Supervising Staff Attorney- Children & Youth (DPT)

Who We Are

The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (“Law Foundation”) is dedicated to advancing the rights of historically excluded individuals and families throughout Santa Clara County. Through our legal services, strategic advocacy, and educational outreach, we empower over 10,000 individuals and families each year. Our Housing, Children & Youth, Health and Pro Bono Programs use legal advocacy as a catalyst for social change, creating innovative solutions to the legal challenges facing low-income communities in our region. With a dedicated team of over 85 employees, we are the largest provider of free legal services in the South Bay region of the Bay Area. Learn more at  https://www.lawfoundation.org/.

The Legal Advocates for Children and Youth Program (also known as LACY) is the Law Foundation’s program for at-risk youth aged 0-25. The LACY program provides legal representation and advocacy for youth in many areas including educational rights, juvenile dependency, family law assistance for parenting teens and young adults, representation through court appointment in family law and probate guardianships, immigration, and collaboration through our medical-legal partnership with Valley Medical Center. The LACY team employs a multi-disciplinary approach through its attorney/social worker partnership, pairing advocacy with supportive services and clinical expertise, allowing clients to receive holistic legal and social services. All services are provided confidentially and free of charge. Finally, LACY has a culturally diverse staff and is equipped to offer services in multiple languages.

What You’ll Do

We are actively looking to fill a Supervising Attorney position on LACY’s diverse practice team (DPT). The DPT provides services in guardianship, family law, domestic violence, immigration in the area of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SJIS), and works with transition age foster youth and former foster youth. The Supervising Attorney will oversee all aspect of the team’s casework which is generated through longstanding partnerships with and court appointments from the family and probate courts, referrals from local partnering agencies, as well as through our intake line. The Supervising Attorney will work closely with the Directing Attorney and other members of the LACY management team to oversee the work of staff and provide training, supervision and support. The Supervising Attorney will also collaborate with the Directing Attorney on project management, help maintain and grow funding resources, and manage various administrative aspects of the program.

Primary Duties

• Supervision of staff and casework (five full-time attorneys and one full-time administrator)
• Hiring, training, mentoring, and professional development of LACY staff
• Direct representation of a small number of clients, as necessary and appropriate
• Case and courtroom coverage, as needed
• Program development, oversight, and administration
• Represent LACY on external system-improvement committees
• Support program and organization-wide initiatives, including Race Equity
• Lead LACY through external policy initiatives
• Track policy and legal developments in the area of children’s rights
• Oversee and participate in education and outreach to the community regarding legal issues experienced by children and youth
• Public relations with government agencies and the community, as needed
• Participate in Law Foundation meetings, events, and assigned activities
• Oversee and manage contracts
• Participate in fundraising activities and grant development

Requirements

Who You Are

This role is a good fit for you if you have:

•  Applicants must be current members in good standing with the California State Bar
• A deep commitment to and passion for the vision and mission of the Law Foundation
• Ability to qualify for court appointed representation of minors in family, probate, or dependency courts
• Legal supervision experience
• A minimum of five years’ experience in public interest law or advocacy services
• Prior experience or background representing children or youth
• Family law experience, including representation of children
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Commitment to Race Equity work and incorporating race equity principles in a children’s rights practice
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to work with underrepresented communities
• Fund development experience, including grant and report writing
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• California State Bar membership
• Access to reliable transportation

What We Offer

The salary scale for this position is $115,000 – $128,000/year with generous benefits, including:

• 19 paid holidays per year
• 3-5 weeks of vacation per year
• 12 days of sick leave per year
• Up to 6 months of parental leave
• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums
• Free/discounted mental health therapy and wellness services for employees and their dependents through our Employee Assistance Program
• A 401(k)-retirement plan with employer contributions
• A sabbatical after 5 years of employment
• An additional monthly stipend for those who are bilingual and utilize their language abilities in the course of their job
• An annual budget for professional development
• Employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees
• The flexibility to work a hybrid schedule
• An office building that offers a fully equipped gym, outdoor terrace, convenient on-site parking, bike storage, lounge areas, and 24/7 security

Workplace Expectations

Law Foundation is a hybrid workplace. Please note that the Staff Attorney may be expected to work in our San Jose office a minimum of 2 days/week.

Working At Law Foundation

Law Foundation is a unionized workplace, and members of the bargaining unit are represented by SEIU Local 521. This position is part of the bargaining unit.

Additionally, Law Foundation is strongly committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff, volunteers, clients, and partners. To achieve this goal, the Law Foundation actively works to improve communications, community engagement, systems and structures, and office culture to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. Law Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process

Application materials must include:

• A cover letter that addresses the following: How has your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to social justice, race equity and diversity among our staff?
• A resume
• Contact information for three professional references. We will always ask for your consent and inform you before contacting any of your references.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority review will be given to applications received by 8/15/24. Please note that our interview process includes interviewing by phone, video, and/or in-person.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that values people, trust, accountability, creativity, joy, and fun, we would love to hear from you!