Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE), a non-profit law firm with a long history of representing people living on low incomes in Ohio in achieving equal justice and opportunity, seeks an Attorney to lead its Housing and Community Economic Development (HCED) Practice Group. The position can be based out of ABLE’s Toledo or Dayton, Ohio office.
About ABLE
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) is a nonprofit law firm established over 50 years ago to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our communities have the same access to justice as people and companies that can afford to retain an attorney. ABLE and its partner law firm, Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO), are the only law firms available for comprehensive legal representation in non-criminal matters for more than 425,000 people living, working, and raising their families in poverty in Northwest and West Central Ohio. ABLE advocates for – and with – financially disadvantaged individuals and communities to effectuate just and equitable policy changes that address the structural causes of poverty and to protect their right to fairness and justice in the legal system.
The Opportunity
The HCED Practice Group takes a community lawyering approach to litigation and policy advocacy by providing legal support to neighborhood residents seeking to build healthy, economically vibrant communities and advocating for - and with - tenants and tenant organizations to enforce and enact housing laws. The Managing Attorney will lead, supervise, and coordinate litigation and advocacy projects with attorneys, paralegals, community organizers, and social workers to provide direct legal assistance to communities targeted to address challenges of low-income residents and empower them to bring about positive change. ABLE’s service area covers 32 counties in western Ohio, and the Managing Attorney will lead and manage the practice group’s work in those counties. We aim to uplift client voices in our advocacy, utilizing community and movement lawyering, litigation, policy advocacy, individual legal services, and community organizing.
The Managing Attorney will:
• Manage a team of 15 and provide leadership, creativity, passion, and inspiration in
guiding practice group members in achieving ABLE’s mission across ABLE’s service area. Some team members are directly supervised by a supervising attorney who reports directly to the Managing Attorney.
• Work with practice group members and the Director of Advocacy to develop and drive a comprehensive legal strategy designed to engage client communities and address identified legal needs to alleviate poverty and address systemic racism in targeted neighborhoods. Effectively supervise team members and legal work within the practice group. Be accountable for overall effectiveness of the practice group, including overseeing teamwork, plans, systems, and processes that advance organizational goals; managing impact and growing team members’ skills; directly supervising members of the team including managing to individual work plans, administering reviews and providing support for professional development.
• Bring a strong racial and economic equity lens and analysis of structural racism to ABLE’s
legal strategies and initiatives.
• Collaborate and advocate with impacted community members to further issues identified by community leaders, using a community lawyering approach.
• Think strategically and view issues from a systemic and impact perspective while
managing the practice group’s high-volume caseload.
• Build on the diverse skills, talents, and backgrounds of staff to develop a strong team.
• Manage certain aspects of grant writing and grant reporting to funders supporting the
practice group’s work.
• Build coalitions with organizations and advocates at the local, state, and national levels, social scientists, and policy counsel at partner organizations and others.
• Draft communications for diverse audiences and translate complex policy and legal issues in relatable and accessible terms.
• Engage in public education and communications, which may include representing ABLE in public settings including public speaking engagements, conferences, media appearances, blog posts, op-eds, conferences, and media interviews.
The Managing Attorney must demonstrate excellent legal, analytical, communication, teamwork, and advocacy skills, administrative leadership, supervisory experience and strong management skills, initiative and sound judgment, and the ability to handle and supervise major advocacy projects and others’ legal work. The ideal applicant has practical knowledge and experience in housing, civil rights, transactional legal services for small businesses, or employment law; and an understanding of the socio-cultural issues experienced by people living in poverty.
Compensation, Benefits, and Work Location
ABLE is committed to providing an equitable work environment, including a commitment to pay equity. We are updating our salary scales, with expected completion by Fall 2024. The starting annual salary range for this position will likely fall between $92,500and $115,600; comprehensive fringe benefits, including health insurance and student loan repayment assistance up to $6,000 per year through the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation; Position can be based out of Toledo or Dayton, Ohio; Hybrid work is likely, but in-office supervision, court hearings, meetings with community partners, and client-based work in person is required. Some travel between Dayton and Toledo is required.
The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:
• Legal Leadership Experience. Seven years of litigation experience preferred (ideally in state and federal courts) and/or policy advocacy and a demonstrated track record of results in core areas of focus for ABLE. You are adept at managing people and processes and driving complex legal initiatives and projects to resolution. You bring superior legal drafting and research skills, achievement of high standards in legal work quality, skill in developing and implementing legal advocacy initiatives, and increasing responsibility in scale and scope over your career. A J.D. is required and active membership in the Ohio bar or ability to be admitted by motion or temporary certification required.
• Ability to Manage a Team. You know how to lead a team of passionate legal advocates, navigate conflict, and work within an organization to set a vision and execute it effectively. You know how to achieve your goals in collaboration with others and are skilled at nurturing talent and supervising staff. Experience implementing and managing grant- funded projects is required.
• Strong Relationship Builder. You are adept at building and maintaining strong, transformative relationships both within and outside of the organization. You are comfortable working across lines of difference including race, gender, and class among other dimensions of identity and you are effective at surfacing shared values of individuals, groups, and communities, and leveraging that understanding to forge (where possible) investment and consensus. You can build trust and credibility with people from varied backgrounds that allows you to build productive relationships and partnerships. Ability to relate well with clients living in poverty. Ability to communicate fluently in Spanish is valued at ABLE. Strong record of cultural competence and cross-cultural communication skills is required.
• Experience with Core ABLE Issues. You have expertise or experience within ABLE’s core issue areas, particularly community economic development, landlord/tenant, civil rights, or poverty law. Candidates with proximate experience working on economic justice issues which include employment discrimination, fair housing and lending, environmental justice, as well as the impact of criminal records on equal access to all aspects of the economy may be considered. Advocacy experience using a race equity lens and understanding and experience with community lawyering preferred.
Candidates need to bring a strong commitment to excellence and an ability to work in a fast- paced environment.
Please visit https://www.ablelaw.org/careers-with-able to submit your application. Position will remain open until filled. Applications received by September 23, 2024, will receive priority.
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