Legal Director

Responsibilities and Duties

The Legal Director is responsible for coordinating Dependency Advocacy Center’s legal services. The Director reports to executive leadership (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Programs Officer, Chief Operations Officer) and works in close coordination with DAC’s management team.

The Legal Director’s responsibilities shall include:

Providing administrative supervision to the attorneys who practice in juvenile dependency court.
Developing sample motions, brief banks, and other practice material that can be utilized by court attorneys.
Providing regular updates on case law and policy relevant to field and practice.
Training new court attorneys and/or legal interns, and developing an onboarding curriculum and structure.
Organizing legal training and professional development opportunities.
Attending local justice partner meetings and meeting with local stakeholders.
Hiring attorneys as needed and developing hiring pipelines for attorney staff.
In conjunction with executive leadership, directing litigation and appellate strategies that further the organization’s overall mission and goals in the child welfare arena.

Desired Qualifications

J.D. required, CWLS preferred. Must be licensed attorney in good standing with the State Bar of California.
Minimum 5 years of practice in juvenile dependency court in California.
Minimum 3 years of management and/or supervision experience.
Trained in cultural competency, and trauma-informed practices.
Strong communication and leadership skills, with an ability to vision and implement best practices around legal service delivery.
Understanding of interdisciplinary collaboration between attorneys, social workers, and lived experience experts.