Director of Legal Services

Project Guardianship•New York, NY

2d•$110,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The Organization Project Guardianship (PG) provides guardianship services for older adults and people with disabilities in New York who have been determined by a judicial proceeding to need help making decisions and have no family or friends able to assist them. PG's team approach employs attorneys, case managers, and finance associates to provide clients with services that allow them to be as independent and in the least restrictive setting as possible. Since 2005, PG has served hundreds of New Yorkers and has become a leading voice in a national, interdisciplinary effort to re-envision and strengthen guardianship policy. The Role The Director of Legal Services will maintain a caseload, provide leadership and support to 3 staff attorneys, and manage the operations of the legal services department. The Director of Legal Services will report to and work closely with the Chief Program Officer to ensure legal compliance for multidisciplinary teams serving up to 200 clients. The Director of Legal Services must have experience balancing a wide range of legal work, which may include public benefits, social security, Medicaid planning, landlord/tenant law, foreclosures, real estate transactions, estate planning, medical decision-making, and elder abuse.

Requirements

J.D. with New York State Bar admission and 7 years’ experience;
Supervisory experience;
Strong written and oral communication skills;
Strong interest in social justice for underserved populations;
Ability to work with a diverse population;
Creativity, flexibility, and patience;
Excellent organizational skills;
Ability to work in a team environment;
Must be willing to travel city-wide for appearances and hearings; and
Final candidates will be subject to criminal background check.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with guardianship, older adults, and/or people with disabilities or mental illness desirable;
Litigation experience preferred;

Responsibilities

Supervise staff attorneys and oversee case assignments;
Plan for new case onboarding;
Draft motions and other court papers;
Appear in court and administrative tribunals for conferences, hearings, and other proceedings;
Represent guardianship clients and/or the agency in guardianship and collateral proceedings;
Identify clients’ legal issues as they arise and address them accordingly;
Consult with and counsel case managers and other staff regularly to address issues facing clients;
Prepare affirmations detailing services provided to clients;
Prepare court-mandated and funder-mandated reports;
Represent PG at relevant conferences and meetings to improve guardianship practices; and
Assist with special projects as required.