Pro Bono (Family Law) Supervising Attorney

Who We Are

At the Children’s Law Center, everything we do is focused on one thing – delivering better client outcomes for kids and families in DC. Our staff are empowered to open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions. We encourage intellectual curiosity, innovation, diversity, and mutual respect.

Our greatest assets are our people. We strive to attract and cultivate a vibrant, creative, and diverse community. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our ability to provide the best outcomes for our clients. Our staff drive the Children’s Law Center’s mission with their leadership, result-orientated mindset, and commitment to cultural humility and centering the needs of our clients.  We are looking for an individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment, likes to be challenged, and values the opportunity to make a difference.

Children Law Center’s success depends on recruiting and retaining individuals who possess and value these attributes.

*The Children’s Law Center is currently operating remotely. This position will work from home until the organization returns to the office.

Job Summary

The Pro Bono Program Supervising Attorney serves as the primary supervisor for at least two attorneys and is responsible for the training, supervision, professional development, and evaluation of supervisees. The supervising attorney is responsible for ensuring that their supervisees provide high quality representation in custody guardian ad litem and caregiver matters and that their supervisees develop their legal skills. Supervision tasks include being regularly available to supervisees, attending hearings, reviewing pleadings, actively participating in trial preparation, providing consistent and timely feedback on performance, and ensuring compliance with program and organizational policies. The supervising attorney will meet regularly with their supervisor to review case issues and trends, spot supervision and mentoring issues, assess plans for assisting in the professional development of their supervisees, and assist with innovation and evaluation efforts. In addition to supervising staff attorneys, the supervisor will maintain a partial caseload, provide brief advice and services, mentor and train volunteer pro bono attorneys, and lead specific projects as delegated by the Pro Bono Director or Legal Director.

The Pro Bono Program Supervising Attorney reports to the Pro Bono Director.

Duties/Responsibilities

Supervision: Formal Advocacy and Litigation

• Accompany supervisees to court appearances for the first three months of new staff attorneys’ employment, and thereafter at the supervisees’ request or as required in the supervisor’s judgment.
• Review all written pleadings prepared by new staff during their first six months of employment and as needed following that period.
• Provide feedback on court appearances as well as written material, including trial preparation.
• Lead litigation meetings for supervisees.

Supervision: CLC Policy and Protocol Adherence

• Ensure compliance with applicable policies and protocols, including case planning notes, litigation protocol, timekeeping policy, client visitation and contact protocol, and supervision standards.

Supervision: Quality Supervision Meetings

• Conduct regular meetings with their supervisees to brainstorm case strategies and ensure quality of representation.
• Meet regularly with the Pro Bono Director to discuss issues and develop strategies for their cases and those of their supervisees, review supervising tasks and techniques, and assess and plan for professional development and performance.
• Ensure attorneys are spotting and referring cases to the Appellate Team in accordance with the Targeted Appellate Strategy Issue List.

Supervision: Professional Development

• Set annual goals, participate in quarterly goals reviews, and exchange positive and constructive feedback to assist in staff development. 
• Identify supervisees’ strengths and provide support and direction around professional development.
• Identify supervisees’ challenges and formulate plans, timelines, and measures of success to address them.
• Regularly address supervisee performance and planning in supervision with the Pro Bono Director.

Supervision: Personnel Management

• Interview, hire, and train new staff.
• Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Handle discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy.

Supervision: Program Activities

• Attend regular Pro Bono Program team meetings.
• Take a leadership role in program activities as assigned, including trainings and materials.

Case Handling

• Maintain a caseload of approximately fifteen to twenty cases, providing high-quality direct legal representation in custody guardian ad litem and caregiver representation matters.
• Support and handle program intakes as assigned, including provision of brief advice, brief service, and referrals.
• Ensure timely and accurate input of case information into Legal Server and adhere to program logic model to achieve positive outcomes for clients.

Volunteer Pro Bono Support

• Mentor external pro bono volunteer attorneys handling caregiver and custody guardian ad litem cases.
• Develop and conduct pro bono trainings as assigned.

Systemic Work

• Provide support to CLC’s Policy Team in areas of expertise to address the systemic needs of CLC’s clients.
• Participate on court or other external committees as needed and requested by the Pro Bono Director.

Required Skills/Abilities

The position requires a combination of strong legal skills and knowledge, self-reflection, and program and personnel management skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to CLC’s mission and working with low-income communities and clients.
• Cultural humility.
• Experience in legal services or other community lawyering.
• Demonstrated organizational, analytic, teaching, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Intellectual aptitude and curiosity.
• Strong legal analysis, research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.

Education and Experience

• JD and DC Bar membership or immediate eligibility to waive in.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Application Instructions: 

To apply, please submit the following materials in one PDF file: cover letter, resume, writing sample and 3 professional references. Applications may be submitted via mail, fax, or email to:  

Children’s Law Center 

Attn: Pro Bono Supervising Attorney

501 3rd Street NW 

8th Floor 

Washington, D.C. 20001  

Jobs@ChildrensLawCenter.org 

No telephone calls please.

The Children’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and existing employees. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. We invite you to visit us here to learn more about our company and our career opportunities (www.childrenslawcenter.org/join-us).

The Children’s Law Center is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. If you believe that you need accommodation to search for, or apply for, one of our positions please send an email to Jobs@ChildrensLawCenter.org. In your email, please include the accommodation you are requesting and the job title you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request.