Supervising Attorney - Housing Unit

The Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts LLC. (JCSM), a subsidiary of South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS), seeks to hire a Supervising Attorney to work within its robust and dynamic housing unit. The housing unit is committed to ensuring that individuals and families throughout southeast Massachusetts have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. The housing unit furthers this mission through the provision of high-quality direct representation to individuals in summary process (eviction) proceedings, challenges to public and subsidized housing denials, and termination of housing benefits matters. The unit also represents individuals by affirmatively filing legal actions to ensure safe and habitable housing, to remediate discriminatory conduct, and to recover terminated subsidies. In addition to direct representation, the housing unit engages in appellate advocacy, community outreach and education, and staffs the Lawyer for the Day Program in the MetroSouth Housing Court.

The Organization: SCCLS and the JCSM, a growing non-profit civil legal aid program, provides quality legal representation to low-income and other vulnerable residents of Southeastern MA, Cape Cod & Islands. SCCLS’ core mission is to achieve justice for eligible clients through community-based advocacy. The organization prioritizes legal services in housing, public benefits, elder law, domestic relations, employment, education, immigration, and consumer matters. The organization’s law offices are in Hyannis, New Bedford, Fall River, and Brockton.

We seek attorneys committed to seeking racial and economic justice for low-income communities through the provision of high-quality client centered legal representation. This is an excellent opportunity to join an organization of supportive, creative colleagues who work hard to provide life-changing legal representation for the most vulnerable persons in our communities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Mentor and supervise housing unit advocacy staff providing high quality direct legal representation in housing matters and addressing underlying systemic issues related to housing;
2. Assign case work to housing unit advocacy staff in adherence with unit protocols and priorities; monitor staff caseloads to ensure appropriate levels of case work in conjunction with systemic work;
3. Maintain a small and strategic caseload;
4. Working with organizational leadership to develop the housing law expertise of the housing unit staff; assist in developing/revising standards of practice and ensure adherence to program and case handling standards, funder requirements and the highest professional standards using regular case review and other supervision standards and practices to develop the skills of the advocacy staff and ensure their professional development;
5. Effectively engage with the organization’s leadership team, advocacy staff, community groups and organizations, and the statewide justice community to develop and manage strategic initiatives, community needs assessments, and to respond to emerging trends and changing policies affecting clients with housing issues;
6. Identify and lead systemic litigation, appellate work, and policy advocacy that is client- and community-centered to jointly address the most intractable housing injustice policies and practices;
7. Work with appropriate staff to pursue new funding opportunities, prepare grant applications and reports, and monitor compliance; other responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director or other designated supervisor.

Qualifications:

1. Admitted in MA or eligible for admission; minimum 5 years of legal practice with substantive expertise in housing law issues; understanding or experience with intersecting systems affecting client communities.
2. Significant experience with advocacy in a variety of forums including federal, state, and appellate courts, administrative agencies and/or legislative bodies; ability and will to lead and advance the housing law practice.
3. Strong leadership and mentoring skills, along with a leadership style that inspires and encourages professional growth in others; demonstrated ability to supervise across differences.
4. Demonstrated ability to identify and respond to emerging issues and policies affecting familial and economic stability in particular for low-income families.
5. Ability to foster inclusivity, equity and humility when working with clients, colleagues and in supervising staff at the intersection of multiple identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, immigration status, religion, physical and mental disability, and/or limited English proficiency.
6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
7. Capacity to facilitate groups and meetings equitably with a framework that embraces race equity principles.
8. Commitment to race equity, anti-racism and economic justice in the workplace and in providing legal services; prior racial justice and/or systemic-focused experience required.
9. Ability to engage effectively in person and remotely with people from diverse cultures, with diverse opinions and values, including staff, volunteers, students, community members and funders.
10. Fluency in a second language which reflects our client communities (Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer) desirable.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salary range is $86,500 - $113,000, with increases based on experience and is based on a collective bargaining agreement scale enhanced for supervisory role, includes yearly standard increases, multi-lingual annual increment for demonstrated language skills. This position is not part of the collective bargaining unit. Starting Benefits package: health and dental with supplemental coverage, life insurance, disability, flexible spending account, 403(b), loan forgiveness. Generous paid leave including sick, vacation, personal and holidays.

APPLY:

Submit letter of interest, resume and legal writing sample by email to: LThelin@sccls.org with Subject Line: Supv Atty Housing. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

South Coastal Counties Legal Services and its subsidiary are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to foster a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered and recognized.