Families Together Director

Who We Are

Children’s Law Center is a mission-driven organization focused on providing high-quality legal services to children and families in DC. As an organization, we envision a world in which all children have a strong foundation of family, health and education and are free from poverty, trauma, racism and other forms of oppression. Our mission is to do this work together with DC children and families, Children’s Law Center uses the law to solve children’s urgent problems today, improve the systems that will affect their lives tomorrow and strengthen our community so that change endures. A key part of our mission is to challenge and reduce ways in which racism and other biases – structural and interpersonal – prevent each of us, our organization and the systems in which we work from providing children a strong foundation from which to thrive.

Our greatest assets are our people. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our ability to provide the best outcomes for our clients and our community. Staff members at Children’s Law Center advance the organization’s mission through their leadership, result-orientated mindset and commitment to cultural humility. We are looking for individuals who like to be challenged to grow both personally and professionally and value the opportunity to make a difference in their community. Children's Law Center's continued success depends on recruiting and retaining individuals who possess and exemplify these attributes. 

Program Description

Children's Law Center (CLC) has a long history of working with parents and caregivers to help them solve problems that threaten a child’s health, safety and well-being. By providing legal services at the right time, attorneys can lift burdens of poverty that often drain a client’s capacity to care for their child. Through our new Families Together program, Children’s Law Center will expand the range of legal assistance provided to parents and caregivers.

Families Together supports pregnant persons, parents and caregivers in achieving their goals for their families, with the long-term outcome of mitigating the risk of child welfare involvement and ensuring children can remain safely at home. When appointed, Families Together attorneys also achieve positive outcomes for children by representing their best interests in contested custody disputes.

To reach families, Children’s Law Center partners with community-based organizations, the Court, and governmental agencies that share our commitment to strengthening DC families impacted by poverty.

Job Summary

The Families Together Director plays an integral role in the launch, development and sustainability of the program. The Director develops and strengthens relationships with partners, both current and future, to enhance service delivery. The Director provides strategic direction and oversees daily operation, ensuring that the program provides high quality representation. The Director utilizes the findings from research and evaluation to manage and implement practice change and ensures that all the requirements and deliverables for Families Together grants are met.

The Families Together Director works to expand the impact of our individual and systemic advocacy strategies for children and families served through the program. The Director collaborates with the Chief Human Resources and Equity Officer to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural humility and anti-racism in the Families Together program. The Director works closely with the communications and development teams to advance organizational goals through grant proposals and other efforts. The Families Together Director collaborates with other legal program directors to support cross-organizational management and coordination.

Role Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Lead Families Together’s expansion to serve more children and families.
• Develop and implement new approaches and legal strategies in Families Together and, as appropriate, across all CLC programs.
• Ensure that Families Together consistently provides high-quality direct legal representation to its clients and improves outcomes for children.
• Lead innovation in case work and client advocacy.
• Coordinate with the Policy program and other in-house direct legal services programs to maximize CLC’s impact.
• Ensure that Families Together’s staff maintains expertise in relevant legal subject areas. Maintain flexibility and adaptability of Families Together to respond to community needs and work with Legal Director to flag potential new practice areas.
• Assist with Families Together program evaluation efforts.
• Work closely with the Policy program to address the systemic needs of CLC’s clients.

External Relations

• Develop, nurture and maintain relationships with Mamatoto Village, other community-based organizations, the Court and governmental agencies to expand Families Together’s impact.
• Lead Families Together’s provision of consultation, training and technical assistance to partner organizations in legal needs screening and substantive legal areas.
• Work with other legal service providers and other members of the relevant advocacy communities to address issues relating to practice, collaboration and systemic improvements.

Practice Area Expertise

• Ensure CLC develops expertise in issue areas regularly affecting pregnant persons, parents, caregivers, and child clients.

Planning

• Lead the development of the Families Together annual plan.
• Develop program budgets.
• Lead development and implementation of Families Together policies and procedures.

