Public Benefits Supervising Attorney

POSITION: Public Benefits Supervising Attorney Position
SUPERVISOR: Directing Attorney
WAGE RANGE: Depending on experience
JOB CLASSIFICATION: Exempt Employee
LOCATION: CLA SoCal Office(s)
Application Deadline: Continuous until position is filled
 
Job Overview
Community Legal Aid SoCal (CLA SoCal) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1958 for the purpose of providing free civil legal services to low income individuals and seniors. It has two offices in Orange County and two offices in Southeast Los Angeles County, and strives to meet the needs of its service community. CLA SoCal seeks an experienced, energetic, motivated, personable and effective leader to supervise the Immigration Unit (visit www.communitylegalsocal.org for more information about us). This is a new position at CLA SoCal and we seek an individual who wants to take the opportunity to advance our community-driven work in public benefits rights and create a dynamic team environment for zealous advocacy.
 
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
● Active Bar membership in any U.S. jurisdiction;
● Minimum five years of legal experience;
● Experience in representing clients in public benefit cases before Federal and local agencies, including the CA Office of Administrative Hearings;
● Experience engaging in systemic advocacy on behalf of our client community;
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
 
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Legal Work Experience
● Knowledge of public benefits law that affects low-income clients;
● Litigation experience in State, Federal and/or Immigration Court, preferably in public benefits law and immigration proceedings;
● Experience defending families and individuals who have been denied, terminated from, or had reduced essential safety net benefits such as Food Stamps (or SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Section 8, CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief or General Assistance (GR/GA);
● Experience defending non-citizens gaining access to Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI);
● Proficiency in dealing with people empathetically and effectively, while providing excellent legal services;
● Prior commitment to serving low income individuals;
● Familiarity with Immigration and Family Law preferred;
● Bilingual preferred, Bilingual in Spanish/Vietnamese is a plus.
 
Management experience
● Experience managing, teaching and mentoring staff within a unit;
● Familiarity with Legal Services Corporation (LSC) rules and regulations;
● Demonstrate an ability to create and maintain community partnerships;
● Ability to build infrastructure for staff to effectively produce high-level legal services; and,
● Manage multiple grants and deliverables within the unit.
 
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
● Expectation of supervising and working in Orange County and our Southeast offices but flexibility to
office in either location;
● Provide direct legal services to low-income individuals who have been denied, terminated from, or had reduced essential safety net benefits;
● Lead case review sessions and work collaboratively with staff to develop case strategies, best practices, unit protocols, and grant billing;
● Provide guidance to staff on case work and staff development, including provide consistent feedback;
● Identify significant legal needs and issues for low-income clients in need of public benefit assistance and develop plans, including litigation and advocacy, to address those needs;
● Outreach to low-income communities where individuals are comfortable seeking assistance;
● Conduct trainings and outreach to community-based organizations and community groups;
● Develop and coordinate legal clinics with volunteers and other community collaboratives;
● Coordinate with other assistance organizations in the area by providing referrals and implementing partner meetings to assure appropriate and efficient coverage of services;
● Flexibility to work evenings and weekends to attend community events, outreach and engagement, hold and assist with legal clinics.
● Ensure grant deliverables are met under various funding grants and to prepare all necessary narratives and reports for grant funding; and
● In conjunction with the Directing Attorney and Director of Pro Bono, recruit, train, and supervise volunteer attorneys and law students.
We offer an outstanding benefit package which includes medical/dental, 401k with employer contribution; life insurance; and long-term disability policies. Paid holidays | vacation | sick leave