Managing Attorney

Pisgah Legal Services

Managing Attorney

Mountain Violence Prevention Project

Pisgah Legal Services seeks a managing attorney to direct its robust domestic violence prevention team of eight attorneys and six legal assistants. This civil legal aid program provides free legal assistance to help vulnerable people meet basic needs, avoid physical abuse, and improve their lives.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Pisgah Legal Services’ primary service area includes WNC counties. The organization has offices in Asheville, Hendersonville, Rutherfordton, Brevard, and Marshall.  With a dedicated staff of nearly sixty, including attorneys and support staff, and an active pro bono panel of 300 private attorneys, the program serves more than 15,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, and consumer law. Pisgah Legal Services is a community-based non-profit governed by a local Board of Directors. It does not receive funding from the Legal Services Corporation.

Scope of the position 

Under direct supervision of the PLS Executive Director, the PLS Managing Attorneys are responsible for extensive responsibilities in each of the following categories:

• Operational and program management, including structural oversight
• Legal advocacy and implementation of PLS mission and priorities
• Fiscal responsibility and budget management
• Program development
• Data reports  and program evaluation
• Agency legal practice and liability risk-management
• Professional development and staff training
• Community engagement
• Strategic planning
• Other duties as needed

Responsibilities 

• Oversee the DV Mountain Violence Prevention Project (MVPP) program  and other programs as funding and resources require
• Handle cases (within reason)
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with partner agencies
• Manage program implementation and data reporting appropriate to the Managing Attorney’s teams and programs
• Supervise team leaders and non-team leader staff members according to supervision chart
• Implement training for staff
• Participate in management meetings and strategic planning
• Represent PLS at community meetings and on boards related to policy areas, poverty law practice and funding goals
• Work closely with Fundraising team to ensure the community is educated about the work of PLS
• Organize, oversee and provide impact advocacy on broad-reaching poverty law issues
• Work with in-house volunteers—attorneys and non-attorneys-- to maximize support and advocacy efforts
• Ensure case handling supervision and support on a regular basis to advocates
• Strategize program development that aligns and supports the PLS mission.
• Review, analyze and submit program budgets
• Write and submit grant/funding reports
• Research and develop new grant and funding opportunities
• Monitor data for compliance with funding requirements for each team
• Conduct program evaluation
• Monitor, in collaboration with Program Directors, advocate case workloads to ensure the appropriate level of cases commensurate with advocate experience and supervision
• Address internal and external conflicts of interest and resolve
• Analyze programmatic and employee risk-management issues and respond appropriately
• Ensure PLS compliance with all federal and statute regulatory bodies
• Adhere to and make certain that supervisees adhere to PLS personnel manual, case acceptance standards and supervision guidelines.
• Oversee the day-to-day legal operations of PLS
•  Respond to client and community complaints and grievances