Managing Attorney - TeamChild

Agency Name: TeamChild

Position / Job Title : Managing Attorney

Location: Yakima, WA

Category : Attorney 

Job Description: WHO WE ARE

TeamChild is a nationally recognized nonprofit legal aid organization serving youth across Washington State, with office locations in Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima and Spokane. TeamChild’s mission is to uphold the rights of youth involved, or at risk of involvement, in the juvenile legal system to help them secure the education, healthcare, housing and other support they need to achieve positive outcomes in their lives. 
TeamChild achieves impact through three main program strategies: civil legal services, training and consultation, and policy advocacy. Our broad impact goals include (1) decriminalization, decarceration, and abolition, (2) expanding and investing in community-led and community-based alternatives and resources, (3) increasing equitable access to education, healthcare and housing supports, and (4) shifting power and repairing harm in BIPOC communities. 

At the core of our work is our legal services program, which reaches youth 12-24 years old in four of Washington’s largest counties as well as youth incarcerated in our state’s juvenile prison and community facilities. Our clients are youth and young adults entangled in our juvenile court and child welfare systems who deserve quality civil legal advocacy to achieve housing security, access education and employment, and get their basic health and other needs met. 

At TeamChild we believe that racial and other social identities should be respected and affirmed. In support of this belief, we are building an equitable and inclusive organization and providing our team of staff and Board members with the tools to address institutionalized racism and other forms of oppression. All members of our team are responsible for providing and supporting an equitable and inclusive work environment that will enrich our interactions with each other and our services. This responsibility provides the foundation for shifting power to the youth and families that we serve so their needs are justly represented, and their goals amply fulfilled. 

THE ROLE 

Managing Attorneys are responsible for day-to-day management and supervision of local office operations and directly report to TeamChild’s Director of Legal Services. Managing Attorneys must work directly with their attorney and program staff to support their development and skills at TeamChild while also carrying a caseload. Managing Attorneys are supported by the Director of Legal Services and also work with each other and with the Executive Team. Managing Attorneys provide leadership within their local office and community to ensure high quality services, to create a cohesive work environment including linkages to other offices, and to build strong community partnerships that advance local and statewide goals.

There is flexibility in this position for some remote work and work from our Yakima Office. TeamChild staff have mostly continued to work remotely due to the pandemic. When it is safe, we anticipate some planning and work from the office. This position involves travel in order to meet with clients and community. 

The Yakima office is currently hiring for one attorney position—either a managing attorney or staff attorney. Both options are posted, please indicate if you are interested in being considered for both positions. 

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervises and supports local office staff, which includes: 
o Facilitating and directly supporting the onboarding of new staff, volunteers, and interns 
o Ensuring case management, support, and oversight of staff, volunteers, and interns 
o Supporting training and professional/leadership development needs of local office staff 
o Co-counseling cases with Staff Attorneys 
o Learning about and applying innovative and collaborative models of management and leadership 
o Cultivating a transparent and collaborative work environment 
o Facilitating collaborative development and implementation of local office work plan, including determining caseloads, that ties into TeamChild’s mission and statewide impact goals 
o Facilitating collaborative development and implementation of outreach, training, and community engagement for local office 
o Communicating and advocating for staff needs, concerns, and suggestions to the Executive Team 
o Assisting with performance evaluations and staff recognition 
o Approving timesheets, vacation request and expenses 
o Encouraging and modeling self-care and work-life balance 
• Maintains continuous communication with Executive Team about the needs of the Yakima County team, including: 
o Administrative needs, such as office space location, lease arrangements, supplies, and technology  
o Human resources, including staffing needs, supervision and support needs of staff 
o Program needs, such as fund development or substantive needs of the community and clients
o Communications needs, such as press inquiries, public announcements, and social media 
o Budgeting, including coordination with Yakima team and Executive Team to develop and implement a budget for the Yakima County program 
o Ensuring the local team is informed and included in these processes 
• Models, centers and upholds TeamChild’s shared values. 
• Adheres to Teamchild’s anti-racism principles. 
• Participates in hiring, termination, and promotion, special designation or assignment of employees and interns, including law students, summer clerks, and temporary employees. 
• Identifies and helps develop funding opportunities that support local efforts and advocacy needs including building and maintaining local relationships and coordinates closely with Executive Team and staff on grant proposals, individual giving, special project needs and events, fellowship opportunities, etc. 
• Works with Operations and Investments/Partnerships Teams to manage local contracts and funding applications. Collaborates to ensure contract expectations align with our work and that staff and activities are completed and documented to meet contract deliverables and deadlines. 
• Negotiates contracts and grant applications with county, state and other funders on behalf of the Yakima team. 
• Maintains an appropriate client case load dependent on the number/size of local office staff and their supervision needs. 
• Develops content expertise in substantive areas of law that we regularly practice, including civil rights, criminal law and procedure, post-conviction, family law, access to services and public benefits, and education law. 
• Participates in internal work groups at TeamChild regarding hiring, policies, retreats, and other internal functions and collective agency work. 

IDEAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS 

We are seeking candidates who are committed to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression and are passionate about supporting young people. We seek candidates who are willing to go beyond the traditional attorney role to move towards cultivating holistic advocacy models to identify and execute creative—and sometimes non-legal—strategies alongside youth. Candidates should work well both independently and as a team member, be respectful and passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds, enjoy creative problem solving, and value the creation of relationships across disciplines. Additional qualifications include: 

• Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or limited admission to practice pending admission to the Washington State Bar Association; 
• Must have a valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the county to meet client and agency needs (TeamChild provides mileage reimbursement or car rental options for travel);
• Exceptional legal skills, preferably in the relevant areas of law including school discipline/special education, public health care, public benefits, re-entry issues, delinquency, child welfare, or other areas of youth related law; 
• Demonstrated competence working with young people, especially adolescents, and diverse people and communities; 
• Compassion and empathy in working with youth from all backgrounds and situations;
• High level of integrity; commitment to following the Rules of Professional Conduct and upholding ethical standards, including client confidentiality and zealous advocacy for client-directed goals; 
• Demonstrated alignment with TeamChild values: Centering Youth, Anti-Racism, Wholeness, Accountability; 
• Anti-racist analysis and commitment to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression; 
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people with varying perspectives, experience, and expertise;
• Strong initiative, creativity, and problem-solving abilities and thrives in a work environment that nurtures growth, exploration and innovation; 
• Willingness to develop relationship with communities, county/community service providers, funders, government entities, and other legal services;
• Committed to innovative leadership and collaborative team decision making; 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with community stakeholders (other advocates and social service providers) and co-workers. Our attorneys must be adept at forging relationships with our clients, our client communities, and the various advocates and social providers our clients access;
• Strong organizational, technology (case management systems, Microsoft Suite), and project management skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Oral Spanish language proficiency (listening and speaking) strongly preferred, written skills recommended.  
• Legal advocacy skills, including administrative hearing and civil litigation experience, negotiation, clear and persuasive writing, and oral presentation preferred. 
• Experience providing high quality training, supervision, and mentoring of students, volunteers, program staff, and attorneys strongly preferred;
• Experience living or working in Yakima or a community of similar size and demographic make-up preferred.
• Personal connection with our client communities preferred, including lived experience with juvenile court, criminal court, foster care, homelessness and special education.

CULTURE

TeamChild is a unique, values-driven organization that is boldly committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that supports collaboration, inclusion, shared-accountability, distributed power and non-hierarchical operations. At its core, TeamChild fights for effective solutions and community-driven strategies that nurture and develop the health and wellbeing of young people, instead of exclusion and incarceration. Individuals who work for TeamChild are naturally aligned with the following: 

● A commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectional equity analysis.
● A focus on relationship building.
● An ability to listen with an open mind and a deep commitment to including and respecting diverse viewpoints.
● Values collaboration and inclusive decision-making.
● A proactive, passionate, and collaborative attitude.
● A foundation of self-awareness that provides space for learning and growth.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

TeamChild is committed to providing employees with a competitive salary and benefits package. Salary is based on the TeamChild attorney salary scale and the candidate’s years of relevant experience. The salary range is $64,272 to $95,018. For example, a managing attorney with 10 years of relevant experience would start in this position with a base salary of $77,957 with an additional $5,000 added for direct supervision of up to three employees. Attorneys whose legal experience would place them below $75,000 may be credited for additional years of experience based upon the attorney’s lived experience with systems of oppression reflective of our clients’ experiences. This person will supervise two employees directly. 

TeamChild offers full benefits including medical, dental, vision, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), generous paid time off, long-and short-term disability, life insurance, and options to set up Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and 403b retirement accounts. TeamChild offers an annual $1,000 wellbeing benefit, as well. 

LIVING AND WORKING IN THE BEAUTIFUL YAKIMA VALLEY 

Yakima is located just east of the Cascade Mountains and is known as the Heart of Central Washington, with an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, and comprised of a diverse community. The population of Yakima County is 47.7% Hispanic, 45% White, and 3.64% Native American. Approximately 40.3% of the people of Yakima County speak a language other than English. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation tribe, whose reservation is located south of the city. Yakima is Washington State’s leader in value of the fruits, vegetables, grains, and other agricultural products produced by the region’s farmers and is known as one of the world’s leading producers of apples. Access to the outdoors, diverse culture, and a lower cost of living are just some of the benefits to enjoy while living and working in this rural community. 

TO APPLY

Please email a concise letter of interest, resume, and legal writing sample to jobs@teamchild.org using the following file naming convention: “[Last Name] - Letter” and [Last Name] - Resume” and [Last Name] - Writing Sample.” Please write “Managing Attorney—Yakima County” and your last name in the subject line and let us know how you learned of this position. No phone calls or email inquiries please. We will review applications on a rolling basis. Position open until filled. Before submitting your application, please check TeamChild’s website to make sure that this position is still open.

All interested individuals, including people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or intersex are particularly urged to apply. TeamChild is an Equal Opportunity Employer. TeamChild is committed to promoting an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices for its clients, Board, and staff.

Link to Application: http://teamchild.org/careers/

Other Relevant Links: http://teamchild.org