Supervising Attorney – Children’s Education

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc; Toledo (OH); Hybrid; USD 73,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) seeks a Supervising Attorney in Toledo, OH to lead the Children’s Education Rights Practice Group and advance education justice for low-income families.

The role supervises attorneys and staff, directs civil rights litigation and policy advocacy, and ensures high-quality representation across education law matters. Ohio bar admission is required, with hybrid in-office work after onboarding.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Ohio or eligible for admission.
• Minimum of three years of legal experience.
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills.
• Excellent analytical, writing, communication, and advocacy abilities.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor attorneys, paralegals, and staff.
• Lead impact and civil rights litigation, policy advocacy, and community lawyering.
• Provide high-quality legal representation through litigation, negotiation, and advocacy.
• Apply knowledge of federal, state, and local procedures governing civil rights or education law.
• Ensure compliance with ABLE policies, funding requirements and reporting obligations.

Skills

Litigation

Advocacy

Leadership

Mentoring

Team supervision

Legal experience (3+ years)

Analytical writing

Communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school

Licensed to practice law in Ohio or eligible for admission

Minimum of three years of legal experience

Job description

Position Available:

SUPERVISING ATTORNEY

Children's Education

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is a regional non-profit law firm. Our mission is to pursue justice and equity, facilitate access to opportunities for people with low incomes through passionate legal representation, and provide steadfast advocacy for systemic reform. ABLE is affiliated with Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO), also a regional non-profit law firm that provides legal assistance. This position is based out of ABLE’s Toledo office.

Job Summary:

Join ABLE’s innovative legal advocacy for parents and children to advance education justice.

• Protecting equal educational opportunities and the civil rights of all children, regardless of background, zip code, or personal characteristics.
• Defending students in school discipline matters and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, particularly for youth of color.
• Securing appropriate, accessible, and inclusive education for children with disabilities and other specialized educational needs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (other duties as assigned):

• Supervise and mentor attorneys, paralegals, and support staff, including oversight of casework, advocacy strategies, and professional development
• Lead and coordinate impact and civil rights litigation, policy advocacy, and community lawyering initiatives
• Provide high-quality legal representation, including litigation, negotiation, and administrative advocacy
• Utilize knowledge of federal, state, and local procedures governing civil rights or education law and administrative agencies.
• Support and advance community-based advocacy efforts, including collaboration, partnership, outreach, and community legal education with local organizations, agencies, and groups.
• Manage a reasonable caseload consistent with supervisory responsibilities
• Participate in strategic and impactful project planning and contribute to organizational leadership discussions
• Ensure compliance with ABLE policies, funding requirements, and reporting obligations

SCOPE & IMPACT:

This position plays a critical leadership role in shaping ABLE's education justice advocacy throughout western Ohio. The Supervising Attorney directly impacts service delivery, staff development, and the effectiveness of systemic advocacy efforts. Through leadership of the Children's Education Rights Practice Group, this role helps drive lasting improvements in educational access, equity, and outcomes for low-income children and families.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law in Ohio or eligible for admission
• Minimum of three (3) years of legal experience
• Highly skilled in litigation and advocacy, with knowledge of civil rights and/or education law
• Strong leadership, supervision, and organizational skills
• Excellent analytical, writing, communication, and advocacy skills.
• Commitment to ABLE’s mission and ABLE’s clients and client communities.
• Demonstrated professionalism, judgment, reliability, and initiative.
• Ability to mentor, coach, encourage, motivate, team, and work with management and staff effectively in both remote and in-office environments
• Enthusiasm for challenging work and opportunities

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience in federal court
• Experience with complex litigation
• Prior supervisory or team leadership experience
• Experience in poverty law, community lawyering, policy advocacy, or movement-based legal work
• Fluency in Spanish or another language relevant to client communities

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position directly supervises attorneys, paralegals, and/or law clerks and is responsible for personnel management, mentoring, performance evaluation, and workload oversight.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is performed in a normal office environment.
• Requires frequent sitting, keyboarding, and face-to-face or phone communication.
• Must possess a valid driver's license and be insurable.
• May require walking several blocks or overnight travel.
• New staff are required to work in the office full-time during their first 90 days of employment. Following this onboarding period, a hybrid work schedule is available with a minimum of two in-office days per week.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND WORK LOCATION:

ABLE is committed to providing an equitable work environment, including a commitment to pay equity. The starting salary for this position is $81,000.00 and increases depending on experience. ABLE offers comprehensive fringe benefits, including health insurance, annual leave, sick leave, supplemental language compensation, loan repayment assistance for attorneys through the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation and paid parental leave. This position is based out of our Toledo office.

OTHER DUTIES:

Please note this job posting is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the incumbent for this job. ABLE can revise or eliminate the requirements and responsibilities of this position at any time to reflect its needs and objectives. ABLE will notify affected employees of any changes and the effective date of such changes.

ABLE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create an environment welcoming to all individuals. Applicants requiring accommodation for the interview/application process should contact the recruitment coordinator at [e-mail].