Director

Job Title: Senior Attorney - Legal Services; Director of the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives
Job Type/Location: Full-Time; Chicago

Generic ABA position description: Undertake high level substantive legal work. Provide substantive support and expertise, and manage an ABA project(s) or ABA committee/commission. Conducts in-depth legal research, writes, publishes, speaks - providing technical assistance, directs educational activities, and engages in grant development and fund raising. Also is an expert in his/her specific field; often considered a national expert.

More detailed description: This position serves as the Director of the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives. The Resource Center, operating under the auspices and oversight of ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, provides support to state supreme courts, state bar leaders and state civil legal aid leaders, to nurture the creation and expansion of state blue-ribbon commissions on access to civil justice. The position provides support for 38 state blue-ribbon commissions, and their chairs, members and staff. This position is responsible for an annual national meeting of state access to justice commissions, and for providing ongoing counsel and technical assistance to commissions on strategies for expanding access to legal services, including through pro bono, delivery collaborations and others. This position also provides research and analysis on pro bono issues for the Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and assists that Committee’s technical assistance and programmatic development efforts. The position undertakes high level substantive legal work, conducts indepth legal research, writes, publishes, provides technical assistance, directs educational activities, and engages in grant development and fund raising. Candidates should have strong familiarity with systems for delivery of civil legal services to the poor, including relevant law and regulation.

Position duties:
1. Provide information, analysis, advice and materials to members of the bar and legal aid communities, and to the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, in support of the goals and objectives of the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives. In general, support the creation and expansion of a durable infrastructure of state access to justice commissions, and a network connecting such commissions.
2. Gather data from state and national legal services providers, funders and other entities promoting access to justice. Prepare and update blogs, web pages, reports, articles, analyses, and other documents/publications about access to justice initiatives, including a state-by-state report on Access to Justice structures and initiatives. Manage consultants assisting in this work.
3. Identify the most important issues relating to access to civil justice in each state; collaborate with state leaders and others in developing tailored strategic responses. Work with state-level coalitions to develop long-range access to justice plans.
4. Operate a clearinghouse on access to justice initiatives by collecting, cataloging, analyzing and disseminating data and information pertaining to such initiatives. Maintain an on-line library of appropriate materials and information to support access to justice initiatives.
5. Respond to requests for research, information and technical assistance from state bar associations, access to justice commissions, the judiciary, legal aid providers and others involved in efforts to expand access to justice. Collaborate with key national legal aid stakeholders.
6. Develop substantive focus and lead logistical planning for an annual national meeting of state Access to Justice Commissions. Compile and/or create educational materials for this event. Conduct outreach to state leaders to foster attendance.
7. Conduct research on state and national rules and policies affecting judicial participation in promotion of pro bono. Compile and analyze such rules and policies, and prepare descriptive materials for web-based and other distribution. Speak and write on this topic as appropriate.
8. Conduct and/or supervise empirical research on the extent and types of pro bono activities by U.S. lawyers. Compile and analyze results. Provide written and oral presentations as appropriate.
9. Compile and analyze state policies and rules on pro bono service, including requirements that pro bono service be performed, requirements that pro bono service be reported, provision of CLE credit for pro bono service and other policies providing incentives or regulation of pro bono activity.
10. Publish articles as appropriate on access to justice or pro bono.
11. Develop or assist others including state leaders and ABA staff to develop regional meetings and conferences seeking to catalyze new access to justice activity.
12. As assigned, prepare workshop presentations for the ABA Equal Justice Conference or for other national, state or regional gatherings focused on access to justice and pro bono service issues. This includes developing topics, identifying and procuring speakers, developing presentation outlines and preparing session materials.
13. Initiate and maintain regular contact with state leaders involved in access to justice through list serves, conference calls, and individual communication with liaisons and key contacts.
14. Assist in developing tools for use by state and national leaders to effectively communicate the need for civil legal services and for resources to support such services. Such tools may include guides, templates, comparative charts, presentation tools, videos and other products.