Managing Attorney - Oakland, United States - Bay Area Legal Aid

Description

Job Description

Job Description

BayLegal's Economic Justice - SSI/SSDI Alameda Practice: BayLegal's SSI/SSDI advocacy is focused on reducing homelessness and increasing individual self-sufficiency and stability. BayLegal's largest SSI/SSDI practice is in Alameda County. BayLegal receives grant funding from Alameda County's Department of Behavioral Health Care Services and Social Services Agency to represent individuals with physical and mental disabilities to obtain public safety net benefits, with a focus on Social Security disability benefits (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). SSI/SSDI legal advocacy has a proven track record of increasing access to eligible benefits and as a result reducing homelessness, emergency services utilization, and incarceration, and increasing financial independence, healthcare access, and housing stability. The Alameda SSI/SSDI team includes a Managing Attorney; Supervising Attorneys who assist the Managing Attorney in providing day-to-day supervision of legal case work and projects; Staff Attorneys; Advocates; and a Housing Navigator who focuses on working with individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

Position: BayLegal seeks an attorney who has a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy, experience in federal public benefits legal advocacy, demonstrated experience as a supervisor and a vision for, and track record of, representing individuals experiencing homelessness and living with mental and physical disabilities. In this position, the Managing Attorney is primarily responsible for supervising BayLegal's Economic Justice - SSI/SSDI practice team based in Alameda County. The Managing Attorney also supports (and occasionally directly supervises) attorneys and advocates throughout the firm who are handling SSI/SSDI matters. This position is based in BayLegal's Oakland office and may require travel throughout Alameda County, as well as throughout BayLegal's broader service area, as necessary to best serve our clients and supervise and support staff. This position is a member of BayLegal's senior management team, working in collaboration with BayLegal's Directors, Managing Attorneys and Regional Counsel.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Learn about and engage with the diverse legal needs of low-income consumers in the broader Bay Area and contribute to BayLegal's work and mission to reduce homelessness, enhance stability, break systemic cycles of poverty, and address social injustice.
• Lead in operationalizing racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, practices, and goals within the SSI/SSDI team's current and future work.
• Engage in, develop, and grow relationships and collaborations with a range of community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community-based organizations, to support the provision of services and address systemic barriers facing low-income populations in the SF Bay Area.
• Provide supervision, mentorship, evaluation, and professional staff development in the unit and in SSI matters taken by other BayLegal employees, ensuring overall effectiveness and quality client services, strategic policy advocacy, and litigation, including:
• Conducting regular case strategy meetings, reviewing active and closed cases for quality services and skills development;
• Leading and supporting team members and broader BayLegal staff in identifying important and emerging issues facing the client community;
• Conducting staff evaluations and engaging in staff professional development;
• Tracking relevant practice developments and outcomes, and informing staff; and
• Managing personnel issues in the unit.
• Serve BayLegal clients by co‐counseling on affirmative/impact litigation, representing individuals and assisting with community-based clinics on a limited basis;
• In coordination with staff, the Director of Litigation, Director of Program & Advocacy, and Regional Counsel, identify opportunities for systemic advocacy and oversee team advocacy efforts.
• In collaboration with BayLegal's Human Resources Department and Executive Director, participate in staff recruitment, hiring, and discipline.
• Engage the team in annual planning, periodic reviews of priorities, and responses to emerging issues in the client community.
• Conduct and coordinate staff trainings on topics related to SSI/SSDI practice.
• Manage client services projects and grants, including developing scope of work and project design, and overseeing budget and staffing, timely and effective implementation, and reporting and compliance with funder requirements.
• Work with BayLegal's development, grants and contracts, and communications teams, and with funders, to promote the work, BayLegal's mission, and resource development.
• Serve on Management Team, engage in the development and furtherance of organizational policies and procedures to improve systems and performance.
• Work with BayLegal's Pro Bono Director on developing and maintaining external pro bono relationships, including development of opportunities, trainings, and technical assistance for local initiatives.
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission and operations as a non-profit.

Requirements/Qualifications/About the Successful Candidate:

• Humility in collaborating with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency.
• Membership in the California State Bar or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program (must pass CA bar at a later date).
• Seven or more years of practice as a licensed attorney, including experience representing individuals in matters related to federal (SSI) and California state public benefits advocacy.
• Three or more years of supervision or equivalent experience.
• Willing to be on-site at BayLegal office at least three days per week and as needed to support needs of staff and office.
• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues facing individuals who are low-income, unhoused, impacted by the criminal legal system or other public systems and institutions, and/or violence.
• Experience developing and leading projects, including defining scope of work, overseeing compliance, progress and tracking, meeting deadlines, evaluation, and reporting.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and skills to lead a team in prioritizing these values.
• Experience with inter-agency collaboration and a demonstrated history of working well with public, nonprofit, and private partners, including non-legal community-based organizations and service providers.
• Experience leading a diverse, dynamic team with varied communication styles, learning styles, and levels of professional experience and identifying professional development opportunities and collaborating with staff on setting and achieving goals for professional growth.
• Demonstrated commitment to complying with all California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices.
• Current proficiency, and ability to improve proficiency, in technological equipment, hardware and software necessary to perform duties of the position.
• Experience recognizing, addressing, and resolving interpersonal conflicts.
• Knowledge of issues impacting social justice advocates such as secondary trauma and burnout.
• Sense of humor, curious and self-directed

HYBRID WORK OPTION: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities and reducing barriers for them to access our services is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm. BayLegal employees are expected to work on-site and in-person at a BayLegal office or community-based advocacy site at least three (3) days per week and may work remotely from home on a part-time basis. Employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location, and to other service delivery locations as needed, during the standard work week.

Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package. The actual salary will be determined based on the candidate's years of related experience; estimated annual salary range is $120,000 – $160,000. BayLegal's benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents; BayLegal student debt reimbursement program; long term disability insurance; employee assistance program; dependent childcare employer contribution program; employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; and 401k retirement plan with BayLegal contribution following the first year. BayLegal has a generous paid leave policy which includes sick leave; parental leave; 15 holidays each year; 3 floating holidays each year (days chosen by employee); and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment).

Applications: BayLegal thrives on our diversity, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, veterans, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegal's Human Resources Manager at:

BayLegal will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Please submit (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample through BayLegal's career application portal.

As part of your cover letter,pleaseaddress the following:
BayLegal's clients are low-income and very low-income members of our communities. They include LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, the working poor, seniors, people who are limited English proficient, veterans, persons with disabilities, survivors of abuse and exploitation, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and persons from other underrepresented groups. To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively across cultures, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

How do you think your experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to serve our diverse client base effectively, work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds than your own, and to contribute to our commitment to humility, inclusion, and diversity? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.

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