Director of Legal Services

CARPLS Legal Aid is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as Director of Legal Services.  The Director of Legal Services will work to advance CARPLS’ mission of providing cost-effective and timely legal services to our large volume of clients and to move CARPLS along its proven trajectory as an innovative, process-driven, and technology-forward organization.

THE ORGANIZATION

CARPLS Legal Aid is an innovative legal aid program that offers an immediate response to the everyday legal problems confronting low-income residents of Cook County and across Illinois. As the largest legal aid provider in Cook County, CARPLS operates multiple legal aid hotlines, court-based advice desks, and online chatbots. CARPLS provides more than 90,000 legal consultations annually that give low-income clients direct access to experienced attorneys trained to quickly assess and respond to a wide range of civil and criminal legal problems.

Since its inception in 1993, CARPLS has provided over 1,175,000 consultations, helping to find solutions to basic legal problems at an average cost of $35 per consultation.  CARPLS’ attorneys resolve over 85% of all cases in-house by providing information, legal advice and brief legal services, including the preparation and review of legal documents.  Clients with more complex needs are referred by CARPLS to a network of specialized legal and social service providers. Our unique “legal triage” system serves as a model for legal aid communities across the country and has increased access to justice by dramatically reducing the cost of legal aid services.  CARPLS’ strength lies in using highly skilled attorneys and technology to fulfill our role as the “front door” to legal aid services, as the hub and central referral source for our network of legal aid partners, and as the legal “coach” for self-represented litigants in our courts.  To learn more, please visit our website at www.carpls.org.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Legal Services reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for ensuring consistent and efficient delivery of high-quality legal services in alignment with the CARPLS mission.  Key responsibilities include:

·         Legal Staff Development, Training, Retention and Performance Evaluation: Lead the development of all legal staff, including organizing training on substantive legal topics to enhance staff expertise and create a uniform knowledge base, implementing a case review process to ensure consistency in service delivery, and conducting ongoing evaluations of legal work. Conduct annual performance reviews for all legal staff and address performance issues as needed. Identify staff for promotion and professional development opportunities, coordinate attendance at CLE seminars, and serve as a primary mentor and advocate for the legal staff’s concerns.

·         Legal Staff Supervision: Oversee all legal work, making final decisions on legal correctness, strategy, ethics, and client management while ensuring the program is adequately staffed and supervised. Ensure adherence to all policies and procedures, and address hotline call volumes and client intake effectively. Participate in staff scheduling, collaborate closely with supervising attorneys, and oversee meetings to keep legal staff informed of key developments.

·         Legal Staff Recruiting and Hiring: Develop hiring plans for legal staff to meet program objectives and oversee the hiring process with the Executive Director’s approval. Manage onboarding and legal training of legal staff in collaboration with the Director of Operations and advance the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

·         Legal Risk Management: Implement and enforce policies and procedures that uphold the organization’s legal standards and ensure the effective management of client records. Oversee processes to ensure the quality of legal work, and provide proper ethical supervision of paralegals, interns, and non-attorney personnel. Manage any problematic incidents, investigate potential legal malpractice or ethics violations, and promptly report any legal exposure or risks to the Executive Director.

·         Direct Client Legal Services: Regularly engage in direct client services on CARPLS hotlines and other projects to stay connected with staff experiences and maintain legal skills. Handle challenging clients and cases and address special requests for legal services from key stakeholders and community leaders.

·         Knowledge Management: Contribute to the CARPLS knowledge management library while routinely reviewing the library to ensure it remains accurate and current. Stay updated on courtroom practices and legal developments to better support self-represented litigants and develop and review template legal documents for accuracy and effectiveness.

·         Human Resources and Legal Matters: Investigate and provide counsel on employment law issues related to CARPLS staff.  Draft organizational policies in collaboration with the Director of Operations, provide employment references for former legal staff and volunteers, and assist the Executive Director in reviewing legal matters pertaining to the organization as needed.

·         Data, Metrics and Technology: Establish and monitor staff performance metrics and project outcome data, in collaboration with the Executive Director and other managers.  Conduct comprehensive studies on client service effectiveness and explore opportunities to improve CARPLS legal services.

·         Board of Directors: Attend all Board and program committee meetings, prepare program reports for the board, and participate in onboarding and orienting new Board members while serving as a responsive legal resource for Board members.

·         Administration and Other Duties: Meet regularly with the Executive Director and other management to discuss program developments and issues while collaborating to develop and refine the legal department’s mission and achieve its short- and long-term goals. Participate in strategic planning, support community engagement through speaking and training, and assist with development and fundraising efforts. Contribute to communications by providing insights on legal issues, representing CARPLS in media engagements, and supporting volunteer recruitment, training, and supervision. Foster staff unity through team-building initiatives and undertake other projects as requested by the Executive Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and current Illinois bar license

·         20+ years of legal experience and 10+ years of legal supervisory experience

·         Substantial litigation experience in Cook County courts required

·         Knowledge of and experience in federal courts helpful

·         Legal aid, law firm, or law department management experience preferred

·         Prior Chicago area legal aid experience strongly preferred

·         Commitment to working with low and modest means populations

·         Proven commitment to public service, through pro bono or community work

·         Deep expertise in at least two core subjects (family, housing, debt, employment, criminal)

·         Broad legal experience across many legal subjects, issues and types of proceedings

·         Excellence and experience in high level legal writing

·         Excellent people skills, communication skills, and public speaking skills

·         Prior legal teaching or training experience preferred

·         Experience in employment law and human resource issues very helpful

·         Spanish language fluency a plus

·         Tech savvy and high degree of comfort using existing and emerging technologies

·         Detail-oriented, hardworking, self-motivated and capable of handling many issues at once

·         Respect for legal clients, their legal issues and personal situations

·         Upholds confidentiality, has sound discretion and excellent judgment

·         Proven ability to make difficult and final legal decisions while balancing risk management

·         Willingness and ability to do the legal work of all staff under supervision

·         Leads by example and personally upholds the highest standards of legal ethics and professional legal responsibility

·         Proven and supportive leader who can inspire the best results from a team of highly skilled legal professionals

·         Ability to work on a management team with shared vision, cooperation, and good humor

COMPENSATION 

$120,000 to $125,000, dependent on experience, with employee benefits including paid leave, paid holidays, health insurance, 401k with employer match, and other benefits. CARPLS has a hybrid work policy, and some remote work is permitted in this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit an email detailing your interest and experience and attach a copy of your resume to info@carpls.org with the subject line “Director of Legal Services–Your Name” by October 6, 2024.

 

CARPLS is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to having a diverse workplace.  All interested candidates are encouraged to apply.