Managing Attorney - Energy Unit, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia

About the role

Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is looking for an inspiring lawyer to lead its Energy Unit. This position is an amazing opportunity for someone who is passionate about justice for low-income people and who has broad advocacy and leadership experience or potential. The Managing Attorney is part of CLS’s Legal Management team and will join a legal unit with a known track record of success on both the individual and systemic levels.

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 (over 80 lawyers and 180 staff overall), 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.

The Energy Unit includes seven (7) staff working in two offices. The Unit advocates zealously so that people have access to affordable water, heat, and electricity in their homes. The Energy Unit uses a cutting-edge, varied toolkit to increase access to affordable utility service for low-income Philadelphians, engaging in client representation, strategic litigation, multi-party administrative litigation, administrative and legislative advocacy at all levels of government, and media outreach and strategic communications. We also serve as Philadelphia’s Public Advocate in some utility issues, protecting the interests of consumers in rate setting and other proceedings. And in a growing area of focus, the Energy Unit works with community groups and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of low-income people are centered in the climate and environmental justice movements. Our innovative work promotes health, safety, and housing stability in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Energy Unit’s advocacy and provision of legal services, overseeing intake, individual case representation, systemic policy work and litigation, communications, and community education and outreach.
• Provide leadership support, supervision, and mentorship for Energy Unit members.
• Advocacy and Issue Leadership:
  • Use a wide array of legal tools, including policy and legislative advocacy, community education, and litigation to support multifaceted impact advocacy campaigns and racial justice advocacy.
  • Engage with legal services leaders, programs, and the overall advocacy community to advance a policy advocacy agenda at the local, state, regional, and national levels.
  • Collaborate with other CLS units around areas of substantive overlap (e.g., Housing, language access, income supports, etc.).
  • Provide advice and representation to a small caseload of individual clients.
  • Engage in and co-counsel policy work (administrative and legislative), appellate work, complex and major litigation, and other special projects with Unit members.
• Team Leadership And Management:
  • Work with the Director of Supervision and Professional Development and with supervisors within the Unit to strengthen supervision skills and to ensure opportunities for professional development for all Unit members.
  • Directly supervise staff, including hiring, mentoring, completing performance evaluations, and supporting supervisees’ substantive legal work.
  • Work collaboratively with Unit members and upper management to jointly develop, implement, and supervise litigation and/or advocacy strategies to address systemic legal problems.
• Stakeholder And Partner Relationships:
  • Build, strengthen, and maintain relationships with directly impacted community members and stakeholders, agency heads and elected officials.
  • Work in coalition with other legal, non-profit, and community-based advocacy organizations to collectively advance the Unit’s and CLS’s advocacy objectives.
  • Oversee and coordinate CLS’s contracts, grants and related relationships that involve the Energy Unit, participate in fundraising, and identify opportunities for resource development and media relations.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or ability to become licensed.
• Experience working with low-income and/or hard-to-reach people from a variety of backgrounds while demonstrating cultural humility.
• Commitment to working with diverse populations, advocating for racial and economic justice, and public interest.
• Excellent research, writing, and advocacy skills.
• Willingness to learn and use new software, technology, case management systems, etc.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Qualifications

• Seven or more years of experience as a practicing attorney
• Experience as a supervisor or team manager
• Experience with energy/utility law or advocacy.
• Experience in a legal services or non-profit environment.

Benefits

• 100% employer paid medical insurance for employees and family
• Coverage for gender affirming care
• Life insurance
• Short/long-term disability benefits
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Generous leave package

Pay

Salary range is $96,000 to $120,000 depending on skills and experience.

Schedule

This is a full-time exempt position. CLS offers a hybrid work environment where staff work both in the office and remotely each week. The Managing Attorney may be required to work in the office more frequently. This position carries a six (6) month probationary period.