JOB DESCRIPTION

Associate Managing Attorney

Los Angeles Regional Office

 
PAI is a scent-free environment

SALARY (Depending on Experience):

$5,906-$7,920/month; $70,872-$95,040/yea

FRINGE BENEFITS:

PROTECTION & ADVOCACY, INC.(PAI) provides a generous benefit package that includes: medical; dental; flexible spending accounts (e.g., medical and dependent care); basic life, short and long-term disability insurances; voluntary vision, supplemental life and long-term care; paid holiday, sick, and vacation time-off; and a significant company contribution to the retirement plan. More about PAI benefits ...

AGENCY DESCRIPTION:

PAI is a well-established innovative non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the rights of Californians with disabilities. PAI works to achieve fairness and justice for people with disabilities through quality representation, advocacy, investigations of abuse and neglect, peer/self advocacy services, community partnerships, legislative and regulatory advocacy work, education and outreach. Our legal work includes individual and impact litigation.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Associate Managing Attorney shares responsibility with other legal and advocacy staff for providing information, technical assistance, outreach and training and representation in administrative and judicial proceedings to clients with disabilities. The Associate Managing Attorney works under the direct supervision of the Managing Attorney and in collaboration with other PAI attorneys and advocates in their legal, advocacy, and outreach efforts.

The Associate Managing Attorney provides law reform leadership and mentoring in one or more substantive issue areas and participates in and/or leads impact litigation.  The Associate Managing Attorney directly supervises and mentors two to four regional office attorneys or advocacy staff.  The Associate Managing Attorney serves as a member of the regional office management team assisting in regional office planning, staff development and day to day office management.

This position specializes in public benefits advocacy (Social Security, Medi-Cal, IHSS and other such programs designed to provide support to individuals with disabilities).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Provide information and short-term assistance to PAI clients.
  2. Represent clients in negotiations, mediations and judicial and administrative proceedings.
  3. Lead and/or participate in impact litigation.
  4. Lead PAI teams in litigation or major policy advocacy including targeted representation, complex litigation and/or appeals, or major policy advocacy at the state level, including reviewing and drafting legislation and regulations.
  5. Engage in community-based advocacy, outreach, and training to disability communities and organizations, particularly to underserved communities.
  6. Prepare or coordinate training materials, publications, reports, or special projects, or make presentations about legal work as necessary, including reports to funding entities and PAI’s Board of Directors.
  7. Assist with PAI organizational development and planning, including the planning and development of PAI’s Advocacy Services Plan, and participate in statewide and regional teams, usually including two substantive Workgroups.
  8. Supervise and mentor the work of 2-4 staff attorneys, advocates and other staff in regional offices, as assigned.
  9. Provide technical assistance and substantive training to other regional office PAI staff in areas of expertise, and participate in the identification and development of substantive and skills-based training for staff, with a primary focus on staff in the regional office.
  10. Participate with other agencies and organizations to address recurring problems and issues in the provision of services to clients.
  11. Identify complex legal challenges and initiate needed law reform activities and impact work.
  12. Monitor, summarize, and analyze case law, legislation, and administrative policy and practices for PAI staff and other organizations.
  13. Lead or co-lead a work team with an emphasis on assisting the team in developing and implementing strategies to accomplish work team goals.
  14. Participate as a member of the regional office management team, including assisting the Managing Attorney with day-to-day management of the regional office, and assuming primary responsibility for office management tasks as assigned by the Managing Attorney.
  15. Assist with agency-wide management responsibilities as assigned.
  16. Possess or develop knowledge and skill in the legal practice area of public benefits advocacy (Social Security, Medi-Cal, IHSS and other such programs designed to provide support to individuals with disabilities).
  17. Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants MUST meet EACH of the minimum qualifications to be considered for an interview.

  1. J.D. Degree.
  2. California State Bar membership; or eligible to practice under the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program (admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for three years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program, and required admittance to the California Bar within three years.)
  3. 3a. Four years experience as an attorney in the practice of public interest law or five years experience as an attorney directly representing clients in administrative hearings and litigation.  Judicial clerkships or externships may be counted as up to one year of legal experience.
    3b. Three years experience in employee supervision and management, and demonstrated interpersonal skills.
  4. Ability to conduct research and analyses of pertinent legal authority.
  5. Ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative solutions.
  6. Effective communication skills sufficient to represent clients in legal hearings, meetings, negotiations or administrative proceedings, to actively promote legal, policy and legislative developments at state and local government levels, and to develop and conduct trainings.
  7. Experience working with or sensitivity to individuals with disabilities.
  8. Experience working with or sensitivity to individuals from ethnic or language distinct communities.
  9. The ability to work independently with appropriate supervision.
  10. Demonstrated leadership in litigation or public policy advocacy including the ability to head litigation or advocacy teams.
  11. Expertise and ability to provide leadership in one or more substantive areas of importance to people with disabilities.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. Knowledge of laws, rights, and services as they pertain to people with disabilities, and/or direct representation of people with disabilities.
  2. Experience in client representation and impact litigation, particularly in public interest and civil rights law.
  3. Ability to read, write and speak Spanish or an Asian language, or ability to communicate using American Sign Language, with sufficient fluency to do client intakes and conduct trainings.
  4. Experience in the disability rights movement and/or extensive contacts in the disability community.
  5. Experience with and/or extensive contacts in ethnic or language distinct communities.
  6. Familiarity and/or extensive contacts with one or more of the following: homelessness, criminal justice, substance abuse or Gay/Lesbian/Bi-Sexual/Transgender/Intersex (LGBTI) communities.

APPLY TO:

Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
100 Howe Avenue, Suite 185N
Sacramento, CA 95825
Jobline: (916) 658-2659

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Open Until Filled. If you wish to be considered in the current, and potentially final, round of interviews, applications should be received no later than May 9, 2008.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

IMPORTANT: In order to be considered for this position, applicants MUST submit the following documents. If ANY of the following documents are not provided, your application for employment will be rejected.

If due to a disability you need an accommodation to complete any of the following, please contact our Recruiter @ 916.488.9955 for assistance.

To be considered for this position, applicants MUST submit the following items 1-6 below:

  1. PAI Employment Application.
  2. Resume
  3. Three professional references
  4. Cover Letter which MUST indicate:
    1. your personal and professional motivation for seeking this position
    2. a discussion of how you meet EACH OF THE MINIMUM and ANY OF THE DESIRABLE qualifications for this position. If your letter does not contain a specific description of how you meet the minimum qualifications, your application may NOT be considered.
  5. Sample of legal writing (i.e., a legal argument, letter or analysis) consisting of no more than 10 pages of text.
  6. List of significant litigation.
  7. EEO Data Survey, this form is optional and is not required to be considered for this position.

Protection and Advocacy, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, race or disability.

We value diversity of culture, disability and other life experiences, and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. PAI endorses and supports the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing act (FEHA) and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees who need accommodations.