Legal Director

Overview

 

Cowlitz Wahkiakum Legal Aid

Job Posting Announcement:  Legal Director / Program Development

Location: Longview, WA – meetings may take place via phone or virtual platforms as well.
Shift: Day with infrequent nights and weekends
FTE:  .75  – ( 30 hours/week) Billed Monthly, schedule flexibility for attorneys who maintain a separate legal practice.
Compensation: $29 per hour
Benefits: We currently offer vacation time after one year in the position, sick time, and $300 health stipend.

Mission Statement:

Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Legal Aid (CWLA) seeks justice in the civil courts for underserved people whose livelihood, family, and wellness are threatened.  We achieve this through education, advocacy, and engagement.

CWLA has an organizational commitment to fight racism and to incorporate equity and inclusion in both the work we do and the work environment we create. All staff are expected to uphold this commitment and approach their role with a desire to learn and grow in this area.

·      This position is made possible for the non-profit agency by Grant Funding and the duration of the position within our agency is dependent upon continued funding.

*** In recognition of the increased need for legal help among low income people and specifically as a result of COVID-19, this position has been made possible through limited grant funding, in place for the immediate future. However, it may be renewed and expanded if further funding becomes available. ***

Key Responsibilities: The primary responsibility of the Legal Director is to facilitate the delivery of pro bono legal services to low-income individuals in Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties in accordance with CWLA’s mission.  The Legal Director works closely with other staff of CWLA, reports to the Executive Director, and oversees the legal work performed by volunteer, employed and contracted attorneys.  Additionally, the Legal Director engages local attorneys to increase volunteerism, consultations, and direct representation (limited or full).

The position arises from funding which supports a response to COVID-19 and Eviction Defense and other sources. It provides the direction and advocacy for our clients to recover from shut-downs, family and housing issues that may arise.

The first priority of the position is Program Development, including service standards, procedures and metrics to measure the services provided to the public.

Primary duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

Volunteer, Contracted and Part Time Employed Attorney Oversight / Staff partnership:

Program Development for new Eviction Defense Program, Housing Justice Project, and other programs for traditionally marginalized populations as funding becomes available.
Primary Attorney providing services for The Housing Justice Project, and supporting the local Dispute Resolution, when appropriate for clients of CWLA.
Coordinate Placement of Cases to pro bono attorneys, along with agency staff
Provide case assessment for depth and breadth of legal assistance needed
Support volunteer, contracted or employed attorneys of the agency:
Provide training, supervision and mentoring to volunteer, contracted and employed attorneys
Recruit volunteer attorneys for advice clinics and direct representation
Regularly review case notes for assessment of quality of legal advice provided by volunteer attorneys. Help clients and staff develop work plans for clients.
Perform brief legal services for clients, interpret the instructions our clients receive on legal documents and from other attorneys, and provide additional supports for clients with high barriers to self-representation in combination with our staff.
Maintain positive connection to other local providers of Civil Legal Aid in our community and make decisions on when cases should be shifted to other providers.

 

Volunteer Attorney Engagement

Develop and maintain ongoing working relationships with Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties attorneys to foster active participation at CWLA.
Develop and maintain ongoing working relationships with Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum County judiciary, court staff, bar association, law firms and professional affinity groups to foster engagement with CWLA.
Attend and participate in bar association activities on behalf of CWLA.
Communicate regularly with volunteer attorneys through check-in meetings, phone calls, emails and observation of services delivered to our clients.
When the agency has funding to support contracted or employed part time attorneys, facilitate the coordination of case assessment, selection of attorney, work plans and deliverables for our clients.
Organizational Process: Set up and maintain an organizational process for the cases, assuring work plans are complete, and cases are resolved and closed with the appropriate notations in our case management system.  Notify Executive Director as to ongoing capacity of the agency and staff and recommend any adjustments.
 

Necessary Qualifications
Successful candidates will:

·       Maintain client privacy and confidentiality

·       Be a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association, or the abilty to admit by motion from another State.

·       Have strong interpersonal and communication skills

·       Have a demonstrated understanding and practice of Equity principles and Trauma-Informed principles in work with clients, and be willing to attend further training on these topics as it arises.

·       Manage time and prioritize tasks

·       Be highly proficient in the use of computers and office equipment. This includes comfort with the Microsoft and Adobe suites, web browser-based applications and Google suite applications (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc.), virtual platforms like Zoom.

·       Be capable of providing guidance to attorneys and clients alike in legal procedures and processes of Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Lewis and Pacific Counties.

·       Have a strong attention to detail

·       Strong written and oral communication skills.

·       Understanding of and demonstrated compliance with the Washington state Rules of Professional Conduct.

·       Competency in Microsoft Office suite including Excel, Word, Power Point and Outlook and the ability to learn and interact with our online case management system.

·       Valid Washington Drivers License and automobile insurance.

·       Ability to problem solve independently and collaboratively

·       Strong web search engine(s) skillset

 

Preferred Qualifications

Successful candidates will:

·       Have at least three year’s experience practicing law in Washington State with no listed disciplinary history, and the ability to admit to practice in Tribal courts if not already admitted.

·       Have experience in civil legal procedures with an emphasis in family law, protective orders of all types,  landlord/tenant  and wills/estates cases, working knowledge of the impacts of the recent Blake decision.

·       Have demonstrated cultural competence

·       Have experience working with people experiencing trauma, and have ability to employ trauma-informed best practices

·       Have experience supervising, or at the least working with, volunteers and non-attorney staff.

 

 

 

 

Policy of Non-Discrimination

 

Our policies and practices provide equal opportunity to all qualified individuals in leadership, staffing and service, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion and any status protected by law.
We do not require attendance or participation in religious/faith activities as a condition of service delivery, nor do we require adherence to religious/faith beliefs as a condition of service or employment.

 

HOW TO APPLY
For questions or more information, please feel free to contact the Executive Director at 360.425.2579, or via email at cwlap@live.com.  To apply for this position, please email to cwlap@live.com with a resume and cover letter describing how you meet the specific requirements of this position. While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.