Family Advocacy Unit Staff Attorney

About the role

Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is a non-profit public interest agency providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area, CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities. We provide high quality direct legal representation, engage in systemic policy advocacy with the goal of effectuating broad-based change, and conduct community education and outreach. CLS has ten legal units covering a wide range of civil legal services. CLS’s Family Advocacy Unit (FAU) seeks a staff attorney. This exciting and demanding position combines courtroom representation of individual parents with systems and policy advocacy to improve outcomes for vulnerable families in the child welfare system.

Responsibilities

• Courtroom representation of individual parents
• Systems and policy advocacy to improve outcomes for vulnerable families in the child welfare system
• Significant courtroom advocacy with a heavy focus on high-quality client representation
• Zealous representation of parents involved with the Philadelphia child welfare system in their effort to maintain or regain custody of their children
• Providing high quality representation through an interdisciplinary team model for parents facing complex issues including domestic violence, addiction, mental health problems, poverty, housing issues, and utility issues
• Engaging in non-litigation focused advocacy, including policy, administrative and legislative advocacy, as well as organizing and teaching community and professional education sessions
• Providing supervision and support to paralegals, social workers, parent peer partners, and interns who are providing advice, brief service, and some representation

Requirements

• 2 years litigation experience preferred; will consider clinic or moot court experience for outstanding candidates
• Excellent oral advocacy skills
• Excellent legal research and writing skills
• Experience and ability to work with low-income and vulnerable individuals
• Excellent work ethic, organization, and communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest work
• Experience and interest in policy and other forms of advocacy
• High level commitment to racial justice advocacy
• Strong networking