Contact Us

MIE
PO Box 27010, 7782 Crittenden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19118
(267) 277-3404 (phone)

Email Us

Legal Director

Description: 

Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities

Job Description

 

POSITION:                                Legal Director

REPORTS TO:                        Executive Director

DATE:                                       April 27th, 2020

SALARY RANGE:  $85,000-$95,000, based on litigation and/or supervisory experience

AGENCY DESCRIPTION: Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities (P&A) advances the civil rights of people with disabilities by focusing on systemic barriers using a wide array of legal advocacy strategies, which includes individual and systemic litigation.  We maximize our impact and resources by concentrating on changing systems, laws and policies to bring about significant and lasting improvement for a large number of people with disabilities.  This includes class action litigation, which has targeted mental health services for inmates, incarceration of youth with serious mental illness and developmental disabilities, and institutionalization of people with mental illness. Currently, P&A focuses its work in the areas of mental health, community integration, education, employment, and public accommodations. P&A is the designated protection and advocacy system for the state of South Carolina, federally mandated to advance the civil, legal and human rights of people with disabilities. 

POSITION PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The Legal Director will serve on the leadership team and report to the Executive Director.  The Legal Director will oversee, coordinate and monitor P&A’s legal advocacy work, including individual and systemic litigation, based on approved goals and priorities.  The Legal Director will be responsible for litigation development, systemic advocacy, and management of legal staff.

Litigation Development:

  • Develop, manage and supervise P&A’s individual and systemic litigation:
    • Identify litigation opportunities across the state.
    • Ensure ongoing development of litigation on disability rights issues.
    • Oversee all aspects of P&A’s litigation activities, including investigation, research, discovery, motion practice, trial work, and appellate practice.
    • Review pleadings, briefs, letters, and presentations.
  • Develop and expand collaborations with partner organizations and private firms in South Carolina and across the country on litigation and other systems-change efforts.
  • Assist the Executive Director in developing and implementing P&A’s priorities, including the development of litigation strategies.
  • In accordance with P&A’s goals, priorities and in consultation with leadership team, determine cases to be opened and assigned to P&A attorneys.

 

Systemic Advocacy

  • Coordinate legal advocacy efforts with P&A’s public policy team.
  • Participate on local, state and national Boards, committees, councils to address program issues.
  • Cultivate collaborative working relationships with other agencies and organizations in the disability and civil rights field.
  • Participate in programs that address systemic issues, and fall under P&A’s program areas of work.
  • Work collaboratively with the public policy team, outreach team, and other P&A staff as needed to develop content for reports, traditional media, social media and other communication efforts.

 

Leadership and Supervision:

  • Support and supervise a team of attorneys and legal work.
  • Ensure high quality representation by attorneys through regular case review, advocacy skills training, and other quality assurance mechanisms.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of organization policies and procedures related to litigation, representation and related matters.
  • Regularly report on P&A’s casework to Executive Director and Board of Directors.
  • Provide orientation, training, supervision, and evaluation of attorneys as assigned.
  • Lead regular meetings of P&A’s legal staff to discuss issues for people with disabilities and develop creative legal strategies.

Continuing Education

  • Stay current with relevant changes in state and federal law.
  • Maintain continuing legal education requirements required by the South Carolina Bar, and attends trainings to maintain and improve or refine advocacy skills and substantive knowledge.

 

 

 

Requirements: 

Required Qualifications:

  • Commitment to enforcing and expanding the rights of people with disabilities across South Carolina through individual and systemic litigation.
  • Strong analytical and strategic skills and experience developing litigation strategies to advance the law and address systemic problems.
  • Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
  • South Carolina Bar license or eligibility to sit for the next exam.
  • A minimum of 7 years practicing law with at least 5 years litigation experience, including experience in complex civil litigation.
  • Exceptional skills in drafting complex briefs, pleadings and motions, conducting depositions, and trial work.
  • Ability to handle routine and complex litigation in state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Passion about litigation and the use of litigation to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
  • Experience with class action, major impact, or other systemic litigation.
  • Experience in disability law, including, but not limited to Medicaid, special education, the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or other federal or state laws affecting people with disabilities.
  • Three years’ experience in providing direct supervision of attorneys engaged in litigation practice.
To Apply: 

Send a cover letter expressing your interest in and qualifications for the position, a resume, salary requirements, a description of significant state and federal cases litigated, including your role in them; and a writing sample/brief (not to exceed 30 pages) by e-mail to: Lorie Boddie, Finance and Human Resource Manager at boddie@pandasc.org.

P&A offers a generous benefits program, including: medical coverage, with optional medical coverage for family, dental, and vision coverage, basic life and short-term disability insurance, with optional additional life, optional long-term disability insurance, flexible spending account, retirement benefits with 5% employer contribution, and work/life balance, that includes a flexible schedule and remote work option. 

P&A also pays for professional liability insurance, annual SC Bar dues, and professional development opportunities.

EOE. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

 

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.pandasc.org.

 

Information

Submission Deadline: 
July 28, 2020
Organization Information: 
Protection & Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc.
3710 Landmark Drive, Ste 208
Columbia, SC 29204
United States
Phone: 803-217-6711