Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice seeks a Citywide Director for the Employment Law Unit (ELU) to lead a multifaceted employment law practice. This role combines individual representation with systemic advocacy for low-wage and unemployed workers, overseeing a team dedicated to direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships to improve workers' rights.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the Unit’s direct legal work, including impact and affirmative litigation, policy advocacy, and community outreach.
• Analyze legal issues, develop legal strategies, and supervise their implementation.
• Develop impact and affirmative litigation.
• Coordinate intake processes for efficient case handling.
• Supervise, train, and mentor Supervising Attorneys, Staff Attorneys, and Paralegals.
• Monitor and maintain a high standard of representation and client service.
• Provide oversight of pro bono initiatives.
• Respond to client, community, and staff concerns promptly.
• Evaluate unit needs and identify necessary resources.
• Coordinate database management for the unit.
• Support the development, funding, implementation, and reporting of programs.
• Prepare and submit grant-reporting paperwork and identify funding opportunities.
• Foster teamwork and communication.
• Reinforce and maintain staff accountability.
• Assist with planning and conducting citywide and statewide coalition meetings and task forces.
• Develop and maintain community support and relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials, and courts.
• Conduct community education, training, and outreach, promoting the work of the office, the Employment unit, the Civil Practice, and Legal Aid.
• Conduct off-site intake, including during evening or weekend hours as needed.
• Represent the Employment Law Unit, the Civil Practice, and Legal Aid in the community, participating in policy work, community education, and press engagements.
• Support the development of strategic offerings/initiatives, related policies, and procedures.
• Assign work, approve time off, manage staffing changes, and remote work schedule requests.
• Attend management meetings and participate in management trainings.
• Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion.
• Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback, coaching, and counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed.
• Identify and provide training and development opportunities and ensure mandatory trainings are completed.
• Identify, delegate, and document work responsibilities, roles, and procedures.
• Identify and implement department/unit management and accountability practices to improve performance.
• Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns.
• Lead organizational and culture change for the unit.
• Participate in continuous professional development.
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• Minimum of ten years of legal practice including experience litigating employment law matters
• Supervisory and management experience
• Experience litigating in various forums, including state and federal courts
• Excellent litigation and advocacy skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, oral, written, and organizational skills
• Ability to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, delegate tasks and hold people accountable.
• Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team model
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, written, organizational and multitasking abilities
• Commitment to Legal Aid’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships.
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect.
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region

Skills

• Employment law litigation
• Legal strategy development
• Supervision and management
• Advocacy
• Interpersonal communication
• Oral communication
• Written communication
• Organizational skills
• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Policy advocacy
• Community engagement
• Grant writing
• Fundraising
• Conflict resolution
• Performance management
• Training and development
• Database management
• Public speaking
• Client service

Location

• New York City

Work Type

• Full-time

Experience Level

• 10+ years of legal practice
• Management experience

Education Level

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree
• Admission to the New York State Bar

Salary/Compensations

• $166,000 - $171,000

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid vacation
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility
• New York state loan repayment assistance (potential)

About the Company

• The Legal Aid Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing legal services to low-income New Yorkers.
• The organization is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation.
• The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Equal Opportunity

• As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity; gender expression, disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.
• The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation.
• We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs.
• Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.