Supervising Attorney, Domestic Violence & Family Law Unit
About The Position
Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 130 employees, is seeking a Supervising Attorney to join our Domestic Violence & Family Law Unit. Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, and immigration matters. We also help people with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system and provide crime victim advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. Legal Aid also administers the DC Resource Bridge, a single access point for legal services in the District. Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. Our work is supported through public and private grants and private fundraising from individuals, law firms, and other contributors. The Domestic Violence and Family Law Unit (DV/Family Law Unit) Supervising Attorney will work closely in a team with co-supervisors to manage attorneys, legal assistants, intake specialists, and a project coordinator. The Supervising Attorney will report to the Managing Attorney of the DV/Family Law Unit.
Requirements
- Membership or eligibility for membership in the DC bar is required.
- A minimum of seven years of experience in legal services, ideally in domestic violence and/or family law
- A demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice
- Significant experience in managing a litigation practice
- Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects and organizational responsibilities
- Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with clients, staff, partner organizations, pro bono attorneys, the judiciary, and members of local legal services and advocacy coalitions
- Ability to work skillfully, both independently and collaboratively with teams
Nice To Haves
- Experience managing or supervising attorneys
- Proficiency or fluency in Spanish, Amharic, or another language spoken by our client community
Responsibilities
- Provide routine supervision and feedback for attorneys and other staff, including at regular case review meetings
- Offer substantive feedback on written work and trial preparation
- Attend hearings to provide support and guidance to supervisees
- Participate in annual performance management processes
- Support supervisees’ performance goals and professional development by working to identify strengths and areas for growth, and monitoring set goals
- Monitor administrative systems for supervisee compliance with organizational requirements, including timekeeping and leave, case management, and community engagement tracking
- Ensure that supervisees are meeting case targets while providing high quality legal services
- Convene regular unit meetings
- Manage pro bono mentorship
- Identify or lead training opportunities
- Create uniform systems and polices for the Unit
- Set priorities for Unit case handling
- Review and assign intakes
- Manage grant applications and reports
- Coordinate with partner organizations and the court to staff community and courthouse projects
- Provide direct legal services on complex family law and domestic violence cases either as sole or co-counsel
- Monitor, review, and participate in the discussion or conducting of appellate cases with a potential impact on domestic violence or family law
- Identify and advance policy goals to address systemic issues affecting domestic violence survivors, custodial parents, and low-income child support obligors
- Liaise with the DC courts, relevant city agencies, and legal services partner organizations to promote access to justice and the smooth operation of the Unit’s multiple courthouse projects
- Supervise intake and conflict clearance
- Consider the impact of proposed organization-wide policies or actions on the DV/Family Law Unit, as well as the impact on the entire organization
- Participate in organization-wide discussions and initiatives
- Actively participate as part of the team of Supervisors and Project Directors in crafting and advancing organizational initiatives
- Help to foster and reflect an inclusive organizational culture
Benefits
- Fully paid health insurance for the employee
- Annual retirement match
- 13 paid holidays
- 25 days of annual leave per year
- 15 days of sick leave per year
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
