Staff Attorney

Description:

Description:
Under the leadership of the Borough Director, the Staff Attorney will work to effectuate the mission of CLC to provide children with a strong and effective voice in legal proceedings. The Staff Attorney will ensure that CLC maintains high standards of representation and client services. In collaboration with paralegals, social workers and a writing unit, Staff Attorneys maintain their own caseloads, taking responsibility for zealous representation from intake through trial.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Conduct interviews with clients and other individuals;
• Handle court appearances;
• Subpoena or otherwise obtain all necessary documentation in order to prepare cases;
• Maintain comprehensive and well-organized case files on case management system;
• Regularly handle intake, comprehensively prepare cases for conference, negotiation or trial;
• Analyze legal issues, develop legal strategy and facilitate its implementation;
• Properly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a case;
• Explore alternatives to litigation and negotiate the best possible resolution for clients;
• Collaborate with the Writing, Social Work, Paralegal and Client Services teams to best represent CLC clients;
• Communicate with other disciplines in a timely manner, as necessary;
• With supervisory support, evaluate conflicting demands and prioritize workload;
• Regularly and appropriately respond to client, community and staff concerns;
• Attend training sessions pertinent to practice; and
• Perform other duties as requested.

Position Requirements:
Key Qualifications and Competencies

• Admitted to practice law in New York State
• Demonstrated skills in advocacy, cultural competence, mediation and interviewing
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest and policy
• Knowledge of family court, custody, domestic violence and child welfare
• Demonstrated experience teaming with colleagues to find solutions to complex situations
• Superb interpersonal skills, effective communication skills (written and verbal), time management, and organizational skills
• Curiosity and eagerness to continue learning new skills and grow professionally and take an optimistic approach to new challenges
• Proven ability to work independently with excellent judgment, diplomacy, professionalism and able to prioritize requests, track and manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet deadlines;
• Demonstrated ability to exercise complete discretion when working with confidential and sensitive information;
• Desire to work in a busy organization that represents children.

---