Description:
Job Functions, Essential Duties, and Responsibilities:Supervision:
- Supervise and mentor legal staff with regard to legal casework, advocacy and outreach
- Provide for overall professional development of the legal team
- Monitor quality control of client matters: review all substantive cases prior to formal database closing and provide support/guidance to the Director of Intake and Outreach
- Monitor legal staff workload, including clinic and case distribution
- Supervise case tracking
- Evaluate legal staff performance
- Provide advice and guidance to staff regarding supervision of volunteers and others
- Support and guide attorneys as they oversee and implement An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness projects
- Oversee protocols and procedures for case intake, processing, and handling with the Director of Intake and Outreach
- Prepare Case Management Reports with the support of the Director of Operations and present them at Board of Directors meetings
- Identify and analyze case trends, service utilization, and volunteer participation and make recommendations as needed in collaboration with the Director of Operations and Pro Bono Coordinator
- Monitor the development of training programs and resource materials, including CLE classes, for volunteer advocates in collaboration with the Pro Bono Coordinator.
- Keep abreast of law and policy decisions affecting clients specifically and legal representation in general
- Facilitate the resolution of escalated client complaints
- Support SOAR partnership with the SOAR Project Director by working with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities and Community Behavioral Health (DBH SOAR). Support may include, but is not limited to, screening and documenting referrals, responding to inquiries, communicating with referring providers and city partners, and providing overall project oversight
- Monitor all SOAR projects and provide support/guidance when needed, be the face of An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's SOAR projects by serving on SOAR national panels, addressing issues that arise regarding the SOAR protocol or individual projects, reporting outcomes internally and to national SOAR partners, engaging with SOAR projects throughout the country, thinking critically about and exploring and supporting opportunities for SOAR expansion
- Support An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's fundraising efforts including identifying funding streams, developing project ideas, writing and editing funding proposals and reports
- Participate in the development and implementation of the five-year strategic plan
- Support and collaborate with Executive Director as requested
- Represent a limited number of homeless clients in civil legal matters
- Provide advice to call-in and walk-in clients when needed
- Coordinate special project assignments
- In collaboration with Director of Operations and Director of Intake and Outreach, develop procedures and protocols relating to client access to services
Lead staff effort to create An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's advocacy agenda
- Identify the most pressing areas of advocacy that will be prioritized
- Communicate priorities to the Board Advocacy Committee
- Develop an advocacy plan in terms of how An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness will proceed in those priority areas identified
- Create an advocacy structure and recruit staff members interested in devoting time and attention to advocacy matters
- Develop an action plan for advocacy which includes, but is not limited to, staff participation in coalitions
- Create and/or support coalition building with community partners when coalition building will help advance identified priority areas
- Revisit action plan to ensure that advocacy is focused and moving forward
- Recognizing that areas requiring a more reactive and timely response regularly arise, the Legal and Advocacy Director, in consultation with the Executive Director (and relevant staff when possible), will decide whether and how best to respond as an agency
- Schedule and lead staff/board advocacy committee meetings
- As needed to ensure greater effectiveness, recruit additional board members to join the board/staff advocacy committee
- When law firm resources will bolster advocacy, recruit and support pro bono partnerships in consultation with the Executive Director and/or Pro Bono Coordinator
- Analyze and address policy initiatives and legislation affecting homelessness and consult as needed to determine appropriate responses to issues in furtherance of An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's mission and goals
- Identify opportunities and/or need for additional advocacy efforts
- Prepare and submit comments and letters in response to proposed changes in regulations or practices that impact An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's client community
- Assist with litigation efforts undertaken by or on behalf of An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness on issues impacting the client community
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor Degree from an ABA-accredited University and licensed to practice law in PA
- 10 years of experience in the nonprofit and public interest field
- Demonstrated interest in public interest law and experience working with low- income populations
- Ability to handle multiple priorities and work with minimal supervision
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office, and Client Databases
- Familiarity with the Philadelphia Legal Community
- Knowledge of and commitment to An Organization Provides Legal Services to End Homelessness's vision, mission, and values
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Creativity and Innovation