Maryland Center for Legal Assistance · 20 hours ago
Supervising Attorney - Tenant Right to Counsel Project
Anne Arundel/Howard Office, Annapolis, MD, US
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$96K/yr - $110K/yr
5+ years expMaryland Legal Aid (MLA) advocates for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services. They are seeking a Supervising Attorney for the Tenant Right to Counsel Project who will be responsible for planning the unit's work, supervising staff, and providing legal representation in landlord-tenant matters.
Law Practice
Responsibilities
Plan and assign the work of the TRCP team in coordination with the Chief Attorney
Plan and assign work in other areas (secondary to housing/TRCP work) as determined appropriate by the Chief Attorney in accordance with office requirements, grant restrictions, and personal qualifications
Assist the Chief Attorney and other Supervising Attorney(s) in identifying office-wide strategic challenges and opportunities and developing a plan for addressing them
Help identify systemic issues within the TRCP team and help develop strategies to address them to improve quality of representation and efficiency in the delivery of services
Provide positive leadership, guidance, and supervision to a staff that currently consists of staff attorneys, paralegals, law clerks, and administrative staff in coordination with the Chief Attorney and other Supervising Attorney(s)
Monitor and supervise case handling of staff to ensure quality representation, including providing in-court supervision to staff in housing matters
Evaluate the performance of staff and make recommendations for improvement, if appropriate
Guide the professional development of staff, including co-counseling of cases; reviewing substantive legal work; providing meaningful assessments and evaluation of staff and their advocacy efforts, caseloads, and productivity; and working on appellate litigation. Identify and address staff training needs
Assist and assure staff comply with required timekeeping and grant-reporting obligations
Encourage staff engagement with the community by doing outreach and education
Handle personnel matters in consultation with Executive staff, including, but not limited to, grievances and employee disciplinary matters
Support hiring efforts to attract talented staff who are committed to the mission and work of Maryland Legal Aid
Assist the Chief Attorney and other Supervising Attorney(s) with data collection, grant reporting and writing, and ensuring that administrative and regulatory requirements are met
Fill in for the Chief Attorney and assume their duties when they are absent from the office for an extended period and perform other managerial/supervisory duties not specifically listed above as determined from time to time by the Chief Attorney
Support local implementation of the Access to Counsel in Evictions efforts in Anne Arundel and Howard County
Participate and lead client intake in person, online, by phone to screen clients for case acceptance and make referrals, as appropriate
Attend client and community outreach initiatives
Represent and defend clients in Anne Arundel and Howard County District Courts, Circuit Courts and in administrative hearings
Maintain case records for clients in the Legal Server case management system
Continue professional development and education through attendance at trainings and other programs sponsored by the MLA
Support MLA’s strategic plan to all aspects of the office’s work, including litigation and advocacy, communications, and community education
Represent MLA in inter-agency workgroups, task forces, and other ad hoc bodies
Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the position
Qualification
Required
Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland. Out-of-State attorneys must be able and available to take the next scheduled bar exam following date of employment
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
Five or more years of extensive experience in the areas of landlord-tenant, public and subsidized housing, and consumer law
Knowledge of principles of civil law, judicial procedures, and rules of evidence
Ability to use a computer, web-based applications, and computer programs such as Office 365, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
Excellent research, critical thinking, writing, and communication skills
Self-starter with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet regular deadlines in a fast-paced environment while balancing a full workload
Ability to provide quality legal advocacy and representation for low-income, diverse client base
Ability to travel locally and regionally in Maryland as needed
Preferred
Knowledge of Westlaw Edge or other legal research software is a plus
Prior experience and/or interest in public-interest litigation or providing nonprofit legal services is a plus
Benefits
Health
Dental
Vision
Life insurance
A 401(k)-retirement plan
2 weeks paid time off
Paid sick leave
14 annual paid holidays
More!
Future flexibility regarding a hybrid work arrangement is a possibility after the onboarding period.
Company
Maryland Center for Legal Assistance
The Maryland Center for Legal Assistance (MCLA) operates the Maryland Court Help Centers through a contract with the Maryland Judiciary.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageCompany data provided by crunchbase