Legal Services Director (ECI)

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Legal Director provides leadership to ensure that The Earl Carl Institute achieves its overall mission to provide legal assistance to BIPOC and other traditionally disenfranchised populations. The Legal Director is responsible for facilitating quality delivery of legal services. The Legal Director leads, manages, and supports legal personnel consisting of advocacy directors and managing attorneys who provide direct client representation and serve as lead counsel or co-counsel in major litigation, including class action lawsuits. The Legal Director also provides public policy analysis and testimony. The Legal Director ensures grant compliance. The Legal Director works closely with and reports to the Executive Director to lead strategic planning to ensure that the program addresses the most significant barriers. Also, while working with the Executive Director, this position focuses on establishing and implementing the programmatic vision for the organization’s legal work, recognizing the various and inter-related tools that a quality, impactful legal nonprofit must employ for meaningful community engagement, client counseling, litigation, permissible policy advocacy, and strategic use of media.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership Responsibilities:

Day-to-day leadership and oversight of ECI’s legal work and legal team members

Participates in regular case reviews with all attorneys

Conducts annual job performance reviews and assists with the development of professional development plans with team members

Oversees orientation and training of new team members

Updates client services manual and oversees the efficiencies and effectiveness of the ECI Case Management System and case handling procedures.

Reviews and responds to complaints regarding intake and case services

Oversees the TMSL Student Pro Bono Program and Public Interest Certification

Reviews timesheets and expense reports of legal team members

Community Involvement and Systemic Advocacy:

Organize, design and lead CLE training sessions on various subject matters of law that ECI currently works on

Participates in local, state, and national councils, boards, committees, etc. to address identified program issues and concerns

Cultivates and maintains collaborative working relationships with other agencies and organizations working on similar projects

Work collaboratively with funders and other partner organizations being funded by the same funders as ECI

Serve on various external committees and task forces relevant to legal services

Participates in projects that address systemic issues which fall under program areas of work

Provides public policy analysis and testimony as needed and provides education to applicable state departments, the state legislature and other entities involved with individuals that have been traditionally marginalized or underserved

Collaborates with the Community Engagement team as needed to develop content for newsletter articles, social media, annual report, and other publications as well as live and recorded video and audio content

Oversees special projects such as Community Legal Advocate Program and HALO Initiative

Performs related tasks consistent with skills and abilities and general responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director

Knowledge of:

Poverty law policies, procedures, and practices

Management and supervisory practices

Legal Case management systems and other job-related software systems

Supervisory techniques

Microsoft Office Professional or similar applications

Skill in:

Oral and written communication competency with attention to detail

Problem-solving and decision-making

Outstanding leadership skills

Multitasking and time management

Coordinating work of others

Planning activities

All aspects of legal representation and client relations

Understanding of human resource management and evaluation

Analyzing documents

Leading project.

Both verbal and written communication

Ability to:

Work independently

Facilitate communication within teams and participate effectively as a member in teams

Use job-related software and systems

Easily integrate new technology into work environment

Use job-related such as Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, document assembly programs or similar

Demonstrate a commitment to the mission of ECI and Thurgood Marshall School of Law