Supervising Attorney, Children & Youth (Dependency)

Who We Are

The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (“Law Foundation”) is dedicated to advancing the rights of historically excluded individuals and families throughout Santa Clara County. Through our legal services, strategic advocacy, and educational outreach, we empower over 10,000 individuals and families each year. Our Housing, Children & Youth, Health and Pro Bono Programs use legal advocacy as a catalyst for social change, creating innovative solutions to the legal challenges facing low-income communities in our region. With a dedicated team of over 85 employees, we are the largest provider of free legal services in the South Bay region of the Bay Area. Learn more at https://www.lawfoundation.org/ .

The Opportunity

We are excited to offer an opportunity for a Supervising Attorney to join our Children & Youth program at Law Foundation. The Children and Youth Program provides free and confidential legal assistance to children and youth in juvenile dependency, family law, probate guardianship, immigration, education matters, and numerous other practice areas; advocacy to improve court and community systems designed to protect and promote child welfare; and workshops to educate youth, parents, caregivers and members of the community about issues impacting child welfare and legal rights.

The Supervising Attorney is a full-time position reporting to Children & Youth’s Directing Attorney. The role of the Supervising Attorney is to work closely with the Directing Attorney and other members of the Children & Youth management team to oversee the work of staff, maintain and grow funding resources, and manage the administrative aspects of the program.

This position will also require participation in Children & Youth’s regular team meetings, staff meetings, and program development activities including assisting the Children & Youth Directing Attorney and other supervisors.

What You’ll Do

As a Supervising Attorney you will:

• Supervise a team of Staff Attorneys and Legal Secretaries and related casework
• Directly represent a small number of clients, as necessary and appropriate
• Provide case and courtroom coverage, as dictated by staffing resources
• Provide program development, oversight, and administration
• Hire, train, and develop of Children & Youth staff
• Represent the Children & Youth program on external system improvement committees
• Participate in Law Foundation meetings, events and assigned activities
• Provide leadership on external policy initiatives
• Track policy and legal developments in the area of children’s rights
• Provide internal and external trainings on Dependency law and policy updates
• Oversee and participate in education and outreach to community regarding legal issues confronted by children and youth
• Engage in public relations with government contractors and the community
• Oversee and manage contracts
• Participate in fundraising activities including events and grant development
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure a seamless and people-centered approach to service delivery

Job Requirements

• Five years of experience in public interest law or advocacy services, including time as a juvenile dependency practitioner
• Supervision experience preferred
• Experience in project management
• Skilled meeting facilitator
• Fund development experience, including grant and report writing
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to work with underrepresented communities, such as clients of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and who speak other languages
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Access to reliable transportation
• Committed to racial equity, inclusion and belonging and able recognize the ways that race, and other identities intersect in the work, especially for communities we serve
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, or capacity to pick up new computer skills
• Physical ability: Ability to attend courthouse proceedings in-person
• Applicants must be current members in good standing with the California State Bar.

Workplace Expectations

Law Foundation is a hybrid workplace. Please note that the Supervising Attorney may be expected to work in our San Jose office a minimum of 2 days/week.

Employees must be California State residents. Due to logistical challenges regarding taxes, insurance, and time zones, we are not able to consider staff in other states at this time.

Working At Law Foundation

Law Foundation is a unionized workplace, and members of the bargaining unit are represented by SEIU Local 521. This position is part of the bargaining unit.

Additionally, Law Foundation is strongly committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff, volunteers, clients, and partners. To achieve this goal, the Law Foundation actively works to improve communications, community engagement, systems and structures, and office culture to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. Law Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process

Application materials must include:

• A cover letter that addresses the following: How has your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to social justice, race equity and diversity among our staff?
• A resume
• Contact information for three professional references. We will always ask for your consent and inform you before contacting any of your references.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority review will be given to applications received by April 1, 2025. Please note that our interview process includes interviewing by phone, video, and/or in-person.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that values people, trust, accountability, creativity, joy, and fun, we would love to hear from you!

We are committed to supporting the well-being, growth, and professional development of our team members. To that end, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefit package, which includes:

• 19 paid holidays per year
• 3-5 weeks of vacation per year
• 12 days of sick leave per year
• Up to 6 months of parental leave
• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums
• Free/discounted mental health therapy and wellness services for employees and their dependents through our Employee Assistance Program
• A 401(k)-retirement plan with employer contributions
• A sabbatical after 5 years of employment
• An additional monthly stipend for those who are bilingual and utilize their language abilities in the course of their job
• An annual budget for professional development
• Employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees
• The flexibility to work a hybrid schedule
• An office building that offers a fully equipped gym, outdoor terrace, convenient on-site parking, bike storage, lounge areas, and 24/7 security