Supervising Attorney

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA VIP

Philadelphia VIP is a nonprofit that recruits and supports volunteer attorneys to represent low-income Philadelphians who face critical legal issues but cannot afford a lawyer.

Since 1981, VIP has been the hub of pro bono in Philadelphia, annually supporting over 1,000 volunteers assisting hundreds of low-income clients in four priority areas: preventing homelessness, preserving income, supporting family stability, and promoting community economic development. Our staff of nineteen consists of attorneys, case managers, and other professionals and is highly collaborative, creative, and passionate about our capacity-building model of service. VIP values a diverse work environment and encourages people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people with disabilities to apply.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Managing Attorney and serving on the Management Team, the Supervising Attorney supervises team members and supports volunteer attorneys and low-income clients facing critical legal problems in a range of areas of civil law and procedure, including but not limited to homeownership, debt collection, guardianship, family law, and torts, with a particular emphasis on overseeing our work with small businesses and nonprofits in community economic development and estate planning.

The position is full-time (38-40 hours/week) and exempt, with a salary range of $78,000-$85,000 and an outstanding team atmosphere. VIP’s generous benefits include medical and dental insurance (with employee medical premium fully paid by VIP); a 403(b) plan with employer contributions; short-and long-term disability and life insurance; an Employee Assistance Program; flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care; industry-leading paid time off, including substantial vacation and sick time, 12+ paid holidays, and paid parental leave; an individual budget for professional development; and alternative work arrangements, including generous telework hours and scheduling flexibility.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

A strong Supervising Attorney candidate will demonstrate: a sound commitment to VIP’s mission of serving others by leveraging the power of volunteerism; strong management and leadership skills; interest in access to justice for individual and organizational clients; and a drive to develop relationships in the Philadelphia community to help further VIP’s work. Further qualifications include:

• Pennsylvania Bar License and graduate of an accredited law school
• Minimum 3 years of legal work experience and at least 6 years of total full-time work experience
• Experience supervising others, and comfort with providing constructive feedback
• Strong written and oral communication skills and demonstrated capacity to build relationships with individuals from diverse professional and personal backgrounds
• Collaborative: is receptive to and acts on feedback, is able to lead and grow projects, and contributes effectively to projects led by others
• Strong analytical skills, including ability to use data to inform program direction
• Close attention to detail, organized, and able to manage personal workload while effectively overseeing supervisee workloads
• Experience assisting low-income clients and pro bono volunteers preferred, but not required

KEY FUNCTIONS

Oversee VIP’s Community Economic Development and Estate Planning projects:

• Work closely with team members who run the day-to-day operations of these projects.
• Track metrics to assess program outcomes and staff performance, including initiating inquiries into key data points and developing next steps in response.
• In collaboration with team members, establish and maintain relationships with external partners, including other community organizations and City agencies.
• Proactively seek opportunities for growth to further VIP’s strategic and quantitative goals in these projects.

Supervise legal team members and lead the volunteer engagement and case management process:

• Train, supervise, and evaluate direct reports in all aspects of their work, including client/case preparation, volunteer engagement, and clinics or trainings.
• Assess new intakes for eligibility, urgency, legal merit, and suitability for a volunteer. Assign eligible cases to staff members for preparation and placement with a volunteer attorney.
• Provide encouraging, timely assistance to volunteer attorneys on substantive and procedural legal issues, case support services, and client interaction.
• Develop thorough understanding of legal issues in VIP cases, with particular focus on homeownership (tangled title), estate planning, and community economic development matters.
• Monitor case progress by seeking, reviewing, and following up on periodic status reports from staff, volunteers, and clients. Ensure timely and thorough case closures.
• Work to improve policies and procedures to support volunteers in their pro bono service, collaborating with other legal services agencies, courts, and government officials as needed.

Recruit and retain volunteer attorneys in private practice to fulfill VIP’s mission:

• Proactively develop new sources of potential volunteers, including by assisting with planning and executing recruitment events and presentations.
• Actively strengthen partnerships with current volunteers in a diverse array of practice settings and participate in volunteer recognition efforts and events.
• Organize and conduct trainings, CLEs, orientations, and other events for volunteer attorneys. Regularly update training materials and volunteer resources.
• Attend regular meetings and perform all other duties, as assigned.

HOW TO APPLY

Email cover letter, resume, and references, to Nadav Carmel, Director of Operations, at jobs@phillyvip.org. References will not be contacted without prior permission from candidate. No calls, please.

What to include in your cover letter: All cover letters should include a salary requirement and potential start date.

Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by October 4, 2024.

VIP prefers to conduct all interviews in person. Candidates should expect to interview in person at VIP’s Center City office for a 2nd round interview, at minimum, during October 2024.

PHILADELPHIA VIP IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER