Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission – Managing Attorney

Christian Legal Society; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical / Dental / Vision

Basic Life Insurance

Voluntary Benefits (Life, AD&…)

EAP & 24/7 Virtual Mental Health

4 weeks paid vacation

10 paid holidays + 1 Floating Holiday

Retirement benefits w/ company match

Continuing Education Reimbursement

Job summary

Seattle's Union Gospel Mission seeks a Managing Attorney to oversee its Legal Services department, counsel clients, manage staff and volunteers, and ensure ethical compliance. This is a hybrid role with one in-office day per week in Seattle, WA.

The attorney will lead client intake, coordinate with courts and databases, ensure confidentiality and ethical compliance, recruit and train volunteers, and manage department budgeting and reporting.

Qualifications

• Experience in professional legal practice preferred, with experience in family law or public service law highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel, referrals, and direct representation services to clients.
• Assist clients, through direct representation or pro se assistance, in court hearings, administrative hearings, or other legal proceedings both in person and by virtual or telephonic appearance.
• Conduct client intakes, including initial interviews, conflicts checks, criminal history checks, and licensing checks. Guide decisions about what services to provide to clients, when and where to refer them when direct services aren’t appropriate, and when to assign work to the Senior Legal Assistant or volunteer.
• Maintain expert level knowledge of ODLS’s primary practice areas: obtaining state ID, remediation of legal financial obligations, quashing of warrants, family law (divorce, minor guardianship, DV protection orders, paternity, and child custody/visitation), child support, immigration (monitoring pending applications and petitions, assisting with FOIA requests and some EAD and LPR replacement/renewal and naturalization applications), re-licensing, and sex offender registration issues.
• Maintain a high level of knowledge of the databases used by Washington courts, to gather information for clients. Databases include both portals of the state Judicial Information System (JIS), Odyssey (superior court dockets), separate databases maintained by Pierce County Superior Court, King County Superior Court, Seattle Municipal Court, King County District Court, the Washington State Patrol, and the WSBA directory.
• Maintain the ODLS file management system, LegalServer, as the primary administrator. Ensure accurate legal file management. Update functionality as needed to improve efficient operations and adapt to changes in ODLS processes.
• Manage, support, facilitate, and review the work of direct report(s) by equipping, encouraging and empowering them in their specific areas of responsibility; anticipate and proactively assist in managing the department’s workload.
• Recruit, train, coordinate, and supervise volunteer lawyers, law students, and others.
• Ensure adherence by all ODLS staff and volunteers to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Washington State Bar Association and applicable rules of all government agencies. Ensure strict adherence to rules regarding confidentiality and attorney-client privilege through regular staff and volunteer training and supervision.
• Promote the Mission and its Legal Services department in the local business, legal and Christian communities. Seek to develop networks with other legal aid organizations.
• Manage, review and approve all department staff hiring and disciplinary actions, in cooperation with supervisor and Human Resources.
• Develop annual department budget and goals.
• Review and approve department expenditures, purchase order requests, and check requests.
• Gather, assemble, and submit all necessary paperwork and reports necessary for month-end reporting to supervisor.
• Attend and participate in all Mission, Division and Department meetings and trainings, as required.
• Work cooperatively with other Mission departments as a team to accomplish the work of the Mission efficiently and positively.
• Compose and conduct trainings for ODLS and non-ODLS Mission employees, directly or via delegation.
• Any other job-related duties, as assigned by supervisor.

Education

Juris Doctor degree

WSBA admission to practice law

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Company or Organization:

Seattle's Union Gospel Mission

Location:

Seattle, Washington (hybrid position with 1 in-office day per week)

Salary Information:

$97,000 per year

Job Description:

The Managing Attorney is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Mission’s Legal Services department, which includes counseling clients on legal issues, managing legal support staff, and recruiting and supervising volunteers. This is a hybrid position with 1 in-office day per week.

