Deputy Advocacy Director - Tenant Right to Counsel Project

Salary Range: $96,000.00 To $115,000.00 Annually

Maryland Legal Aid advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change. Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has worked hand in hand with communities and individual clients to remedy their most fundamental civil legal issues and dismantle the systemic barriers that threaten stability, security, and access to justice for underserved Marylanders.

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) seeks an experienced attorney with expertise in Maryland and federal housing law to serve as its Deputy Advocacy Director for Tenant Right to Counsel Project (TRCP). The Deputy Advocacy Director will lead the implementation and advocacy concerning Maryland’s groundbreaking statewide Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) law that ensures counsel for low-income Marylanders facing the threat of eviction. Working closely with the Advocacy Director and the Assistant Director for the Human Right to Housing, this position will help lead and support litigation and policy advocacy, provide training and substantive guidance for legal staff in MLA’s 12 offices across the State, ensure compliance, and help craft impactful strategies to significantly benefit low-income Maryland tenants and reduce homelessness.

The Deputy Advocacy Director for Tenant Right to Counsel is part of MLA’s Statewide Advocacy Support (SAS) Unit, made up of Directors of Advocacy who have deep expertise in their areas of practice. Like those Directors, the Deputy Advocacy Director will work in close collaboration with MLA’s local office staff and will provide supervision and support for staff assisting with the Tenant Right to Counsel Project. The Deputy Advocacy Director will also work closely with the Advocacy Director for Community Lawyering and Development, to support community-driven efforts to improve and address systemic housing challenges and support housing opportunities for low-income Marylanders across the State. The Deputy Advocacy Director will have awareness of and experience with multiple advocacy tools, including litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Litigation & Policy Advocacy

• Develop, lead, and ensure high-quality and high-impact litigation and advocacy on behalf of low-income tenants to improve housing stability, affordability, accessibility, and quality.
• Co-counsel on complex, difficult, or novel individual representation cases and appeals.
• Identify systemic issues and lead strategies to address them through affirmative litigation, appeals, or policy or rule reform.
• Create or advise on litigation best practices and template documents to systematize those best practices across the firm and provide consistency in MLA’s approach to TRCP and related housing issues.
• Identify situations for which pro bono counsel may be needed to provide specialized or technical assistance in areas of practice outside of MLA’s expertise and coordinate with appropriate MLA staff to secure such assistance.
• Expand and elevate MLA’s advocacy around eviction prevention and defense by working closely with partners, stakeholders, decisionmakers, bar committees, advocacy coalitions, the public, and the national legal services community.
• Advise the Executive Director, Chief Legal Director, Advocacy Director, and any designees concerning proposed changes in federal or state housing law or policies that may affect MLA clients.
• Work with communities to develop strategies that accomplish their goals and MLA’s strategic goals around housing.

Leadership, Supervision, Training, & Mentoring

• Working closely with the Advocacy Director for Human Rights to Housing, provide direction, consultation, and guidance to increase the effectiveness and impact of Maryland’s statewide tenant right-to-counsel law.
• Coordinate with other legal services organizations, community-based partners, the Judiciary, state and local agencies, public and subsidized housing providers, and others to ensure the success and effectiveness of the ACE program.
• Provide substantive guidance and support to legal staff to ensure they have critical updates in statutory, regulatory, and procedural changes in related housing law and to assist in staff members’ professional growth.
• Mentor staff and respond to difficult litigation questions from around the state that may arise in TRCP cases, including developing future leaders and subject matter experts.
• Recommend and participate in training and task forces that enable MLA staff to provide effective representation to TRCP clients.
• Assist with the strategic use of data and technology to monitor trends and ensure effective advocacy strategies.
• Lead in modeling professional demeanor and ensure that MLA meets its administrative or other programmatic requirements, including timekeeping deadlines and grants and compliance requests.
• Directly supervise staff, including interns and fellows, assigned to the TRCP team in the Statewide Advocacy Support Unit.
• Participate in hiring, as requested by the Executive Team or colleagues.
• Upon request by Executive Team members, advise and participate in committees regarding MLA-wide institutional projects such as strategic planning implementation, fundraising/grant opportunities, and Board meetings.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Chief Legal Director, Deputy Legal and Advocacy Directors, Advocacy Director, or Executive Director.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• JD from an accredited law school.
• Current Bar membership in good standing to practice law in any state, Maryland preferred. If licensed to practice in another state, a commitment to obtain licensure in Maryland within 2 years of hire.
• 7+ years of legal experience, preferably in a legal aid or similar program. Experience must include housing policy advocacy (federal, state, or local) and litigation.
• Deep and current knowledge of federal and Maryland housing law, policies, and regulatory agencies that affect low-income tenants and homeowners.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate, advise, coach, and give constructive feedback to legal staff at all levels.
• Experience supervising staff, including those who are not lawyers.
• Significant experience effectively using current technology and remote communications to lead, supervise, and co-counsel, as needed, with staff located in multiple offices.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• The ability to partner with a team of professionals across offices.
• Willingness to spend significant time in MLA offices across the state as needed and to travel to conferences.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with communities and community-based organizations, including tenant-led organizations.
• Passion and commitment to the mission, vision and values of Maryland Legal Aid.