Career Center

The Managing Attorney, Housing oversees the administration of the Pro Bono Center’s (PBC) housing program and assists the Associate Director, Housing in other housing projects for the PBC to deliver pro bono legal information, advice, and representation to low-income individuals in the District of Columbia. This position manages staff attorneys.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

•    Provides day-to-day leadership, management, coaching, and mentoring to direct reports. 

•    Recruits and retains a diverse workforce and works to create an inclusive environment for direct reports within one’s department.

•    Manages and guides staff attorneys during regular case review meetings and provides timely feedback to supervisees on case strategy, filings, and other work product.

•     Develops standards for case handling and the delivery of high quality legal services.

•    Maintains a caseload of housing law matters for direct representation, ranging from full representation to limited scope matters. 

•    Provides legal services at D.C. Superior Court on weekdays, defending indigent tenants against complaints for possession of real property and providing legal advice and counsel in housing-related matters.  

•    Engages in same day representation of tenants the attorney meets for the first time at a vital point in their eviction suit and provides extended representation for appropriate matters. 

•    Supervises volunteer attorneys at the Landlord Tenant Resource Center (LTRC) and helps manage the LTRC. 

•    Designs and implements housing trainings for pro bono and partner organizations’ attorneys.

•    Refers appropriate matters to the Pro Bono Center’s Advocacy & Justice Clinic as well as other area legal services providers.   

•    Supports the Housing Right to Counsel project and the Advocacy & Justice Clinic, including but not limited to, providing interim, limited representation to tenants who are awaiting placement with counsel. 

•    Mentors pro bono attorneys who take landlord tenant cases through the Advocacy and Justice Clinic.

•    Collaborates with other Pro Bono Center clinics, including staffing and mentoring at the Advice & Referral Clinic. 

•    Represents the PBC in meetings with the D.C. Superior Court, law firms, legal services providers, and other community partners. 

•    Organizes and facilitates outreach trainings for eviction defense matters.  

•    Conducts ‘Know Your Rights’ presentations for District of Columbia tenants and small landlords. 

•    Prepares reports for internal use and grant reporting.

•    Updates material for self-represented litigants and responds to and maintains records of requests for materials and information.

•    Facilitates improvements in the case management system and Probono.net.

•    Performs other duties as assigned. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

•    J.D. from an ABA accredited law school. 

•    Related professional work experience, including experience litigating housing-related matters in D.C.

•    Must be an active member of the District of Columbia Bar in good standing.

•    Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365. 

•    Strong decision-making skills.  Strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability.

•    Excellent oral and written communication skills.

•    Must be detail oriented and deadline driven. Able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment.

•    Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. 

•    Must work well in a team environment and be able to interact with Bar members, volunteers, vendors, the public, and Pro Bono Center and Bar employees.

•    Must work well under pressure, possess excellent organizational abilities, and able to manage several priorities in a day.

•    Must be adaptable, creative, and self-motivated.

•    Ability to handle and maintain the confidentiality of highly sensitive information.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

•    Experience with a legal services organization that provides legal services to indigent individuals.

•    Experience managing or supervising attorneys. 

•    Experience in consumer, bankruptcy, and/or probate law.

•    Experience working with volunteers. 

•    Proficiency in Spanish or Amharic.

Interested individuals must submit a resume, cover letter and two writing samples.  All documents must be in PDF format.

****Applications without required resume, cover letter and two writing samples will not be considered****

This is not an attempt to list all essential functions of this position.  Job duties may change over time based on organizational/department needs. 

The D.C. Bar is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.

About DC Bar

Enhance access to justice. Improve the legal system. Empower lawyers to achieve. These three pillars have remained the foundation of the D.C. Bar’s mission since its creation by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 1972. Today the Bar stands as the largest unified bar in the United States, providing the oversight structure needed to maintain the profession’s ethical standards and Rules of Professional Conduct. Our membership is diverse with about 100,000 members in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. The organization is governed by a Board of Governors, led by Chad T. Sarchio, the Bar’s 50th president. The leaders work together to achieve goals set out in the D.C. Bar’s strategic plan. At the core of the Bar’s mission is the charge to not only assist members but to protect the public; it shapes the way the organization conducts its business and activities.

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