Supervising Attorney – Youth Justice

BayLegal’s Youth Justice Team (YJT) includes attorneys and a social worker who advance the rights of youth throughout the San Francisco Bay Area by providing civil legal services to young people experiencing homelessness, youth who are involved with the foster care or juvenile justice systems, trafficked youth, youth experiencing homelessness, youth in the school-to-prison pipeline, and young people with disabilities. The attorneys represent youth in a diverse range of legal issues, including foster care entry, public benefits, guardianships, education advocacy, immigration relief, domestic violence, and other civil legal practice areas. We believe that all young people should be treated with respect and have the resources they need to meet their goals. To that end, in partnership with the young people we serve we engage in civil legal representation, social work, community collaborations, and systemic advocacy.

Position: BayLegal seeks an experienced attorney with a strong commitment to public interest and social justice to be the Supervising Attorney of our Youth Justice Team. The Supervising Attorney is responsible for supervising the legal work of the YJT staff to ensure high quality legal services for youth in a wide range of civil legal areas in which the team practices. As a member of BayLegal's management team, you will report to the YJT Managing Attorney and work in collaboration with other supervising attorneys and staff throughout the firm. The Supervising Attorney works with the Managing Attorney to further develop and implement the vision and direction of BayLegal’s Youth Justice work. The position will be based in one of BayLegal’s regional offices, including working out of our Oakland office and travel throughout the Bay Area as necessary to best supervise the team’s work and engage in advocacy for youth.

As a Supervising Attorney you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn about and engage with the diverse legal needs of low-income communities in the broader Bay Area and the unique legal needs and issues youth encounter and contribute to BayLegal’s work and mission to reduce homelessness, enhance stability, break systemic cycles of poverty, and address social injustice.
• Assist the Managing Attorney in providing day-to-day legal supervision and support to attorneys, including:
  • reviewing writings and pleadings, observing intakes and hearings, and co-counseling cases as needed to assure high-quality advocacy;
  • regular/weekly unit review of new and ongoing cases, intake trends, case strategy, and advocacy opportunities;
  • review of open and closed cases of unit advocacy staff as to quality, quantity, priorities, and compliance with BayLegal policies and requirements imposed by the Legal Services Corporation and other funders; and
  • guiding staff in developing and executing appropriate advocacy strategies, whether through direct client representation, community outreach and education, policy advocacy and/or impact litigation.
• Carry a client caseload and/or perform direct client services commensurate with supervisorial responsibilities.
• Assist Managing Attorney in the professional development of unit staff members by:
  • helping construct individual professional development and training plans; mentoring staff and encouraging particular experiences or trainings geared to improving their advocacy skills; and
  • evaluating individual staff performance and providing regular constructive feedback.
• Work with the Managing Attorney and BayLegal’s Human Resources department to conduct evaluations and address performance related matters.
• Develop, support, and engage in collaborations with community partners to address systemic barriers facing BayLegal's client community.
• With the Managing Attorney, engage the team in annual planning, periodic reviews of priorities, and responses to emerging issues in the client community.
• Work with BayLegal's development, grants and contracts, and communications teams to promote BayLegal's mission, resource development and compliance with funding requirements.
• 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 working 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.
• Commitment and skills to lead a diverse, dynamic team with varied communication styles, learning styles, and levels of experience, identifying and resolving inter-personal conflicts, identifying and professional development opportunities and working collaboratively with a dynamic team on setting and achieving goals for professional growth and recognizing, addressing, and resolving interpersonal conflicts.
• Membership in good standing in the California State Bar.
• At least five years as a licensed attorney practicing in civil legal matters, including providing direct legal services, civil litigation, and courtroom representation, working with youth, and practicing in at least one of Youth Justice Team’s primary substantive practice areas.
• Willing to be on-site at a BayLegal office or advocacy site as needed to support needs of staff and office, currently at least three days per week.
• At least one year of supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to practices addressing secondary trauma, burnout, and sustainability.
• Ability to develop and implement effective training and mentorship programs for new staff.
• Experience developing and/or leading projects or advocacy efforts.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and skills to lead a team in prioritizing these values.
• 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 and skills in and setting standards for organizing time, managing diverse activities, and ensuring compliance with deadlines.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof‐reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
• Experience and skill implementing effective onboarding, training, and mentorship programs for new staff.
• Ability to take decisive action and ensure accountability.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the Bay Area as necessary to best serve clients, supervise the work and engage in broader advocacy.
• Sense of humor and proactive problem-solver.

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 estimated starting annual salary range is $100,000 - $120,000 (placement in range determined primarily by years of related experience). 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: (510) 250-5225. 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, please address 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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