Managing Attorney - Family Defense

The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc.

Civil Legal Services

Managing Attorney – Family Defense

Lead. Advocate. Mentor. Make a Lasting Impact.

Are you a passionate family defense attorney ready to take the next step in your leadership career? Do you thrive in a mission-driven environment where your expertise can help protect the rights of families and strengthen a team of dedicated advocates?

We are seeking an experienced family defense attorney for a Managing Attorney role to provide strategic leadership, legal oversight, training and mentorship, and day‑to‑day management of our Family Defense practice. In this critical leadership role, you will guide a talented team of attorneys, social workers, and legal assistants, while ensuring exceptional legal representation for parents and caregivers involved in Erie County Family Court matters.

This is more than a management position, it's an opportunity to shape legal advocacy, mentor the next generation of attorneys, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of families throughout our community.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to be part of a mission-driven organization where your leadership directly impacts families, strengthens communities, and supports meaningful access to justice.

• Competitive Salary: $130,815 – $148,963 commensurate with experience.
• Work‑life Balance: A regular full‑time schedule designed to provide a healthy and sustainable work‑life balance.
• Professional Development:
  Join a supportive environment that aims to support professional development opportunities through mentoring, structured training, paid professional memberships, and paid CLE.
• Generous PTO:
  First‑year employees are eligible for 12 vacation days, 6 personal days, 4 floating holidays, 11 paid holidays, and 15 sick days, as well as eligibility for paid parental leave.
• Retirement: 401(k) provided with up to 8% employer contributions after 1 year of employment.
• Insurance:
  Medical benefits with generous employer contribution to premiums, and access to a wide‑range of additional benefits like vision, dental, long‑ and short‑term disability, supplemental term life insurance, and other voluntary insurance offerings.
• Loan Forgiveness: PSLF‑eligible employment and additional NYS loan forgiveness opportunities.
• Additional Benefits:
  Life insurance, FSA, parking/transit reimbursement, monthly stipend for mobile phones, and more!

What You'll Do!

As a key leader within the Civil Legal Services Unit, you will work closely with the Chief Attorney and executive leadership to advance the Bureau's mission and ensure the delivery of high‑quality, client‑centered legal services.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and oversight for the delivery of high‑quality, client‑centered legal services, ensuring excellence in advocacy and representation.
• Supervise case intake, assignment, and litigation strategy while maintaining a selective caseload and advising clients on legal matters.
• Mentor, train, and develop attorneys, interns, and legal staff through ongoing supervision, coaching, and development and administration of structured training programs.
• Serve as a legal and strategic resource, providing guidance on complex case issues, emerging legal developments, and best practices.
• Collaborate with attorneys, social workers, courts, and community partners to advance client outcomes and promote access to justice.
• Support program growth and organizational initiatives through staff training, performance management, grant activities, and operational planning.
• Represent the organization in relationships with courts, stakeholders, and community partners, helping to strengthen the impact of the program and its mission.

Qualifications:

• Admission to practice law in New York and good standing with the…