Supervising Attorney, Community Development Project

The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice is seeking an experienced lawyer with a deep commitment to public interest practice and policy to serve as a Supervising Attorney in the Harlem Community Law Office. This position will manage a team representing low-income small businesses, community-based nonprofit organizations, and HDFC cooperatives. The Community Development Project also works, throughout New York City, with community groups seeking to improve their neighborhood and empower low-income residents, organizations that provide various services and resources to small businesses, and elected officials seeking to resolve problems and provide services to their constituents.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Development and Supervision

• Manage on a day-to-day basis the work of Staff Attorneys and Paralegal Casehandlers, including holding weekly team meetings, conducting regular individual case reviews, reviewing papers and other documents, managing outreach schedules, etc
• Supervise intake of and the provision of advice, counsel and advocacy to community organizations, small business owners, nonprofit organizations, and HDFC cooperatives on a variety of issues including choosing the right legal structure for a business, incorporation, tax compliance, licensing and permits, employment, corporate governance, etc
• Monitor client service and maintain a high standard of representation
• Implement management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
• Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback as well as coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed
• Identify and provide training and development opportunities to develop skills and knowledge of staff members and ensure mandatory trainings are completed
• Foster and encourage teamwork, communication, and staff accountability
• Identify, delegate, and document work responsibilities, roles, and procedures to meet the mission of the department
• Identify and implement department/unit management and accountability practices to improve performance
• Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Human Resources
• Lead organizational and culture change for the unit

Additional Development and Supervision

• Provide oversight of pro bono initiatives
• Train and supervise interns, externs, volunteers, and pro bono partners. This includes substantive law and skills training and day-to-day monitoring of volunteers
• Collaborate with the pro bono unit on how to expand initiatives and collaboration

Community Outreach

• Assist with planning and conducting citywide and statewide coalition meetings and taskforces
• Develop and maintain community support and relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials and the courts
• Conduct community education, training and outreach to individuals, business owners, and local community-based organizations and advocates
• Conduct policy advocacy
• Promote the work of the office, the Community Development Project, the Civil Practice, and The Legal Aid Society in the community
• Coordinate and collaborate with other groups and organizations
• Respond to community concerns
• Collaborate with the community outreach unit and others within LAS on how to expand initiatives and collaboration

Grants & Administration

• Participate in fundraising activities
• Collaborate with the grants and contracts team to ensure grant compliance
• Assist with the implementation and reporting of programs
• Schedule employee hours, assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
• Manage and coordinate staffing changes, i.e. processing separations, requesting new job postings, hires, coordination of leaves and accommodations
• Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources

Professional Development and other duties as assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• D. and minimum of 5 years of legal practice
• A specialization in small business formation
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and civil legal services
• Commitment to exploring alternative approaches for legal practice

Preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of nonprofit entity formation preferred
• Supervisory/management experience preferred
• Pro bono, government, public service and academic experience will be considered, but is not required
• Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills
• Ability to work in a collaborative team model, including with pro bono lawyers
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Excellent oral and written advocacy skills
• Excellent time management, priority-setting and organizational skills

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
• Ability to manage the work including: assessment of work process and outcomes, gathering relevant information about the work, recommending alternatives, or elevate issues as needed
• Ability to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, delegate tasks and hold people accountable
• Ability to create and implement effective communication plans
• Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues
• Pursue continuous learning on forms of systemic oppression of marginalized identities and establish team norms and management practices using an equity mindset and informed by inclusive practices

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society's mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society's mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• Will require travel within NYC, across the five borough region

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $99,444 - $163,507

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice.To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues.Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.