Managing Attorney – Educational Rights
Position Summary
With minimum supervision, effectively represents clients in all phases of litigation; supervises, advises and co-counsels with lesser experienced staff attorneys to improve their litigation skills, in delivering legal services to our client community in a specific substantive area of law, as well as, supervising advocates. Is responsible for all required administrative functions and requirements of their team. Responsible for the optimum functioning of a specialized law team in a legal aid environment.
About the Organization
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients’ legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental, and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere
Essential Functions:
• Competently plans and handles complex litigation.
• Evaluates the work of and creates professional development plans for staff underneath his/her direct supervision.
• Timely and accurately performs all team administrative duties, including assuring accurate entry of staff time slips and reports for accounting and management. Personally, as required, conducts meaningful staff evaluations, case review and team meetings.
• Develops and implements mid and long-term strategies for resolution of identified systemic barriers to our clients’ economic security and social wellbeing.
• Interview prospective clients, rendering legal advice, maintaining a complex caseload, and representing clients in all phases of school meetings and through informal and formal communications with school officials.
• Represents clients in all phases of administrative hearings, including mediations, due process hearings, and appeals.
• Assists less experienced staff attorneys to become effective in representation of their clients through trial preparation, drafting of pleadings, discovery, effective research and case preparation and litigation strategy.
• Develops a positive working relationship with our client communities and partners including attending community meetings, community education events, and community workshops.
• Operates a monthly special education rights clinic, including developing and presenting on education topics important to our client community.
• Works with our client communities to develop and implement new strategies for resolution of systemic problems which adversely affect them.
• Is responsible for the direct supervision of the substantive law team and recruited volunteers.
• Handles team and staff administrative duties and reviews the accurate completion of said duties as delegated for Management and reporting requirements.
• Proposes new funding strategies, and solicits increased funding via grant proposals and submissions for their team. Is responsible for applications, reports and management of all team-specific funding.
• Works in such a way as to be an example for team members and other program personnel.
• Meaningfully reports on all of the above to the Board of Directors annually.
• Assist in preparation of routine correspondence, reporting, audits, and site visits.
• Compliance with all program and grant requirements.
• Other duties as assigned by management.
Requirements
Qualifications:
• Must have five (5) years experience as a practicing attorney, three (3) of which must be in public interest including working with county indigent programs, administrative law and/or litigation experience.
• Must lead the development and implementation of new strategies for resolution of systemic problems which adversely affect our client communities.
• Must have demonstrated capabilities in using basic tools of the litigating attorney: administrative hearings, appeals, discovery, remedies, and all phases of motion practice and/or administrative law as well as trial experience.
• Must have demonstrated knowledge, skills and experience in the proposed area of practice with the ability to develop procedural and substantive strategies to effectively represent clients and undertake resolution of structural inequities affecting our client population.
• Must have demonstrated capacity to train and mentor lesser experienced attorneys.
• Must be a member of the California and Federal Bar.
• Demonstrated experience in working with and representing our client communities.
• Demonstrated skills in managing others in a regulated climate and ensuring personal and team compliance with such regulations.
• Excellent Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with the public and with volunteers.
• High level of attention to detail required.
• Skill in working independently and following through on assignments with accuracy and minimal direction.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as required by events and deadlines.
• Education and/or experience that demonstrates an understanding of the needs of low-income persons, immigrants and/or other under-served, under-represented populations.
• Must have reliable transportation.
Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish preferred
Salary and Benefits:
The Senior Attorney position is an exempt position with salary range of $110,000 – $165,000. The starting salary is $110,000. LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as, dental, vision and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD has its own loan repayment program, as well as, LASSD is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.
LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious
dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.
Hybrid Work Environment:
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (“LASSD”) has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All employees are issued LASSD computers and provided with appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locations throughout San Diego County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD’s normal business hours are 9am-5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right to change these policies at any time.
Diversity and Inclusion:
It is vitally important to LASSD that we represent the community that we serve. LASSD is a signatory to the San Diego County Bar Association’s Diversity Pledge. We pledge to promote diversity and inclusion through hiring and retention, promotion and leadership, engagement of outside counsel, and participation in legal community diversity initiatives. We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply.