Supervising Attorney - Tenant Right to Counsel Project (TRCP)

Salary Range: $96,000.00 To $110,000.00 Annually

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change.

Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities – helping to remedy their civil legal issues and become empowered to overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. MLA also identifies and seeks to remedy systemic barriers. MLA’s core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children’s rights, consumer protection, and securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. MLA advocates operate primarily through the courts, via individual representation of indigent clients, but also engage in impact litigation, public communication and outreach, and policy advocacy.

Through this holistic approach, Maryland Legal Aid serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and seeks to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide.

MLA announces an immediate opening for a full-time Supervising Attorney for the Tenant Right to Counsel Project (TRCP) in the Montgomery County office in Rockville, MD. The Supervising Attorney is responsible for planning the unit’s work, implementing the priorities, assigning work, hiring, supervising, and evaluating staff to assure quality legal representation. The Supervising Attorney will also carry a case load. The Supervising Attorney will supervise, oversee, and support the work of the staff and advocates in the Montgomery County office in the delivery of legal services, including advice and representation, outreach, and advocacy in the areas of landlord-tenant, real property, public and subsidized housing, in an efficient, client-centered, and compassionate manner.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan and assign the legal work of the unit in coordination with the chief. In addition, determine case assignments and referrals for extended or pro bono representation.
• Help identify systemic issues within the unit and help develop strategies to address them to accomplish the work of the unit.
• Provide positive leadership, guidance, and supervision to a staff that currently consists of staff attorneys, paralegals, law clerks, and administrative staff in coordination with the chief.
• Monitor and supervise case handling of staff to ensure quality representation, including providing in-court supervision to TRCP staff.
• Evaluate the performance of staff and make recommendations for improvement, if appropriate.
• Guide the professional development of staff, including co-counseling of cases; reviewing substantive legal work; providing meaningful assessments and evaluation of staff and their advocacy efforts, caseloads, and productivity; and working on appellate litigation. Identify and address staff training needs.
• Assist and assure staff comply with required timekeeping and grant-reporting obligations.
• Encourage staff engagement with the community by doing outreach and education.
• Handle personnel matters in consultation with Executive staff, including, but not limited to, grievances and employee disciplinary matters.
• Support hiring efforts to attract talented staff who are committed to the mission and work of Maryland Legal Aid.
• Assist the Chief with data collection, grant reporting and writing, and ensuring that administrative and regulatory requirements are met.
• Fill in for the chief and assume their duties when they are absent from the office for an extended period and perform other managerial/supervisory duties not specifically listed above as determined from time to time by the chief.
• Support local implementation of the Access to Counsel in Evictions efforts in Montgomery County.
• Participate and lead client intake in person, online, by phone to screen clients for case acceptance and make referrals, as appropriate.
• Attend client and community outreach initiatives.
• Represent and defend clients in Montgomery County District Courts, Circuit Courts and in administrative hearings.
• Maintain case records for clients in the Legal Server case management system.
• Continue professional development and education through attendance at trainings and other programs sponsored by the MLA.
• Support MLA’s strategic plan to all aspects of the office’s work, including litigation and advocacy, communications, and community education.
• Represent MLA in inter-agency workgroups, task forces, and other ad hoc bodies.
• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the position.

Qualifications:

• Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland. Out-of-State attorneys must be able and available to take the next scheduled bar exam following date of employment.
• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Five or more years of extensive experience in the areas of landlord-tenant, public and subsidized housing, and consumer law.
• Knowledge of principles of civil law, judicial procedures, and rules of evidence.
• Ability to use a computer, web-based applications, and computer programs such as Office 365, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent research, critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.
• Self-starter with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet regular deadlines in a fast-paced environment while balancing a full workload.
• Ability to provide quality legal advocacy and representation for low-income, diverse client base.
• Ability to travel locally and regionally in Maryland as needed.
• Knowledge of Westlaw Edge or other legal research software is a plus.
• Prior experience and/or interest in public-interest litigation or providing nonprofit legal services is a plus.

Work Environment

Work duties are typically performed in a general office setting with regular interaction via telephone, videoconference, instant messaging, and email, in-person, and in a courtroom. Certain work duties may be performed in community settings.