Managing Attorney

SUMMARY

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP) seeks an attorney to manage its Doylestown Office in Bucks County. LASP serves low-income individuals and families in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.  The Doylestown Managing Attorney position involves supervising, training and motivating staff in two Doylestown Offices to provide the highest quality legal services in accordance with LASP program guidelines, the ABA Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Services, and the Pennsylvania Code of Professional Responsibility.  The Managing Attorney will also carry a caseload commensurate with his or her expertise and managerial responsibilities.  The caseload will focus on representing parents/guardians in dependency cases, but will also require knowledge of family law issues facing clients, such as custody, domestic violence and divorce, and general knowledge of other poverty law issues, including public benefits, consumer law and bankruptcy, employment, expungements, housing, and other areas.  The position is full-time. Proof of COVID vaccination is required. Applicants may apply for a medical or religious exemption.

MANAGERIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Supervise legal services to low-income clients and client groups, including the provision of advice, brief service, negotiation, litigation and administrative advocacy;

2. Through training, supervision, and feedback, ensure that staff have accurate and timely information about the legal issues within the office’s scope of responsibility.

3. Evaluate staff and develop individual work plans on an annual basis which focus on reviews of substantive work, assessments of caseloads, productivity, community involvement, and identification of training needs; 

4. Conduct regular case review meetings to assign cases consistent with LASP policies, to share updates on case statuses, address concerns from staff, and share information on program-wide issues;

5. Maximize the use of LASP’s limited resources to the fullest extent in service to clients;

6. Attend LASP management meetings and provide updates on local office casework, events, activities and accomplishments;

7. Ensure services are provided in compliance with Legal Services Corporation (“LSC”), Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (“PLAN”) and Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (“IOLTA”) requirements as well as requirements of other grants and contracts with which the Doylestown Office may be involved, and work with LASP’s grants and compliance teams to accomplish this objective;
    
8. Coordinate local community education events with LASP management colleagues and supervise the preparation of materials for these presentations;

9. Foster a cohesive, coordinated and robust program-wide advocacy effort by consulting with program advocates outside of Doylestown on cases and issues in areas not within the manager’s expertise, through participation in LASP program-wide affinity groups and task forces, and by providing opportunities for advocates to participate in those program-wide activities;

10. Act as LASP liaison with the local community, including the Bucks County Bar and Judiciary, and work with LASP management and stakeholders to set priorities;

11. With the LASP Bucks County pro bono coordinator, assist in efforts to recruit and enhance pro bono representation of clients;

12. Address client grievances consistent with LASP policies;

13. Assist the Executive and Deputy Directors with recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating and retaining qualified staff and work with LASP’s Human Resources Manager to ensure that new employees receive appropriate orientation and comply with LASP personnel policies and procedures;

14. Support LASP’s Finance and Human Resources staff in ensuring compliance with LASP’s fiscal and personnel policies and procedures, support LASP’s IT staff in ensuring that all staff technology needs are met and suggest technology innovations to enhance the delivery of services;

15. Assist the Development Director and other senior management staff in seeking and applying for grants and contracts to support LASP’s work.

CASEHANDLING AND DIRECT SERVICES DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Interview clients, assist in determining eligibility for services, and ascertain and investigate facts;

2. Conduct legal research and interpret statutes, case law, regulations, and other sources of law;

3. Provide advice and counsel to clients;

4. Prepare legal documents, including but not limited to: briefs, pleadings, motions, notices, correspondence, memoranda, discovery and documents responsive to discovery requests;

5. Develop strategy and arguments for presentation of cases and assist in preparation of witnesses for hearings and trials;

6. Represent clients at hearings in trial and appellate courts, and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies;

7. Review decisions and consult with management team to determine the merit of potential appeals;

8. Participate in external professional and community organizations relevant to casework;

9. Conduct clinics, community education, and workshops;

10. Become engaged in LASP team efforts to achieve office and program goals, including participation in program-wide affinity groups and task forces;

11. Develop knowledge of community referral resources and assess community and client needs;

12. Enhance skills and substantive knowledge through training, CLE, and other educational opportunities;

13. Abide by all applicable professional standards of ethics and practice;

14. Complete required administrative tasks including entering of notes and timekeeping in LASP case management software, and maintain physical files;

15. Ensure that requirements of grants and contracts which may provide funding for the position are met, and assist with grant reports;

16. Perform other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned.

SUPERVISING: Staff Attorneys, paralegal, support staff, and other employees and volunteers in the local offices.

SUPERVISOR:  Deputy Director for Advocacy or Deputy Director for Operations

LASP is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate in the recruitment, selection, or advancement of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information or on any other basis prohibited by law.

NOTE:  For other opportunities with Legal Aid of Southeastern PA, please visit lasp.org/careers.