THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE is a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office in Wayne County, and we invite you to join our team as we represent our clients with excellence. Building on 30 years of experience of providing high quality representation, we are expanding our efforts to bring the same caliber of representation to families impacted by the child welfare system in Wayne County. We are seeking a team of highly organized, self-driven, and resilient individuals dedicated to our mission.
The Civil Defense Practice at NDS Detroit represents clients in landlord-tenant issues, misdemeanor and ordinance violations in district courts, housing issues, immigration issues, assistance in obtaining public benefits, driver’s license restoration, obtaining social security benefits, guardianships, divorce, resolution of domestic violence issues, substance use issues, assistance in providing supplemental parent support, and other ancillary matters pertaining to the resolution of matters with respect to the parent’s involvement with the Court and ancillary matters. At NDS Detroit, clients and their families will have access to a suite of holistic legal and social services to address their complex needs.
The Supervising Attorney is part of the visionary leadership team at NDS Detroit. The Supervising Attorney is a seasoned trial attorney who has a strong knowledge of various civil proceedings, including evictions, custody, and immigration; understands the principles of servant leadership; and is an experienced leader of people and teams. The Supervising Attorney will manage an interdisciplinary team of professionals. As a senior leader at the organization, the Supervising Attorney will help shape our present and future—contributing to strategic decision making in the present while helping shape our practice and our culture in alignment with our values. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes, and our ideal Supervising Attorney approaches organizational culture and staff supervision with equal rigor and commitment.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Embody NDS’ philosophy of client-centered, community-based, holistic representation and commitment to excellence.
2. Manage an interdisciplinary team charged with representing clients who have multiple pending civil matters.
3. Train and supervise staff, including Staff Attorneys, Social Workers, Client Advocates, Investigators, Paralegals, and Team Administrators.
4. Provide vigorous direct representation with energy and enthusiasm to citizens in Wayne County’s civil courts in a limited number of cases.
5. Ensure the coordination of work performed by team members and ensure collaboration with cross-practice colleagues (immigration defense/civil defense/family defense) to obtain comprehensive legal outcomes for clients.
QUALIFICATIONS: The ideal candidate will bring:
1. A demonstrated commitment to civil Gideon, indigent defense, racial equity, and social justice issues and Wayne County communities.
2. Extensive experience representing clients in civil cases, including substantial trial experience and knowledge of civil procedure.
3. A track record of strategically guiding cases, projects, and relationships; applying good and practiced judgment; and routinely pushing through roadblocks to achieve your goals.
4. Management skills and a coaching mindset.
5. An ability to quickly build relationships across varying identities, income levels, races, and ethnicities.
6. A high level of organizational and administrative skills.
7. Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.
8. Extensive experience in immigration proceedings.
9. A license to practice law in Michigan or in another state; and/or the capability of becoming licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan within six months. Attorneys admitted to the Michigan Bar with experience in the criminal courts of Wayne County (and Michigan generally) are strongly encouraged to apply.
10. Bi-lingual (Spanish or Arabic) attorneys are encouraged to apply.
Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to [email protected] with the subject line, “Supervising Civil Defense Attorney.” Please send your application as one document, preferably PDF. For more information about NDS, please visit our website at http://www.ndsdetroit.org.
The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people to apply.
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