Program and Personnel Management

• Be responsible for the hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, professional development, evaluation and promotion of all Families Together staff.
• Ensure that Families Together meets or exceeds its annual program goals and targets, including all grant deliverables.
• Foster a collaborative work environment.
• Ensure attorneys are spotting and referring cases to the Appellate program, as appropriate.
• Provide input to the CLC Training Director to ensure breadth, diversity and depth of topics.
• Ensure the needs of the Families Together are represented in technology and knowledge management plans and systems.
• Oversee management of program-specific budget line items.

Organizational Leadership

• Participate with other program directors in instilling a shared vision and values throughout Children’s Law Center.
• Support the strategic and programmatic plans across programs.
• Support and work closely with the Development Director and development team regarding grants, grant reporting, proposals, and any other fundraising efforts where assistance is required.
• Ensure organizational decisions and plans are communicated to and implemented by the Families Together staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise Families Together staff.
• Recruit, interview, hire and train new staff.
• Oversee the daily workflow of the program.
• Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Handle discipline and termination of employees in accordance with Children’s Law Center organizational policies and procedures.
• Provide tools, resources and training to support and hold direct reports accountable to:
  • Role expectations/job requirements.
  • Supervisory obligations for supervisors.
  • Compliance with programmatic requirements.
• Provide timely feedback to direct reports.
• Partner with and support direct reports on their professional development and promotion readiness.
• Support supervisors and partner with Chief Legal Officer and Human Resources as needed:
  • When progressive discipline is appropriate.
  • When accommodation or other deviations from standard performance are warranted.
• Provide support to team and partner with Chief Legal Officer and Human Resources as needed:
  • If there are conflicts among staff.
  • If direct report requests or supervisor believes modification of job function is needed.
  • If direct report requests or supervisor believes deviation from organizational policy is needed.
• Keep Chief Legal Officer and Human Resources as appropriate apprised of:
  • High performing direct reports.
  • Direct reports ready for promotion.
  • Direct report failing to perform adequately.
• Spot and raise up trends on morale, culture, programmatic and organizational issues.
• Support and strengthen a positive work culture.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Exceptional program and personnel management and organizational and leadership skills.
• Strong legal skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrated commitment to CLC’s mission and working with low-income communities and clients.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Intellectual aptitude, innovativeness and curiosity.
• Strong legal analysis and research, writing and oral advocacy skills.
• Strong organizational and work management skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.

Required Skills and Experience

• JD and DC Bar membership or immediate eligibility for admission without examination.
• Experience in legal services or other community lawyering.
• Expertise in at least two of the following areas: custody, child support, public benefits, domestic violence, special education or housing.
• Trial experience.
• Experience in partnership creation and management.
• At least 10 years of experience as a lawyer.
  • A minimum of five years of experience in management and/or supervision.

Organizational Competencies

• Cultural Humility – an openness to self-reflection and to understanding and respecting other cultural experiences and points of view and viewing individuals as experts in their own culture and experiences.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback – the ability to be self-reflective, give and receive appreciative, coaching, constructive, interpersonal and evaluative feedback.
• Conflict Management – a process which is designed to guide individuals and groups from the moment of conflict to the implementation of an identified solution. This process incorporates skills and techniques, including recognizing points of conflict, identifying the facts and feelings involved to get to the root of the issue, investigating equitable solutions, implementing and evaluating solutions, and supporting and guiding others throughout the process.

Hybrid Working Conditions

Children’s Law Center is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule. Employees are required to work in-person from Children’s Law Center’s office a minimum of two days per week. At least one of these days must be either Tuesday or Wednesday. The hybrid work schedule is subject to change based on organizational needs and/or best practices for health and safety. Hybrid work expectations may vary depending upon role responsibilities.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. Children’s Law Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Background Checks

Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a background check.

EEO

Children’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and existing employees. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our company and our career opportunities (https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/).

DEI Statement

Children’s Law Center is dedicated to building a world that is inclusive in approach and has equal opportunities and equitable outcomes for all. Our organization is committed to developing and supporting a robustly diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist community, where all members can create and feel a sense of belonging. Through our collective deliberate efforts, we work toward racial and social justice for children and families in DC.