Managing Attorney

Department: Family Support & Advocacy Center (FSAC)

Reports to: Director of Strategic Initiatives 

Salary: $130,000-$170,000 (compensation reflective of 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.

Job Snapshot

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:

1. Focused interventions to support and stabilize families, including early advocacy during the investigatory phase to prevent dependency court involvement
2. Legal interventions in areas including family law and housing to address urgent needs
3. 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 (LegalServer) 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.

The Assets You Possess/Essential Qualifications

• 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 - is a significant plus. 

Perks + Benefits Employees of CLC Enjoy:

Health + Wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Program
• Company-Sponsored Benefits (Medical, Dental, Life Insurance) *
• Up to 6% employer matched retirement plan*
• Generous Parental Leave + Additional Leave Options* 
• Fitness/Wellness Program*
• Health Care & Dependent Day Care FSA * 
• Transit + Parking Benefits * 

Growth + Development

• Durfee Professional Development funds are available for all employees, in good standing, who have been with CLC for at least two years.

Flexibility + Additional 

• Flexible working environment (depending on position requirements)
• Paid vacation/sick/holiday time
• CLC will pay the current year’s mandatory bar dues for all attorneys actively employed on the date bar dues are owed and who have no known plans to end employment with CLC within 30 days of the due date. CLC will also pay bar dues for new admittees who are actively employed on their initial payment due date and have no known plans to end employment with CLC within 30 days of the due date. 

* Must meet eligibility requirements upon open enrollment

About CLC

CLC is the largest children's legal services organization in the nation, advocating for tens of thousands of children and youth in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County foster care systems. We are a powerful voice for our clients, fighting in and out of the courtroom for family reunification, permanence, educational opportunity, health and mental health services, self-sufficiency, and overall well-being. We want all of California’s children to have the support they need to succeed. We work to accomplish this goal through direct legal representation for children, multidisciplinary advocacy and support, and public policy.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commitment : All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, individual with disability, medical condition, marital status, ancestry, military status, veteran status, protected veteran status, genetics or any other legally protected group status or non-job related characteristic of an individual as directed by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity—Reasonable Accommodation Assistance: Children’s Law Center of California is committed to maintaining an environment of equal opportunity. If you need a reasonable accommodation to access the information provided by this organization, please contact [email protected] further assistance regarding job postings.