Project Director - CLI

PROJECT DIRECTOR STATEWIDE ADVOCACY SUPPORT UNIT
Community Lawyering Initiative (CLI) Maryland Legal Aid announces a full-time Project Director position available to qualified applicants for the Community Lawyering Initiative (CLI). This ground breaking initiative focuses on providing civil legal services to eligible clients in the neighborhoods in which they live. Services are provided through legal clinics at local library branches, job placement centers, places of worship, and other community institutions. Emphasis will be placed on partnering with established local entities throughout the state to mobilize community resources and holistically address client needs. In addition to providing legal information, brief advice and counsel in areas of substantive law within Maryland Legal Aid’s priorities, i.e. housing, consumer, public benefits, and family law, the Project Director will provide representation for criminal record expungements, make appro-priate referrals for extended representation in other areas of law, and deliver community educa-tion presentations. The Project Director will supervise CLI staff members, including staff attorneys and paralegals, and will report to the Director of Advocacy for Training and Pro Bono. The Project Director will be expected to build relationships with grassroots community groups in the communities served to identify needs; where warranted, provide group representation; and raise Maryland Legal Aid’s visibility in the communities served. The Project Director will also be involved in the recruitment and training of pro bono attorneys and other volunteers to assist with the delivery of legal services. Additionally, the Project Director will have grant writing responsibilities to continue current project funding, and develop future funding opportunities to grow the CLI. The Project Director will be responsible for supervision of all case representation within the CLI, including case reviews, case closures, and preparation of cases for audits. The Project Director should have the ability to think creatively, interact with community partners frequently, and foster successful relationships between statewide partners and local Maryland Legal Aid offices.