interact constructively with diverse populations and team members
• Demonstration of commitment to working with low-income, marginalized and diverse populations

HIGHLY PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Admitted to the California Bar
• Fluency in another language, most specifically, Spanish
• Experience in the non-profit or public sectors
• Experience in obtaining grants and managing them through to completion.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

CRLA offers a diverse, family-friendly environment and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries; the expected pay range for this position is $92,000 to $115,000 per annum. CRLA provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what is reasonably expected to pay for a position. The pay offered…