Supervising Attorney – Employment Law & Litigation

JOB TITLE: Supervising Attorney – Employment Law & Litigation

LOCATION: Philadelphia or Pittsburgh (hybrid; partial remote)

STATUS: Exempt

SUPERVISED BY: Chief Legal Office

About Justice at Work PA: Justice at Work PA (JAW-PA) is a nonprofit legal aid provider based in Pennsylvania and a partner in the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. Our mission is to support workers in low-wage industries as they pursue economic and social justice. We employ a client-centered model of service: we seek to address clients’ challenges based on their unique circumstances, with a focus on their goals; we recognize that justice is a process; we believe that our clients’ experiences as we guide them through the legal process are as important as their ultimate legal outcomes. We have offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and provide legal services throughout Pennsylvania. Our team is multi-lingual, and many of our clients are low-wage, Spanish-speaking workers living in small cities, towns, and agricultural communities across the state.

About the Position: The Supervising Attorney – Employment Law & Litigation is responsible for ensuring high-quality legal assistance on behalf of eligible clients of the program by supervising the organization’s employment law team and litigation work. The Supervising Attorney will collaborate with the leadership team to uphold compliance standards that guide the organization’s operations and will play a leadership role in the organization’s partnerships in the statewide legal services community.

Required Qualifications:

• Pennsylvania Bar membership or the ability to obtain a Pennsylvania law license immediately upon hiring
• A minimum of 5 years of experience as a practicing attorney, with at least 3 years of experience handling litigation matters in state and/or federal courts
• Strong interpersonal skills: able to work well with a wide range of people with different lived and professional education, experience, and ability, including low-wage worker communities, community partners, and funders
• Ability to see and address all parts of a conflict and come to a solution, independently and as part of a team
• A commitment to mentorship practices rooted in collaboration
• Experience practicing Pennsylvania employment law (strongly preferred)
• Experience managing a team, including the supervision of attorneys, paralegals, and/or legal interns (strongly preferred)
• Spanish language fluency (preferred)

Responsibilities:

Oversee employment and litigation legal work across the organization.

a. Substantively support employment law team

1. Oversee and support staff attorneys through all phases of litigation, including case strategy, pleadings, discovery, negotiations, and hearing preparation
2. Provide meaningful thought partnership and feedback to the team on issues impacting clients, collaborating with the team to strengthen practice skills
3. Ensure the team maintains compliance in timekeeping, client files, data, reports, and all other applicable regulations, policies, and grant requirements

b. Maintain subject matter expertise of Pennsylvania employment law and practice issues affecting Pennsylvania's low-wage workers, including, but not limited to: wage theft, employment discrimination, human trafficking, farmworker law, and temporary work visa programs; communicate updates in this area to all program staff

c. Take a leadership role in JaW’s strategic litigation efforts

d. Oversee employment law and litigation case evaluation, case assignments, resource development, and professional development, in collaboration with other program staff

e. Practice, model, and support client-centered representation

f. Provide and receive regular feedback

Develop external partnerships in support of direct services.

a. Maintain relationships with external legal practitioners, including JaW’s Board of Directors and the private bar

b. Collaborate with community partners in coordinated efforts to improve workplace conditions for Pennsylvania’s low-wage workers

c. Identify and participate in opportunities for community member and provider outreach and education

Collaborate with the leadership team in ensuring administrative best practices.

a. Track trends within JaW’s employment law and litigation practice areas, with an eye towards continuous improvement

b. Support fundraising efforts

c. Support recruitment and onboarding of new staff

Engage in additional collaborative work as needed to support the organization's mission.

Justice at Work offers generous benefits, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Life insurance and short and long-term disability coverage

• Retirement plan with employer contribution

• Generous holiday, sick, vacation, and personal paid leave, including paid holiday leave for one week at the end of each calendar year

• Up to $7,500 per year in student loan repayment assistance

Spanish language fluency (preferred)