TEAMCHILD - WHO WE ARE
Headquartered in Seattle, with regional offices in Pierce, Spokane and Yakima counties, TeamChild is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing civil legal aid to vulnerable youth across Washington State. The mission of TeamChild is to uphold the rights of youth involved, or at risk of involvement, in the juvenile court system. TeamChild works to help youth secure the education, healthcare, housing, and other supports needed to achieve positive outcomes in their lives. TeamChild believes that racial and other social identities should be respected and affirmed. In support of this belief, an equitable and inclusive organization is being built. Staff, volunteers and board members are being given the tools to address institutional racism and other forms of oppression. This commitment provides a foundation for empowering the youth and families; ensuring they are justly represented and their desires are amply fulfilled.
OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE
TeamChild seeks a passionate and talented attorney with expertise in helping youth and young adults navigate housing stability and family conflict, especially understanding CHINS/ARY, filing dependencies, emancipations, youth shelter access, the overuse of detention and incarceration to respond to unhoused youth, and the overlap these issues have with the need for wrap around support and other supportive services. This position will provide direct legal advocacy to clients in our four main geographic areas: Spokane, Pierce, Yakima, and King, as well as youth who are unable to be released from detention facilities due to lack of housing from regions across the state. Senior Attorneys are supported by the Director of Legal Services. In addition to handling a moderate caseload, Senior Attorneys provide mentoring and support for all legal program staff in their substantive area of focus. This includes co-counseling cases, providing advice and consultation to attorneys about their cases, developing substantive training to all staff in their area of focus, and contributing to the creation of case handling resources (briefs, advocacy letters, and other templates/resources). Senior Attorneys will also participate in community engagement, outreach/training, and systemic advocacy related to their substantive area of focus.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
We are seeking candidates who are committed to social justice and are passionate legal advocates for youth. Candidates should work well both independently and as a team member, be respectful and passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds, enjoy creative problem solving, and value the creation of relationships across disciplines. Additional qualifications include:
• Exceptional legal skills, preferably in the relevant areas of law: dependency, CHINS/ARY, emancipation, deinstitutionalization of youth unnecessarily housed in detention and psychiatric facilities, coordination of wrap around and other supportive services to support community-based housing for youth and young adults, or other areas of youth-related law (preference for 5 years or more of legal experience)
• Experience filing dependencies, CHINs, emancipations and other forms of housing advocacy
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or willing to seek admission to the Washington State Bar Association
• Demonstrated competence working with youth, especially adolescents, and diverse people and communities
• High level of integrity; commitment to following the Rules of Professional Conduct and upholding ethical standards, including client confidentiality and zealous advocacy for client-directed goals
• Must have a valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the state to meet client and agency needs (Including access to a vehicle to meet daily client needs within the first 90 days of employment)
• Strong organizational, technology (case management systems, Microsoft Suite), and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with community stakeholders (other advocates and social service providers) and co-workers
• Anti-racist analysis and commitment to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression
• Demonstrated alignment with TeamChild Values: Centering Youth, Anti-Racism, Wholeness, Accountability
• Personal connection with our client communities preferred, including lived experience with juvenile court, criminal court, foster care, homelessness, and special education
Please see the full job description here: https://teamchild.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024_SENIOR-ATTORNEY_YO...
HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to [email protected] using the following file naming convention: “[Last Name] - Letter” and “[Last Name] - Resume”. Please write “[insert job title] – [Last Name] in the subject line. No phone calls or email inquiries please. [INSERT PRIORITY DEADLINE].
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