Job Description
Maryland Legal Aid seeks an innovative and experienced leader to serve as Chief Attorney for its newly created Workers’ Rights Unit in the Baltimore City office. The Chief Attorney will design and lead the Unit’s training, supervision, and structure to ensure high-quality legal representation for low-wage workers. Maryland Legal Aid’s workers’ rights advocacy seeks to expand its direct services practice to focus on issues impacting low-wage workers, such as wage disputes, worker misclassification, workplace conditions, and improper garnishments. Currently, the unit focuses on barriers to employment including expungement of criminal records and unnecessary license requirements. The Chief Attorney will bring relevant subject-matter experience to expand Maryland Legal Aid’s capacity and expertise to provide representation to low-wage workers. We are piloting this new practice area in Baltimore City with the intention of rolling out the practice throughout our statewide nonprofit legal services law firm. The Chief Attorney will work closely with legal leadership to develop and define our workers’ rights practice across Maryland Legal Aid. In addition to supervising and mentoring attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff, the Chief Attorney will play a vital role in community engagement and organizational leadership, joining the Legal Department’s leadership team to help guide Maryland Legal Aid’s work as a whole. About Maryland Legal Aid: Maryland Legal Aid advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change. Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities – helping to remedy their civil legal issues and become empowered to overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. Maryland Legal Aid also identifies and seeks to remedy systemic barriers. Maryland Legal Aid’s core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children’s rights, consumer protection, securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. Maryland Legal Aid advocates for individuals through the courts, and we engage in impact litigation, communication and outreach, and policy advocacy. Through this holistic approach, Maryland Legal Aid serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and seeks to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide. Responsibilities: Leadership and Planning of the Workers’ Rights Unit With the Chief and Deputy Legal Directors, develop and implement a vision and plan for the work and structure of the Workers’ Rights Unit Working with the Training Department, identify and address initial and ongoing staff training needs to expand the unit’s capacity to represent low-wage workers in relevant Maryland Legal Aid priority areas Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure appropriate client referrals to the unit Develop unit goals and relevant resources, including training materials and practice manuals to develop this practice area Staff Supervision and Development Provide positive leadership, guidance, and supervision to a unit of approximately six staff, including staff and senior attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff, plus periodic law clerk and volunteer support Guide the professional development of staff, including co-counseling of cases, reviewing substantive legal work, and providing meaningful assessments and evaluation of staff and their advocacy efforts, compliance, caseloads, and productivity Conduct case reviews and assign cases to staff consistent with Maryland Legal Aid’s case acceptance guidelines Oversee the administrative needs of the unit, including scheduling, maintenance, and other ad hoc projects In consultation with human resources, lead hiring efforts to attract talented staff who are committed to the mission and work of Maryland Legal Aid Build a cohesive, supportive team that works well with one another, develops objectives and priorities for the unit, and maintains open communication Ensure that effective, culturally responsive legal assistance is provided to low-income clients in an efficient, zealous, client-centered, and compassionate manner Address client issues and grievances Using data and drawing from legal issues arising from direct representation, conduct impactful advocacy designed to address systemic problems affecting individuals and communities living in poverty, with a focus on low-wage workers Encourage