Senior Director, Legal Services

South Texas College of Law Houston•Houston, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics at South Texas College of Law Houston seeks an attorney with leadership, initiative, experience and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law to fill a managing attorney position. The Senior Director, Legal Services (Senior Director) position entails supervision of the entirety of the clinical program. The Senior Director oversees the unit's legal representation of lower income clients in state court and before administrative agencies, as well as the Clinic’s outreach, pro bono, and community awareness programs.

Requirements

Juris Doctor and licensure to practice in Texas (or eligible for admission to the Texas Bar by reciprocity)
Five years’ practice experience required
Professional and confidential of all department data and correspondence
Professional image
Strong ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced environment
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively and efficiently with all employees, visitors and students while projecting a positive image for the area and law school
Service oriented with ability to make all visitors feel welcome
Computer literate with proficiency in MS Office applications with ability to learn new programs as necessary
Detail-oriented and flexible with job duties and responsibilities
Proficient in both spoken and written English
Ability to interpret and explain complex data as necessary
Ability to effectively and professionally communicate in one-on-one and small group situations to students, alumni, clients, and other employees of the law school
Ability to perform basic math is essential
Ability to define routine problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions and/or deal with a variety of variables in situations, especially when department head may be out of office or unavailable
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
Licensure to practice in Texas (or eligible for admission to the Texas Bar by reciprocity) is required

Nice To Haves

Prior family law, probate, and public benefits law experience strongly preferred
Three to five years of prior public interest or volunteer experience serving low-income people preferred
Spoken and written proficiency in a language other than English, specifically in Spanish, is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee the entirety of the Clinic’s docket (and the quality of representation provided)
Plan and implement community outreach
Ensure compliance with grant and funding requirements
Handle their own caseload proportionate to management and administrative duties
Provide direct supervision and mentorship of attorneys, clinic teaching fellows, support staff and student interns involved in client representation
Work with staff attorneys, clinic teaching fellows, and support staff to review and assign new client applications for assistance
Co-counsel, as appropriate, with staff attorneys and clinic teaching fellows on client representation
Identify appropriate training materials and programs to enhance the lawyering skills of clinic attorneys and fellows
Provide vision and leadership in developing and maintaining community outreach efforts
Network and coordinate with local and statewide legal service providers in order to expand the clinic's reach as a force multiplier
Ensure compliance with the requirements of various funding sources
Oversee office administrative matters
Handle client complaints
Comply with all aspects of the law school’s Customer Service Standards