How You Will Serve:

• Provide legal counsel, referrals, and direct representation services to clients.
• Assist clients, through direct representation or pro se assistance, in court hearings, administrative hearings, or other legal proceedings both in person and by virtual or telephonic appearance.
• Conduct client intakes, including initial interviews, conflicts checks, criminal history checks, and licensing checks. Guide decisions about what services to provide to clients, when and where to refer them when direct services aren’t appropriate, and when to assign work to the Senior Legal Assistant or volunteer.
• Maintain expert level knowledge of ODLS’s primary practice areas: obtaining state ID, remediation of legal financial obligations, quashing of warrants, family law (divorce, minor guardianship, DV protection orders, paternity, and child custody/visitation), child support, immigration (monitoring pending applications and petitions, assisting with FOIA requests and some EAD and LPR replacement/renewal and naturalization applications), re-licensing, and sex offender registration issues.
• Maintain a high level of knowledge of the databases used by Washington courts, to gather information for clients. Databases include both portals of the state Judicial Information System (JIS), Odyssey (superior court dockets), separate databases maintained by Pierce County Superior Court, King County Superior Court, Seattle Municipal Court, King County District Court, the Washington State Patrol, and the WSBA directory.
• Maintain the ODLS file management system, LegalServer, as the primary administrator. Ensure accurate legal file management. Update functionality as needed to improve efficient operations and adapt to changes in ODLS processes.
• Manage, support, facilitate, and review the work of direct report(s) by equipping, encouraging and empowering them in their specific areas of responsibility; anticipate and proactively assist in managing the department’s workload.
• Recruit, train, coordinate, and supervise volunteer lawyers, law students, and others.
• Ensure adherence by all ODLS staff and volunteers to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Washington State Bar Association and applicable rules of all government agencies. Ensure strict adherence to rules regarding confidentiality and attorney-client privilege through regular staff and volunteer training and supervision.
• Promote the Mission and its Legal Services department in the local business, legal and Christian communities. Seek to develop networks with other legal aid organizations.
• Manage, review and approve all department staff hiring and disciplinary actions, in cooperation with supervisor and Human Resources.
• Develop annual department budget and goals.
• Review and approve department expenditures, purchase order requests, and check requests.
• Gather, assemble, and submit all necessary paperwork and reports necessary for month-end reporting to supervisor.
• Attend and participate in all Mission, Division and Department meetings and trainings, as required.
• Work cooperatively with other Mission departments as a team to accomplish the work of the Mission efficiently and positively.
• Compose and conduct trainings for ODLS and non-ODLS Mission employees, directly or via delegation.
• Any other job-related duties, as assigned by supervisor.

How you qualify

• Acknowledge and sign the Mission’s Statement of Faith (see below)
• Juris Doctor degree and WSBA admission to practice law required.
• Experience in professional legal practice preferred, with experience in family law or public service law highly preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams).

How we support each other

• Maintains a personal, active relationship with Jesus Christ and is a consistent witness for Him.
• Faithfully upholds The Mission and your team in prayer.
• Participates in team devotions as schedule permits.
• Demonstrates behavior aligned with the Mission’s Statement of Faith, Standard of Conduct, policies, and expectations.
• Effectively represents Jesus Christ to a diverse audience, including our Mission teams, our volunteers, guests and homeless neighbors.

All regular full-time employees, you are eligible to participate in our generous benefits package:

• Medical / Dental / Vision
• Basic Life Plan – 100% company paid
• Voluntary Products including Life, AD&DD, Disability, Accident and Critical Illness insurance
• EAP and 24/7 Virtual Mental Health – 100% company paid
• 4 weeks of paid vacation (accrued)
• 10 paid holidays + 1 Floating Holiday
• Personal Day and Birthday holiday
• Retirement benefits w/ company match
• Continuing Education Reimbursement Program

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and/or walk, balance, twist, climb ladders, stoop, kneel, perform overhead work and reaches with hands/arm. Frequently work for extended periods of time in indoor and outdoor settings with varying temperature environment. Frequently uses judgement and memory to make decisions. Occasionally you will sit and keyboard. Occasionally lifts up to 50 pounds and walks, use stairways and climb to multiple floors carrying tools and equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.