Description:
The Opportunity:Community Justice Connect, operated by the Center for Justice Innovation, is a network of storefront centers that provide free legal information, assistance, and referrals to people with civil legal problems. The program seeks to solve issues in areas like housing, public benefits, employment, family law, and immigration before they become emergencies that must be litigated in court. Currently, Community Justice Connect operates in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. In addition to community justice workers (non-lawyers) providing direct service assistance, the program trains community volunteers to provide assistance to their neighbors.
The Community Justice Connect program is seeking an Attorney-in-Charge. Reporting to the Director of Civil Access to Justice Initiatives, the Attorney-in-Charge oversees development and execution of the program model, supervision of Program Managers, and implementation of programmatic initiatives. The Attorney-in-Charge is responsible for coordinating high-quality, consistent practices across the program, including supporting program staff with daily operations of the program, and collaborating with a range of civil justice partners, community leaders, social service providers, and city and state government stakeholders. The Attorney-in-Charge ensures that the legal information provided by the team is accurate and up-to-date, and also offers limited instances of brief legal advice for visitors. They must stay abreast of developments in a wide set of civil legal fields and maintain systems for regular training and sharing updates in real time.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Legal Expertise:
- Provide legal expertise to the Community Justice Connect project, offering support and guidance to volunteers and staff;
- Oversee civil legal training for program volunteers and staff, including the development and implementation of accessible, educational resources and programming;
- Act as the primary point of contact for Connect staff and volunteers on legal matters that arise from visitor issues. The candidate must have extensive knowledge of civil areas of law which affect low-income residents, including Housing Law, Government Benefits, Consumer Debt, Immigration, and/or Family Law; and
- Provide brief legal advice to visitors regarding civil areas of law, including but not limited to: eviction proceedings, government benefits termination proceedings, such as fair hearings of Article 78 proceedings, child support and/or custody proceedings, etc.
- Collaborate with Housing Justice Initiatives: Work closely with the broader Housing Justice Initiatives Department to develop and implement housing strategies that align with the broader mission of increasing community-based access to justice;
- Facilitate conversations with program staff to identify, sustain, and explore new funding sources, and to develop and coordinate new initiatives;
- Ensure all program sites are meeting or exceeding program goals;
- Work in collaboration with leadership on strategic planning and implementation of new programming;
- Oversee the day-to-day budget by establishing quarterly and yearly budget goals;
- Develop and maintain relationships with funders, government officials, as well as community stakeholders and program leadership across the Center; and
- Develop and maintain program-wide marketing strategy, including social media, in collaboration with the CJI Communications team.
- Ensure program staff are providing the highest quality of service to program participants across sites;
- Oversee program performance initiatives, including coordination of program research, planning, and reporting activities with DAAR team;
- Assist the Center's Development team in grant management and writing, including monthly and quarterly reporting to funders and opportunities for new initiatives; and
- Develop procedures and protocols to track and meet program deliverables.
- Operations and Personnel Management:
- Directly supervise Program Managers across Connect sites in Jamaica, Brooklyn, and the South Bronx, NY;
- Support Program Managers with operational responsibilities, including direct supervision of Program Associates and volunteers;
- Oversee the quality of program data and materials, refining and improving workflow and case processing when necessary;
- Work with stakeholders to ensure program operations run smoothly; and
- Devise and implement strategies for improving program-wide cohesiveness and interdepartmental communication.
Other Duties:
- Undertake any other duties assigned by the organization's leadership, contributing to the overall success and growth of Community Justice Connect;
- Assist other Center administrative and leadership responsibilities as needed; and
- Other relevant tasks, as necessary.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active membership in the New York State Bar with 5 years of experience in a legal services position with some supervisory experience;
- Expertise in Housing Law and either comprehensive or good working knowledge of Family Law, Consumer Debt, Government Benefits, and Immigration;
- Strong leadership and managerial skills;
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment;
- Demonstrate excellent written, communication, and organizational skills; and
- Commitment to social justice and community empowerment.
Position Location: Required travel across Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens offices.
Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $90,000 - $135,000 and is commensurate with experience.
