Staff Attorney, Guardian ad Litem

Childrens Law Center • Washington, DC

1d • $66,000 - $76,512 • Hybrid

About The Position

Children’s Law Center is a mission-driven organization focused on providing high-quality legal services to children and families in DC. As an organization, we envision a world in which all children have a strong foundation of family, health and education and are free from poverty, trauma, racism and other forms of oppression. Our mission is to do this work together with DC children and families, Children’s Law Center uses the law to solve children’s urgent problems today, improve the systems that will affect their lives tomorrow and strengthen our community so that change endures. A key part of our mission is to challenge and reduce ways in which racism and other biases – structural and interpersonal – prevent each of us, our organization and the systems in which we work from providing children a strong foundation from which to thrive. Our greatest assets are our people. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our ability to provide the best outcomes for our clients and our community. Staff members at Children’s Law Center advance the organization’s mission through their leadership, result-oriented mindset and commitment to cultural humility. We are looking for individuals who like to be challenged to grow both personally and professionally and value the opportunity to make a difference in their community. Children's Law Center's continued success depends on recruiting and retaining individuals who possess and exemplify these attributes. The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program represents 300 children a year from birth to age 21 who are alleged to have been exposed to abuse and neglect. The program incorporates a multi-disciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, investigators and education attorneys to ensure our GAL attorneys are equipped to provide zealous, child-centered, holistic and culturally humble advocacy on behalf of children’s best interests. Attorneys in the GAL program represent children who are the subject of abuse and neglect cases in DC’s Family Court. GAL Staff Attorneys manage a case load of up to 35 cases. In managing those cases, attorneys benefit from multiple internal resources, including a litigation protocol, monthly case rounds, appellate support, close supervision and regular training. Staff Attorneys advocate - both in and out for court - to advance the best interests of children, maintain notes in the case management system and keep their supervisors informed of all significant developments in their cases. The GAL program has identified core competencies that provide guidance for professional development and promotion; attorneys receive ongoing feedback about their performance with respect to each competency. Staff Attorneys receive cases through court appointment and, in addition to representing children, they assist in other program and organizational deliverables as necessary or requested. Children’s Law Center (CLC) endeavors to maintain a collaborative, collegial workplace, and Staff Attorneys assist colleagues on their cases and provide emergency and holiday coverage, when possible, to assist in maintaining that environment.

Requirements

• JD degree.
• DC Bar membership or eligibility for DC Bar membership based the transfer of a Uniform Bar Examination score attained in another jurisdiction or membership in good standing in the Bar of another jurisdiction for at least 3 years immediately prior to the application for admission.
• Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• A demonstrated commitment to social, economic and racial justice.
• Post-JD litigation experience.
• Experience working with children and/or teens.
• Experience in legal services or other community lawyering. Experience that will be considered includes job experience, law school clinics, clerkships and internships.
• Post-JD judicial clerkship experience.
• Experience in legal research roles.
• Experience in family law or disability law.
• Experience working with communities with limited financial resources.
• Strong legal analysis, research, writing and oral advocacy skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently and collaboratively.
• Proactively identifies issues and works to find creative solutions in the face of obstacles.
• Strong independent judgement and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality direct legal representation.
• Zealously advocate for the children in all cases.
• Attend all court dates and timely file all appropriate pleadings.
• Attend and actively participate in regular supervision with their supervisor to brainstorm case strategies, keep the supervisor informed and ensure quality of representation.
• Provide written materials to their supervising attorney to allow the supervisor to provide feedback on all written material, including trial preparation.
• Maintain accurate, timely data entry and document storage in CLC’s case management system.
• Complete quarterly case planning note.
• Participate in all required trainings, meetings and other CLC events including but not limited to: litigation meetings. supervision. case rounds. trainings. GAL staff meetings. other internal committees or workgroups, if applicable.
• Follow all case representation policies.
• Provide support to CLC’s Policy team in areas of expertise to address the systemic needs of children.
• Identify and elevate TASIL (Targeted Appellate Strategy Issues List) cases to supervisor and Appellate team.
• Set annual goals and review them regularly to direct professional development.
• Work to achieve annual goals and incorporate feedback from supervisory staff to improve case performance and capacity.
• Attend trainings.
• Develop or lead internal or external trainings as needed.

Benefits

• Children’s Law Center offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance; employer-provided retirement contributions; flexible spending plans; and vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave.
• Employees with federal student loan debt can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• the DC Bar Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program provides renewable one-year, interest-free, forgivable loans up to $12,000 per year for qualified Children’s Law Center attorneys.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree