Supervisory Attorney - Pro Bono & Community Partnerships

For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office, located in downtown Chicago at 200 N. LaSalle Street, is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.

Position: Legal Aid Chicago seeks a full-time supervisory attorney in the Pro Bono & Community Partnerships group (PCG).

PCG manages over twenty volunteer-based projects, including adult and juvenile criminal record relief (expungements, sealing and related relief), four community-based legal clinics, several virtual legal clinics, and advance directives (such as powers of attorney and transfer on death instruments). PCG also oversees Legal Aid Chicago’s community engagement work through building and maintaining relationships with a broad spectrum of community partners to benefit our clients and the community at large.

This position will supervise community-based pro bono projects, including our monthly community legal clinics (located in Woodlawn, Humboldt Park, Austin, North Lawndale, and one hosted virtually) and supervise staff attorneys and paralegals in each of these projects. The supervisor will also support all aspects of several pro bono projects including providing support to volunteers, advice to clients, assisting with providing brief services  and following up with clients. This position will also conduct outreach to reach our client communities. This position is ideal for someone with a passion for working with volunteers and legal experience in one or more areas of civil legal aid.

Responsibilities:

• Provide legal representation with an emphasis on brief services to clients in collaboration with volunteer attorneys and other Legal Aid Chicago staff in a variety of areas including family law, eviction, home ownership preservation, criminal records relief, advance directives and others, as needed.
• Supervise attorneys, paralegals, and law students including editing their written work, providing guidance on case strategy, conducting regular case reviews, providing training in substantive areas of law, completing performance evaluations, and overseeing professional development
• Oversee, assist with, and attend the monthly Community Legal Clinics, and oversee and assist with the advance directives program and other pro bono projects
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners such as social service agencies, government agencies and neighborhood-based groups through engagement and outreach activities
• Assist with training and supporting volunteer attorneys, law students and other professionals
• Track data related to pro bono work and assist on related reporting
• Assist in reporting and administering applicable grants
• Maintain case files and timekeeping in electronic case management system and ensure supervised staff do as well
• Assist in the design and implementation of pro bono projects
• Strategize how to best use our staff time and resources in community engagement activities
• Other duties as assigned

Salary and Benefits:

The budgeted salary range for this position is $95,204 - $105,204, which reflects an applicant with a law school graduation date between 2021 and 2011.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Bilingual Supervisory Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipend
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
• Time Off: 21 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays, including four floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
• 401(a) retirement plan with an employer contribution after 3 months of employment
• $100,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
• Chicago Bar Association Membership, at no cost
• Reimbursement of annual ARDC registration fees
• Monthly internet stipend
• Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program 

Legal Aid Chicago encourages applications from individuals with relevant experience, particularly those who have direct experience with communities we serve or perspectives that help us understand and serve our clients better.

Qualifications:

• Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be licensed to practice law in Illinois, or be licensed in another state and able to waive into the Illinois bar
• The ideal candidate will have at least four years of experience and experience supervising legal work
• Experience in family law, home ownership preservation, eviction defense, or estate planning is  preferred
• Strong oral and written communication skills, highly developed organizational skills, and great client counseling skills
• Experience coordinating volunteers and organizing and implementing training is preferred
• Enthusiasm for working with volunteers and confidence in speaking to groups of professionals necessary
• Availability to work some evenings (generally one evening per week) and occasional weekend events and the ability to travel throughout Cook County

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and the contact information of two primary professional references and one alternative professional reference. For applicants with previous work experience, at least one reference must be a former supervisor. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, ex-offender status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.

If an accommodation is needed to complete this application, contact Human Resources at [email protected].

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.