Staff Attorney (Dependency Drug Court)-Children's Law Center (Full-Time)

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Bay Area Legal Services is seeking to fill a full-time Staff Attorney position at its Children's Law Center.

Bay Area Legal Services (BALS) is seeking a full-time staff attorney on our L. David Shear Children's Law Center (CLC) Team.  In response to the opioid epidemic and alarming number of children who come into foster care due to parental substance abuse, this attorney will focus on representing children in dependency drug court and dependency court.  The position will be supervised by the Team Leader for the CLC.  Staff Attorneys will facilitate or directly provide qualified legal services to low income clients to meet their civil legal needs. 

Office Location

L. David Shear Children's Law Center
1000 N Ashley Drive 
Suite 518 
Tampa, FL 33602

Illustrative Duties:

• Provide client-directed, high-quality and holistic legal representation from a trauma-informed perspective to child clients and young adults in a variety of settings, including meetings, mediations, administrative and court hearings.
• Representation includes face-to-face meetings with child and young adult clients; establishing relationships with dependency drug court stakeholders/providers, learning about evidence- based practices and federal and state standards, and ensuring that child-focused best practices are followed.
• Research relevant legal materials to aid decision-making, gather and analyze evidence, identify implications for cases from legal precedents or other legal information. Negotiate settlement of cases with opposing attorneys or parties. Create and maintain relationships with organizations that are commonly adverse parties where possible to facilitate case resolution.
• Collaborate with other attorneys on case questions and educate team members about substance abuse and dependency best practices.
• Travel to client meetings, hearings, weekly team meetings and dependency and dependency drug court provider/stakeholder meetings.  
• Supervise legal assistant and activities of other legal/team personnel (legal interns, paralegals etc.) Participate in community efforts to improve outcomes for children and young adults in the foster care system. This includes participation in BALS in-house committees and outside community/Florida Bar events when asked or needed.
• Stay informed about current legislation, especially assigned legal specialties. Attend Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses and/or other trainings to maintain knowledge in areas of expertise or gain new knowledge.
• Maintain and provide statistical information on clients served.
• Perform other duties as designated by the Team Leader.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate (JD), Florida Bar licensed and in good standing with the Bar.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and efficiently.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Experience in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships both internally and with external community contacts.
• Excellent prioritization skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Experience with legal database systems to document case assignments.
• Sympathetic and compassionate understanding of the social, economic, and legal issues faced by low-income individuals with limited access to such services. Ability to relate well and effectively with diverse groups and individuals.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a non-profit legal services firm
• Dependency law knowledge and experience
• Substance abuse related prior experience
• Certified legal internship or litigation experience 

Compensation/Benefits:

• Starting salary $60,350/year (increases based on relevant experience)
• Reimbursement for travel expenses (mileage for work events, etc.)
• Bay Area offers a comprehensive benefit package including a 4% match for the 403b retirement plan with immediate vesting as well as Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability coverage and more.
• Bay Area also offers generous time off and work life balance with 13 paid holidays and three (3) weeks’ vacation for the 1st year of employment and a 37.5 hour work week.
• Bay Area attorneys may be eligible for some loan forgiveness programs through the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and Funding Florida Legal Aid (FFLA).

This position requires successful completion of a level II background screening based on the required duties and responsibilities

How to Apply: 

• Send Resume and Cover Letter (including why this position is of interest to you) to recruiting@bals.org and state how you learned about the position. Rolling applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.