General background
The Capital Area Veterans Legal Services Collaborative (“Collaborative”) is a group of legal services providers and law firms in the DC region who seek to improve the accessibility, scope and delivery of effective, free civil legal services to low-income veterans. Its objectives are to: (1) achieve improved coordination of and access to existing opportunities for free, civil legal services for low-income veterans; (2) fill unmet needs and gaps in service, to the extent possible; and (3) identify and harness resources to address recurrent problems experienced by low-income veterans. The Collaborative seeks to marshal the expertise and services of legal service providers and pro bono resources in the private Bar to build a sustainable network of coordinated resources for veterans.
The Collaborative launched the Veterans Legal Assistance Project (VLAP) in June, 2015. Since the official launch, VLAP has received a robust response from the DC Metro veteran community. The Project Manager, a Staff Attorney employed by the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP), will continue VLAP’s development. The Project Manager will be supervised by NLSP’s Director of Litigation & Advocacy and will receive regular guidance from, and provide regular reports to, an Advisory Committee, consisting of members of the Collaborative. The Project Manager will manage an existing “gateway” to free, civil legal services for low-income veterans that enables them to obtain comprehensive assistance in as seamless a manner as possible and will handle a limited caseload.
Project Manager Responsibilities:
Project Development
• With volunteer assistance, complete and analyze the veterans’ legal needs survey undertaken by the Collaborative. With Collaborative members, identify service gaps that the VLAP should fill and determine how those gaps can be filled.
• Maintain and further develop relationships with other organizations that serve or have an impact upon veterans (e.g., hospitals, service providers, government agencies).
• Maintain and fine-tune outreach, intake, referral and pro bono oversight systems for the project.
Provision & Coordination of Legal Services to Veterans
• Train advocates and social service providers to enable them to identify legal needs of low-income veterans.
• Serve as the point of entry for legal services, ensuring that case placements are timely and appropriately achieved.
• Ensure the smooth operation of outreach and intake.
• Recruit pro bono attorneys.
• Track the status of cases referred to pro bono attorneys and, for attorneys handling veterans benefits, ensure that pro bono attorneys have up-to-date VA accreditation.
• Carry a small caseload in areas of significant, veterans-specific need (e.g., discharge upgrades, benefits).
Client Engagement & Outreach
• Maintain positive working relationships with regional veterans communities.
• Continue to develop “Know Your Rights” training curriculum on issues of interest to low income veterans.
• Collect periodic feedback from veterans on the efficacy of the legal services, the smoothness of coordinated efforts, and the responsiveness of the program to their needs.
Advisory Committee & Program Administration
• With the Advisory Committee, develop and implement a plan to continually market the project (to legal services programs, pro bono attorneys, members of the provider and client communities)
• Develop methods for tracking recurrent problems and periodically review trends, issues and opportunities for broad-based advocacy with the Advisory Committee
• Develop and implement program evaluation methods
• Coordinate and administer periodic meetings of the Advisory Committee
• Provide periodic reports to the Advisory Committee on VLAP operations.
Other responsibilities, as assigned.
Application Process: Interested persons should send a letter of interest, resume, names of three professional/ educational references and writing sample by email to: Attorney Search Committee at [email protected]. Please indicate the position you are interested in and reference that position in the subject line. This position will remain open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.