DV & Family Law Team Manager

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) seeks an attorney to serve as a Domestic Violence & Family Law Team Manager. The Team Manager has the overall responsibility for supervision and mentorship of staff assigned. Team Managers make personnel and legal decisions on a regular basis.

Primary duties and responsibilities of this position include:

Supervises the legal work of the staff assigned by the Group Coordinator, including biannual case reviews, regular spot checks of closed cases, and regular check-ins with staff to ensure that staff are providing high quality, trauma informed and holistic services.

Ensures staff supervised are accepting cases in line with Group priorities and that attorney has a balanced and appropriate caseload in line with Group expectations for an attorney of their experience level.

Assists Group Coordinator in setting expectations for staff supervised and clearly communicates expectations with staff.

Reviews intake disposition decisions on a regular basis for staff supervised to assure that equitable treatment is extended to all clients and that disposition decisions are made in a manner that is consistent with TRLA policies and priorities.

Encourage and support a healthy work culture and be able to recognize and support employees with vicarious trauma and burnout, including ensuring that staff are able to take advantage of breaks and time off from work.

Identify staff for mentorship and co-counseling opportunities and recognize staff strengths and how best to utilize them.

Reviews and approves Litigation Tier Approval submitted by team members for new litigation consistent with TRLA policies and priorities;

Approves litigation expenses of up to $500 per case;

Reviews all Significant cases on a regular basis to assure that the quality and timeliness of legal work by team members is maintained;

Enforces compliance with relevant grants, funding regulations, and program policies;

Maintains coordinated communications among team members on case developments, co-counsel assignments, and developments in the law in the practice area through regular meetings and/or conference calls and email or other written materials;

Encourage staff development and promote continuing legal education activities for staff to assure that they have access to relevant training opportunities;

Coordinates and supervises community legal education and outreach activities for staff;

Identifies cases and clients in the Practice Area that do not readily access the intake system and assuring that all clients have equal access to program resources;

Prepares routine forms and default legal advice, developing procedures, and making recommendations for other improvements that enhance the efficiency of program operations;

Monitors and reviews changes in laws, and coordinates forums to review such changes;

Analyzes case trends and issues affecting clients;

Implements policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Directors or promulgated by the Executive Director;

Approves leave requests of team members, in coordination with branch managers;

Disciplines and terminates employee team members when case-related;

Responds originally to team member’s substantive complaints;

Approves case-related training and travel requests of team members;

Has a public relations role with the bar, community, and client organizations, representing TRLA in appropriate matters.

Takes all actions necessary or appropriate to bring team resources to bear on the legal problems of clients, in a manner that is consistent with program rules and policies.