WHO WE ARE
TeamChild achieves impact through three main program strategies: civil legal services, training and consultation, and policy advocacy. Our broad impact goals include (1) decriminalization, decarceration, and abolition, (2) expanding and investing in community-led and community-based alternatives and resources, (3) increasing equitable access to education, healthcare and housing supports, and (4) shifting power and repairing harm in BIPOC communities.
At the core of our work is our legal services program, which reaches youth 12-24 years old in four of Washington’s largest counties as well as youth incarcerated in our state’s juvenile prison and community facilities. Our clients are youth and young adults entangled in our juvenile court and child welfare systems who deserve quality civil legal advocacy to achieve housing security, access education and employment, and get their basic health and other needs met.
CULTURE
TeamChild is a unique, values-driven organization that is boldly committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that supports collaboration, inclusion, shared-accountability, distributed power, and non-hierarchical operations. At its core, TeamChild fights for effective solutions and community-driven strategies that nurture and develop the health and wellbeing of youth, instead of exclusion and incarceration. Individuals who work for TeamChild are naturally aligned with the following:
● A commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectional equity analysis.
● A focus on relationship building.
● An ability to listen with an open mind and a deep commitment to including and respecting diverse viewpoints.
● Values collaboration and inclusive decision-making.
● A proactive, passionate, and collaborative attitude.
● A foundation of self-awareness that provides space for learning and growth.
THE ROLE
TeamChild is seeking a Deputy Director of Legal Services who will be responsible for management and supervision of staff and projects based on the organization and program team needs, which are determined collaboratively. The Deputy Director of Legal Services will be a resource for all four counties where TeamChild is located (King, Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima) and our statewide work representing youth impacted by incarceration in Juvenile Rehabilitation and our statewide education and housing work.
PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Supervision of staff and projects
• Serve as Managing Attorney for specific staff and teams as determined by need. This includes supervising temporary staff attorneys, as well as program teams where there is a vacancy in the Managing Attorney position. Direct supervision assignments will be clear and developed collaboratively with the Director of Legal Services and program teams.
• Create and maintain an accessible resource bank/legal library, including briefs, templates, relevant case law, and other institutional knowledge.
• Support the Director of Legal Services in the development of a coordinated plan for the recruitment of Fellowships/Internships and be available to supervise fellows/interns or to partner with Managing Attorneys and staff to do so as part of professional development.
2. Litigation and case support
• Carry a limited caseload, designed to provide case coverage for teams to address capacity statewide.
• Co-counsel cases with staff to create opportunities for professional development and support, as well as to provide representation in cases that require more complex litigation.
• Provide coverage for Managing Attorneys during vacation, sick and other leaves or during periods of staffing transitions.
• Support Director of Legal Services and Managing Attorneys to oversee organization’s litigation docket, including regular assessment of capacity and meeting support needs of each office and the program overall.
• Assess, communicate, and develop strategy and impact of TeamChild’s legal services program.
• Provide guidance, expertise, and technical assistance on litigation in coordination with Managing Attorneys and Director of Legal Services.
• Support recruitment of pro bono and other litigation support for attorneys/offices and facilitate communication and connection where needed.
• Oversee amicus work in coordination with the Director of Legal Services, Director of Policy and Advocacy, and Executive Director.
3. Training and Consultation
• Lead training and consultation work in partnership with community engagement staff and program teams by coordinating response to training requests, developing know your rights materials, and organizing internal resources to develop these materials.
• Help or oversee and implement the annual professional development schedule and plan for all program staff, including managing attorneys, staff attorneys, and legal assistants, as well as other staff who serve clients. This might include recruiting external trainers and presenters and developing internal training resources, and assisting staff in their ability to train each other.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
TeamChild offers full benefits including medical, dental, vision, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), generous paid time off, long- and short-term disability, life insurance, and options to set up Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and 403b retirement accounts. TeamChild also offers an annual $1,000 wellness benefit to employees.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or willing to seek admission to the Washington State Bar Association.
• Minimum of five years of legal experience, preferably in youth related law, civil legal aid, or public defense.
• Demonstrated commitment to and competency with building meaningful relationships with youth, young adults and communities impacted by the systems in which we are working.
• Demonstrated commitment to standing in relation and accountability to most impacted communities in each of the regions we serve.
• Demonstrated experience providing high-quality training, supervision and interpersonal mentorship.
• Strong legal advocacy and analytical skills. Demonstrated excellence in administrative hearings and civil litigation, negotiation, clear and persuasive writing, and oral presentation.
• Solid analysis of systemic oppression, including institutional racism, and demonstrated commitment to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression.
• Demonstrated experience with anti-racist advocacy.
• Interest in holistic and non-legal advocacy, community or movement lawyering.
• Innovative problem solver and strategic thinker with a growth mindset.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated alignment with TeamChild Values: Centering Youth, Anti-Racism, Wholeness, Accountability.
• Humility.
• Must be able to plan for and travel to TeamChild offices and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Institutions and community facilities throughout the state to meet agency needs.
Strongly preferred
• Experience providing legal aid or public defense representation to individual clients.
• Experience in relevant areas of law (school discipline/special education, Medicaid/EPSDT, delinquency, child welfare, or other areas of youth law, juvenile defense).
• Demonstrated experience providing high-quality training, supervision and interpersonal mentorship to attorneys and non-attorney legal advocates.
• Experience with holistic and non-legal advocacy, community or movement lawyering.
• Established relationships with and accountability to most impacted communities in the regions we serve.
Please email a concise letter of interest, resume, and brief writing sample to [email protected] using the following file naming convention: “[Last Name] - Letter” and “[Last Name] - Resume” and “[Last Name] - Writing Sample.” Please write “Deputy Director of Legal Services” and your last name in the subject line. Also, please note how you learned of this opportunity.
Position open until filled. Before submitting your application, please check TeamChild’s website to make sure that this position is still open.