Closing Date: 2nd May, 2025
Description:
Job Description:The Juvenile Rights Practice seeks an Assistant Attorney-in-Charge (AAIC), with a deep commitment to children's rights and youth justice to join a dedicated team of managers, staff attorneys, social workers, paralegal client advocates and investigators to fill vacancies in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the Queens trial offices. Applicants must have a demonstrated litigation experience addressing fundamental issues of child welfare and youth justice within an interdisciplinary model of representation and strong commitment to creative approaches to management and professional development.
Together with the Borough Attorney-in-Charge and the trial office management team, the AAIC will be responsible for staff development, supervision, and support of all staff members. The AAIC will be involved in all aspects of day-to-day trial office operations and work closely with a multidisciplinary leadership team. The AAIC will also participate in Practice-wide and Society-wide management discussions and decision-making, as well as maintain relationships with external stakeholders and advocates in the legal, court and service communities.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
General Responsibilities:
- Together with the Borough's Attorney-in-Charge, provide legal and managerial leadership to the Juvenile Rights Trial Office of the assigned location
- Monitor and maintain high standard of representation and client service
- Respond to client, community and staff concerns
- Evaluate office needs and identify necessary resources to address the needs
- Analyze legal issues, develop legal strategy, and supervise its implementation
- Foster and encourage teamwork and communication
- Ensure staff accountability and data management
- Coach, develop, and evaluate staff
- Train, develop skills and knowledge of staff members
- Evaluate conflicting demands and prioritize workload
- Represent JRP and Legal Aid in the community
Team Development and Supervision
- Schedule employee hours, assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
- Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
- Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
- Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback as well as coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed
- Identify and provide training and development opportunities and ensure mandatory trainings are completed
- Identify, delegate, and document work responsibilities, roles, and procedures to meet the mission of the department
- Identify and implement department/unit management and accountability practices to improve performance
- Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Human Resources
- Lead organizational and culture change for the unit
Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned
- Participate in continuous professional development
- Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum of five years legal practice in child welfare and/or juvenile delinquency practice
- Admission to the bar of the state of New York
- Substantial litigation experience in complex matters required
Preferred Qualifications:
Supervisory and management experience preferred, but not required
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrated Leadership ability
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills
- Ability to work in and value a collaborative team model
- Highly proficient data and client management ability
- Pro Bono, government, public service and academic experience relevant
- Commitment to exploring alternative structures for legal practice
Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
- Ability to manage the work including: assessment of work process and outcomes, gathering relevant information about the work, recommending alternatives, or elevate issues as needed
- Ability to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, delegate tasks and hold people accountable
- Ability to create and implement effective communication plans
- Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues
- Pursue continuous learning on forms of systemic oppression of marginalized identities and establish team norms and management practices using an equity mindset and informed by inclusive practices
Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Commitment to Legal Aid Society's mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
- Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
- Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
- Commitment to Legal Aid Society's mission and values
Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:
- Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
- Requires occasional or frequent physical movement to perform essential job functions which may include, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for long periods of time, accessing small spaces
- May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region
