Supervisory Attorney (Children and Families)
For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice by dismantling the legal barriers that perpetuate inequality. Legal Aid Chicago staff live our mission through our core values of equity, excellence, inclusion, kindness, and respect.
The Children & Families Practice Group advocates for students whose right to an education is threatened, represents survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in protective order or domestic relations cases, and defends parents against unwarranted intrusions by the State into their right to parent.
Position: Legal Aid Chicago has an opening for a Supervisory Attorney in the Children & Families Practice Group.
Responsibilities:
- Maintain an individual caseload involving protective orders, allocation of parental responsibilities, divorce, education law, and child welfare cases.
- Supervise attorneys who handle a full caseload in the above areas of law, including editing their written work, providing guidance on case strategy, co-counseling complex cases, conducting regular case reviews, providing training in substantive areas of law as well as litigation skills, and completing performance evaluations.
- Manage grant reports and grant compliance, as needed.
- Maintain accurate time records and ensure supervised staff do as well.
- Maintain knowledge in other areas of law handled by Legal Aid Chicago such as housing, immigration, public benefits, and consumer law, to ensure that clients’ legal needs are identified and met in those areas.
- Participate in complex litigation or advocacy to address systemic issues.
- Work collaboratively with Legal Aid Chicago supervisors, staff, students and volunteers to provide comprehensive legal services
- Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups, developing new strategies for serving our clients, or address systemic issues through litigation, negotiation or advocacy.
- Participate in training to agencies, advocates, clients, or community groups about legal services and rights impacting low income persons.
- Participate in other activities related to poverty law including publication, permissible legislative and administrative advocacy, media relations, and fundraising.
Salary: Commensurate with experience. Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including low-cost employer-paid health plan options, employer-provided group life and long-term disability insurance, fitness center access, generous paid time off, and much more.
Applicants must be licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois or be licensed in another state and able to waive into the Illinois bar. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of demonstrated experience in litigation, as well as a demonstrated interest or experience working with gender-based violence, child welfare, or education law. Applicants must have excellent oral and written skills. Spanish fluency strongly preferred. The applicant’s personal background, experience, or professional background should reflect an ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations with clients, co-workers and the community we serve.
Click here to apply. Cover letter, resume, professional writing sample, and the contact information of two professional references are required to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. No phone or agency calls, please.
Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, or ex-offender status. Applicants who have experiences with our client communities are encouraged to apply.