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

Bay Area Legal Aid

Verified Company

Oakland, United States

1 week ago

Posted by:

Mark Lane

beBee recruiter

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 lowincome 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 communitybased organizations, to support the provision of services and address systemic barriers facing lowincome 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 communitybased 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