Regional Managing Attorney

Florida Rural Legal Services • Port St. Lucie, FL

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm dedicated to providing free civil legal aid to eligible individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties, as well as to farm workers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has been committed to justice, offering legal services in areas such as housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, and disaster relief. The Regional Managing Attorney (RMA) will provide excellent management and supervision to attorneys and paralegals through mentoring, training, case reviews, co-counseling, and general oversight of advocacy and outreach. The RMA will also oversee the implementation of grants awarded to their respective local office, ensuring proper administration, staff billing, and expenditure of grant funding. This role involves providing training and mentoring to new staff attorneys and paralegals, ensuring program case goals are met, and providing regular regional office updates to executive management. The RMA also participates in community groups and stakeholder groups and is responsible for completing timely evaluations for all staff attorneys, paralegals, and office managers. This position reports directly to the Advocacy Director.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Florida.
• Five years of excellent leadership and management history and proven ability to lead advocacy and support staff.
• Knowledge of State and Federal court practices.
• At least five years’ experience preferred in state and federal litigation, preferably in the areas of consumer rights, public and employment benefits, housing, family/custody protection, farm worker law or immigration.
• Ability to supervise and develop litigation skills of others and manage a regional office under a business model to include management of client trust accounts, litigation calendars, pro bono coordination, community education and outreach, and working with program administration to ensure office success.
• Ability to forge positive relationships with prospects and colleagues.
• Good organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively, yet independently.
• Must be able to effectively and efficiently maximize existing resources.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint).
• Must be able to effectively work in high-pressure situations, which involve deadlines.
• A desire to serve low-income individuals and a dedication to program mission of service.
• Ability and desire to work collaboratively with FRLS executive leadership.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using electronic case management system to maintain client files and track time.
• Familiarity working with bargaining unit staff and contracts.
• Bilingual Spanish/Haitian Creole.

Responsibilities

• Leads, mentors, and provides co-counseling on all advocacy and case filings in the assigned office.
• Conducts regular reviews/discussions of individual advocates’ cases and utilizes case data reports to recommend improved services.
• Reviews case opening memos for compliance with priorities and full development of potential avenues of relief.
• Reviews all substantial written work of advocates prior to filing and all written work of new advocates during probation.
• Trains and mentors new advocates during their first year of practice.
• Provides input, advice, and problem-solving to advocacy staff regarding their cases and client issues.
• Conducts regular, scheduled review of closed cases for compliance with case closing and requirements.
• Manages case acceptance/assignment process.
• Ensures cases are regularly updated and stays informed about current work and workloads of advocates, adjusting work assignments as needed.
• Regularly reviews cases where representation has been denied to ensure justification for service denial.
• Provides timely evaluation for all staff attorneys, paralegals, and office managers.
• Plans and monitors an appropriate client outreach and education system and schedule.
• Accepts, documents, and resolves client grievances and other complaints about service issues or denial of service.
• Monitors and promotes accessibility of the local office to clients, including rural, non-English speaking, and clients with disabilities.
• Promotes good relations with the public, including client groups, service providers, press, and private bar, attending/speaking at local meetings and outreach events.
• Participates in the hiring process for regional office staff.
• Participates in the discipline of regional office staff and manages minor disputes between office staff.
• Participates actively and constructively in legal work management meetings.
• Provides timely reports and data upon request for grant applications and reports, fundraising, public relations, and other program needs.
• Ability to carry own caseload if necessary.

Benefits

• 403(b) with employer-paid contribution
• Health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents
• Paid leave (up to 5 weeks of PTO, 2 personal days, and 13 holidays)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager