Managing Attorney

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with thirteen offices providing civil legal assistance to low-income Coloradans throughout the state. CLS provides free legal assistance in a broad variety of legal areas, including family law, public benefits, eviction defense, consumer protection, services to survivors of crime and human trafficking, and many others.

CLS has strengthened lives, assisted families, and supported communities–one person at a time for over 90 years. We are committed to providing high-quality, free legal advice and representation to eligible individuals throughout Colorado. We have a long history of successful impact and advocacy. CLS strives to bring about substantive, transformational change in the lives of those we serve.

POSITION SUMMARY:

CLS is excited to hire a Managing Attorney to lead the Survivor’s Services Unit (SSU). The SSU Unit is team of three lawyers and one paralegal who provide legal services to adult and minor foreign national survivors of U-visa crimes, including sex and/or labor trafficking. The unit also provides direct representation in immigration and, particularly, humanitarian visas (T, U and domestic violence-based self-petitions). This leader will provide supervision, assistance, and training to their staff and is responsible for the quality, quantity, and coordination of the unit’s litigation and advocacy.

The Managing Attorney, who will report to the Advocacy Director for Denver and be an integral part of CLS’ leadership, will supervise the Survivor Services Unit’s two major areas of work: (1) Violence Against Women Act self-petitions and U visas, and (2) T visas for victims of human trafficking. This individual will have an active, but reduced, caseload and exercise judgment and creativity in attempting to solve the legal problems of low-income clients. The Managing Attorney will oversee the day-to-day operations of the unit, handle some grant writing and management, and do community outreach.

​​ESSENTIAL DUTIES: ​

• Provide the oversight, assistance, guidance, and supervision necessary to ensure the effective administration, operation, and management of the unit.
• Cultivate a culture that supports staff while holding the office to CLS’s high expectations of performance.
• Maintain an active, but reduced, caseload, which includes the following duties:
• Delivering sound legal counsel and exceptional advocacy that aligns with program objectives and meets the standards set forth by CLS Casehandler guidelines.
• Displaying patience, empathy, and sound judgment while providing clear and transparent communication to clients, managing their expectations effectively.
• Performing client and witness interviews, carrying out thorough case investigations, and drafting necessary legal documents and pleadings, primarily immigration applications.
• Ensuring comprehensive and current documentation of client case notes in case management system.
• Representing clients in court and before administrative agencies and collaborating with other CLS attorneys and paralegals, as needed.
• Provide supervision and guidance for other casehandlers, including periodically reviewing their legal work and providing training, professional development, employee coaching, and performance evaluation.
• Oversee and manage staff workloads, client relations, and interpersonal conflict, and make recommendations to Senior Leadership for performance improvements or disciplinary action consistent with the terms of CLS’s Collective Bargaining Agreement as needed.
• Ensure that the unit functions accurately, effectively, and efficiently while adhering to the regulations of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), CLS’s major federal funder.
• Ensure compliance with CLS, LSC, and other funder policies, including those related to service of individuals who are not U.S. citizens.
• Review and close all office cases in a timely manner to ensure compliance with LSC regulations and the current LSC Case Service Report Handbook.
• Attend management meetings, participate in statewide substantive task forces and working groups, and provide case support and assistance to other CLS casehandlers.
• Provide orientation and training for staff and participate in the hiring process for new staff.
• Act as the unit’s community liaison, maintaining contact with local human service agencies, immigrant services agencies, foreign consulates, government agencies, and other organizations serving crime victims, in developing strategies for assisting low-income clients and vulnerable client groups.
• Participate in agency and community meetings as the program's representative and make presentations to community groups about the services provided by CLS and its funding needs.
• Assist with grant management activities, such as communicating with grantors, gathering data for and completing grant reports, and working with Senior Management to apply for grant funding.
• Handle leave request approvals, timesheet review, and reimbursement requests.
• Oversee operations of the unit, including communicating regularly with senior management.

​​QUALIFICATIONS: ​

We are looking to hire an empathetic and trauma-informed attorney who is energetic, excited about leadership, and passionate about our mission. This individual must excel as a supervisor, administrator, attorney, and as a representative of Colorado Legal Services in the community. They must also have:

• Valid license to practice law in the state of Colorado or ability to obtain a Colorado license as soon as practicable.
• Fluency in oral and written Spanish.
• Interest in crime victim advocacy and immigration law.
• Experience in direct client representation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to providing effective legal services to immigrant crime victims and low-income persons, including pursuing language justice and securing interpreters/translators as needed.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel to client appointments or outreach events as needed.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365.

We would love to see applications from individuals who have the ability to lead with empathy and take a coaching approach to performance management; have prior supervisory or administrative experience with a legal services program or law office; experience preparing humanitarian visas, and experience in immigration law, specifically serving foreign national victims of trafficking and preparing humanitarian visas (Ts, Us and VAWA self-petitions).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

We offer a generous plan that includes 100% employer paid premiums for employee health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, as well as partial employer paid premiums for spouses/dependents, based on a sliding scale. We also offer Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). CLS contributes $200/month to each employee's 403(b) retirement account and also matches 100% of employee contributions up to 3% of employee salary; vesting occurs gradually will full vesting after 3 years of employment. Additionally, CLS offers generous paid time-off and 13 paid holidays per year.

CLS values its employees’ commitment to working hard for the population it serves and recognizes the importance of work/life balance. We promote and foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe work environment, striving to be a “Best Place to Work” in Colorado.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for the Managing Attorney position, please submit your cover letter, resume, legal writing sample, and list of references no later than Friday, September 27. If you have questions about this position, please contact: Karen Vilner, Director of People & Culture, at kvilner@colegalserv.org. CLS will not review applications sent via e-mail or physical mail. Please no solicitations from recruitment firms.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY, AND BELONGING

CLS embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an Equal Opportunity Employer in a serious way. We are committed to building and retaining a workforce that respects and seeks to empower each individual and represents a variety of diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences within our workforce. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply for this position.