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Managing Attorney (Energy Unit)

Description: 

Unique opportunity for a lawyer interested in leading a team that fights for affordable access to clean water, heat and electricity, and promotes public policy that connects climate justice, environmental justice, economic justice and race equity. 

Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is looking for an inspiring lawyer to lead its Energy Unit. This position is an amazing opportunity for someone who is passionate about justice for low-income people and who has broad advocacy and leadership experience or potential.  The Managing Attorney will join a passionate, knowledgeable team with a known track record of success on both the individual and systemic levels. 

We are looking for someone who may come into the position already having experience with utility/energy law; or who may come into the position with the skill to be the leader of a legal team.  Our people always have the opportunity to grow in their position, and this holds true of the person who is hired to be the Managing Attorney of the Energy Unit. 

CLS is a non-profit public interest agency providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area (over 80 lawyers and 180 staff overall), CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities. We provide high quality direct legal representation, engage in systemic policy advocacy with the goal of effectuating broad-based change, and conduct community education and outreach. CLS has multiple legal units working in three offices, covering a wide range of civil legal services. You can see more about our services at https://clsphila.org/services/

The Energy Unit includes nine staff, working in two offices. The Unit advocates zealously so that people have access to affordable water, heat, and electricity in their homes. The Energy Unit uses a cutting-edge, varied toolkit to increase access to affordable utility service for low-income Philadelphians, engaging in client representation, strategic litigation, multi-party administrative litigation, administrative and legislative advocacy at all levels of government, and media outreach and strategic communications. We also serve as Philadelphia’s Public Advocate in some utility issues, protecting the interests of consumers in rate setting and other proceedings. And in a growing area of focus, the Energy Unit works with community groups and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of low-income people are centered in the climate and environmental justice movements.  Our innovative work promotes health, safety, and housing stability in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. 

The Managing Attorney of the Energy Unit will lead the Energy Unit’s advocacy and provision of legal services, overseeing intake, individual case representation, systemic policy work and litigation, communications, and community education and outreach. The Managing Attorney will also provide leadership support, supervision, and mentorship for Energy Unit members. The position requires a high level of visibility and engagement with a variety of stakeholders in the City of Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, utility agencies, advocacy groups, and communities that we serve. 

The Managing Attorney is part of CLS’s Legal Management team and reports to CLS’s Deputy Director of Legal Practice.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:  

Advocacy and Issue Leadership:  

  • Use a wide array of legal tools, including policy and legislative advocacy, community education, and litigation to support multifaceted impact advocacy campaigns and racial justice advocacy.  

  • Engage with legal services leaders, programs, and the overall advocacy community to advance policy advocacy agenda at the local, state, regional, and national levels.  

  • Collaborate with other CLS units around areas of substantive overlap (e.g., Housing, language access, income supports, etc.).  

  • Provide advice and representation to a small caseload of individual clients.  

  • Engage in and co-counsel policy work (administrative and legislative), appellate work, complex and major litigation, and other special projects with Unit members.  

Team Leadership and Management:  

  • Work with the Director of Supervision and Professional Development and with supervisors within the Unit to strengthen supervision skills and to ensure opportunities for professional development for all Unit members.  

  • Directly supervise staff, including hiring, mentoring, completing performance evaluations, and supporting supervisees’ substantive legal work.  

  • Work collaboratively with Unit members and the Deputy Director of Legal Practice to jointly develop, implement, and supervise litigation and/or advocacy strategies to address systemic legal problems.  

Stakeholder and Ally Relationships:

  • Build, strengthen, and maintain relationships with directly impacted community members and stakeholders, agency heads and elected officials.  

  • Work in coalition with other legal, non-profit, and community-based advocacy organizations to collectively advance the Unit’s and CLS’s advocacy objectives.  

  • Oversee and coordinate CLS’s contracts, grants and related relationships that involve the Energy Unit, participate in fundraising, and identify opportunities for resource development and media relations.  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

  • Licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or ability to become licensed.   

  • Experience working with low-income and/or hard-to-reach people from a variety of backgrounds, while demonstrating cultural humility.  

  • Commitment to working with diverse populations, advocating for racial and economic justice, and public interest. 

  • Excellent research, writing, and advocacy skills.  

  • Willingness to learn and use new software, technology, case management systems, etc.  

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (NOTE:  We encourage you to apply even if you do not have all of these qualifications – we are looking for a skilled passionate advocate and leader who has the capacity to grow their skillset over time)  

  • Seven or more years of experience as a practicing attorney  

  • Experience as a supervisor or team manager 

  • Experience with energy/utility law or advocacy.  

  • Experience in a legal services or non-profit environment.  

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:  

This is a full-time exempt position. Salary range is $96,000 to $120,000 depending on skills and experience. The candidate must be local to the region or willing to relocate. A modest moving allowance may be available if the candidate lives more than 50 miles from the CLS Center City Office.  

CLS offers a very generous and competitive benefits package including 100% employer paid medical insurance for employee and family, coverage for gender affirming care, life insurance, short/long-term disability benefits, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution, and generous leave package.  We recognize 13 paid holidays each year, and the leave for this position includes 5 personal days, 12 sick days, and 25 vacation days each year. 

CLS offers a hybrid work environment where staff work both in the office and remotely each week.  We see advantage in the flexibility for staff to work in their most efficient and comfortable environment, and we value the importance of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues in each unit, and connecting with our talented staff across a wide range of expertise.  Hybrid staff are expected to work a minimum of XX days in the office each week; staff are welcome to work in the office additional days if they prefer. 

TO APPLY:  CLS will begin reviewing applications by February 17, 2023. Interested candidates must e-mail a cover letter and resume or CV to MAEnergyHiring@CLSPhila.org.  The Cover letter should include:   

  • Why you are interested in the Managing Attorney of Energy position at CLS Philadelphia.  

  • Additional professional and/or personal experiences, if any, that inform your qualifications for this position and are not otherwise obvious from your resume.  

  • Confirmation that the published salary range meets your requirements.  

CLS values a diverse work environment, and continually strives to build an organization that elevates inclusion and justice both internally and through our work. CLS strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. CLS does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  

Requirements: 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

  • Licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or ability to become licensed.   

  • Experience working with low-income and/or hard-to-reach people from a variety of backgrounds, while demonstrating cultural humility.  

  • Commitment to working with diverse populations, advocating for racial and economic justice, and public interest. 

  • Excellent research, writing, and advocacy skills.  

  • Willingness to learn and use new software, technology, case management systems, etc.  

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (NOTE:  We encourage you to apply even if you do not have all of these qualifications – we are looking for a skilled passionate advocate and leader who has the capacity to grow their skillset over time)  

  • Seven or more years of experience as a practicing attorney  

  • Experience as a supervisor or team manager 

  • Experience with energy/utility law or advocacy.  

  • Experience in a legal services or non-profit environment.  

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:  

To Apply: 

TO APPLY:  CLS will begin reviewing applications by February 17, 2023. Interested candidates must e-mail a cover letter and resume or CV to MAEnergyHiring@CLSPhila.org.  The Cover letter should include:   

  • Why you are interested in the Managing Attorney of Energy position at CLS Philadelphia.  

  • Additional professional and/or personal experiences, if any, that inform your qualifications for this position and are not otherwise obvious from your resume.  

  • Confirmation that the published salary range meets your requirements.  

CLS values a diverse work environment, and continually strives to build an organization that elevates inclusion and justice both internally and through our work. CLS strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. CLS does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Information

Submission Deadline: 
April 20, 2023
Organization Information: 
Community Legal Services
United States