Managing Attorney

Overview

Department: Family Support & Advocacy Center (FSAC)

Reports to: Director of Strategic Initiatives

Compensation: Reflects qualifications and credentials. This position is grant funded for a 2-year period with the possibility of extension contingent on funding. If the contract is not extended, the staff member can return to their current or a comparable position, if they remain in good standing.

CLC is seeking a dynamic managing attorney to lead the Family Support & Advocacy Center (FSAC), a legal services program focused on preventing young families from entering the child welfare system. FSAC is an innovative, grant-funded program serving adults who were previously involved with the child welfare system as children and are now parents at risk of their own children entering the system.

FSAC was established to respond to the alarming number of parents with dependency court cases who had been in the system as children themselves. FSAC’s mission aligns with CLC’s strategic efforts toward reducing the overall child welfare population. FSAC is CLC’s first program serving former foster youth and is a big step forward toward breaking the intergenerational cycle of foster care.

In its approximately 3 years of operation, FSAC has seen overwhelming success in keeping young families together, with over 90% of clients served avoiding separation and trauma.

Your Impact on the Mission – Excellence in Advocacy

• FSAC’s Managing Attorney will be responsible for directly supervising FSAC’s staff and leading FSAC’s provision of services, which includes:
• Focused interventions to support and stabilize families, including early advocacy during the investigatory phase to prevent dependency court involvement
• Legal interventions in areas including family law and housing to address urgent needs
• Connection to services to stabilize the family, such as mental health treatment, substance abuse programs, and more
• The Managing Attorney plays an important role in building and maintaining strong relationships with other service providers engaged in prevention work, as well as system partners in child welfare, including the child welfare agency (DCFS) and parents’ counsel (LADL).
• The Managing Attorney will be expected to carry a small caseload and potentially recruit and supervise pro-bono attorneys or other legal volunteers.
• The Managing Attorney will be available to provide “Know Your Rights” and/or “Dependency 101” trainings to community partners.
• The Managing Attorney will undergo continuous learning by staying informed and adapting evolving social dynamics to better engage and support clients from all backgrounds.
• As this is a grant-funded program, this position will require ensuring comprehensive and accurate data tracking in the program’s case management program (Legal Server) as well as assistance with grant applications and grant reports. There will also be engagement in CLC’s policy and advocacy efforts to create more sustainable government funding for CLC’s prevention work.

• A minimum of 5 years of legal experience, a Juris Doctor degree, and a member in good standing of the State Bar of California.
• Experience practicing law in dependency and/or a related field such as family law (especially related to issues of domestic violence) and prior work with low-income communities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent time management skills, accountability, problem solving, principled decision-making, and critical thinking ability.
• Strong record of prior supervisory, training, or management experience.
• The highest standards of ethical and professional conduct.
• Interest & proficiency in working with children & youth in diverse communities.
• An ability to effectively and respectfully communicate with children, teens, their families, caregivers and the public.
• Ability to maintain effective relationships with attorneys, staff, management team, service providers, and other child welfare professionals.
• Working knowledge of the Los Angeles County child welfare system – and/or experience navigating the DCFS investigative process -…