[INTERNAL ONLY] Assistant Supervising Attorney - Denver Housing Unit

Organization Overview:  

Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with thirteen offices providing civil legal assistance to low-income Coloradans throughout the state. CLS provides free legal assistance in a broad variety of legal areas, including family law, public benefits, eviction defense, consumer protection, services to survivors of serious crime and human trafficking, and many others. 

CLS has strengthened lives, assisted families, and supported communities–one person at a time for over 90 years. We are committed to providing high-quality, free legal advice and representation to eligible individuals throughout Colorado. We have a long history of successful impact and advocacy. CLS strives to bring about substantive, transformational change in the lives of those we serve.

We value Representation.

At CLS, we value and respect our staff's wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We ensure representation of our client communities in our staff, Board of Directors and leadership teams. We also envision a fair, just, trusted, and harm reductionist legal system which emphasizes access to and implementation of true justice for every Coloradan.

 

Position Summary:  

The Assistant Supervising Attorney of the Denver Housing Unit’s (DHU) Denver Team will work in concert with and report to the Supervising Attorney of the DHU to lead and guide a team of staff (attorneys, paralegals, and social workers) in addressing the legal needs of low-income individuals to ensure housing stability and to prevent homelessness in Colorado. Each Assistant Supervising Attorney is the frontline supervisor of a team of no more than 8 people within DHU’s approximately 25 staff. This position manages a courthouse eviction clinic that specializes in defending tenants in public housing against eviction actions.

 

Essential Duties:   

• Lead a team of no more than 8 attorneys and paralegals specifically assigned to the Denver Team;
• Oversee a courthouse eviction clinic which operates at the Denver County Court;
• Work with the Supervising Attorney to guide the legal work of the team; 
• Coordinate with the Manager of the Client Support Services Unit to oversee the work of social workers assigned to support the Denver County Court eviction clinic;
• Assist in staff training, professional development, and performance evaluation; 
• Assist in strategic planning and short- and long-range goal setting for the team and the unit
• Assist in the coordination and implementation of strategic, impact, and appellate housing litigation and advocacy
• Work with the Outreach Coordinator to facilitate and staff community outreach events related to housing law in Denver County
• Lead the hiring of team members and assist in the hiring of unit members on other teams
• Oversee and manage staff workloads, client relations, and personnel disputes
• Working with the Supervising Attorney, make recommendations to Senior Leadership for performance improvements or disciplinary action consistent with the terms of CLS’ Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Maintain an active, but not full caseload
• Assist with grant management activities, such as engaging in direct work in courthouse clinics, supervising grant-funded clinic staff, overseeing administration of the clinics, communicating with grantors and/or court staff regarding grant-funded clinics, and assisting with gathering data for grant reports 
• Develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with the Denver County Court judiciary, community partner organizations that provide wraparound housing services, rental assistance providers, the Denver City & County Government, and other legal aid providers serving Denver County through coalition meetings and other forms of collaboration
• Complete administrative tasks such as leave request approvals, timesheet review, and reimbursement requests
  
  

 

Required Qualifications:   

• Valid license to practice law in the state of Colorado or ability to obtain a Colorado license as soon as practicable 
• Experience in housing law from the perspective of a tenant’s attorney,
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Detail-oriented with strong critical thinking and analytical skills 
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office  
  
  

 

Preferred Qualifications:   

• Three or more years’ experience as a legal services attorney, or at a non-profit, governmental agency, or other similar organization 
• Experience in representation of tenants in subsidized housing
• Prior supervisory or administrative experience with a legal services program or law office  
• Bilingual in English/Spanish 
  
  

Compensation and Benefits: 

We offer a generous plan that includes 100% employer paid premiums for employee health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, as well as partial employer paid premiums for spouses/dependents, based on a sliding scale. We also offer Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). CLS contributes $200/month to each employee's 403(b) retirement account and matches 100% of employee contributions up to 3% of employee salary; vesting occurs gradually will full vesting after 3 years of employment. Additionally, CLS offers generous paid time-off and 13 paid holidays per year. 

CLS values its employees’ commitment to working hard for the population it serves and recognizes the importance of work/life balance. We promote and foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically safe work environment, striving to be a “Best Place to Work” in Colorado. 

 

How to Apply: 

Please use the "Apply for This Job" link for this job opening on our careers page. We will not be reviewing applications sent via e-mail or physical mail. If you have questions about this position or any other positions at Colorado Legal Services, contact Karen Vilner, Director of People and Culture, at kvilner@colegalserv.org.