Job Opportunities API

Organization Overview Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with twelve 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 100 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. At CLS, we value representation. 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  that   emphasizes access to and implementation of true justice for every Coloradan. Job  Description The Managing Attorney for the Farm Worker Rights Division  ( FWRD)  leads legal advocacy for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, focusing on employment  and  civil rights  law. FWR D  also sometimes  represents agricultural workers who have endured labor trafficking and other severe crimes in obtaining humanitarian visas for themselves and their derivatives.   The Managing Attorney oversees a team conducting  both  litigation  and  outreach  work. The role requires litigation  expertise , community partnership, and management skills to ensure the program provides impactful  and  excellent   advocacy  for Colorado’s most exploited and vulnerable agricultural workers . All of  our managers have the  responsibility of working with staff to meet CLS’ statewide organizational, professional, and community goals ,  which emphasize  providing high-quality civil legal services to low-income Coloradans and achieving the  best possible outcomes for our clients.  They are  guided by all four of our CLS values:  excellent advocacy ;  empowerment ,  collaboration , and  courage.  They  are responsible for  being leaders, mentors, counselors, role models, hiring managers, teachers, administrators,   time managers, culture creators, community engagers, crisis managers, and  performance expectation setters.   Managing Attorneys  a lso practice law and manage their own caseloads in addition to their other duties.  Our managers also  continually work towards developing and growing competencies in the following areas: adaptive & collaborative management; coaching & empowering people; communication & active listening; community engagement; empathetic and trauma-informed leadership; and practice area   expertise .  While the responsibilities of a  manager  at CLS are wide-ranging and challenging, carrying them out successfully is vital to the success of the organization and to  serve  our client communities. Job Duties • Provides the oversight,  assistance , guidance, and supervision necessary to ensure the effective administration, operation, and management of  FWR D . • Cultivates a culture that supports staff while holding  staff to  high expectations  of performance  by modeling  patience, empathy, and sound  judgment. • Provide s  supervision and guidance for  FWRD’s attorneys,  paralegal, outreach coordinator, and interns , including periodically reviewing their legal work and providing training, professional development, employee coaching, and performance evaluation. • Oversees staff workloads, client relations,  external partner relations,  and interpersonal  team dynamics , and  works with  Senior Leadership  on  addressing personnel issues  consistent with  our  Collective Bargaining Agreement. • Leads the  FWRD team  in  representing   agricultural  worker clients before federal and state courts and administrative agencies,  in the following areas: • • E mployment  law  ( wage  theft , working conditions, discrimination, human trafficking,   and  c ivil rights ); • • H umanitarian visas and naturalization  for agricultural workers  who have survived labor trafficking and other severe crimes ,  and  those workers’  derivatives. • Maintains an active, but reduced, caseload,  which includes  d elivering sound legal counsel and exceptional advocacy that aligns with program objectiv es; clearly and transparently communicating with clients;  perf orm ing client and witness interviews; carrying out case investigations; drafting pleadings and document s ; ensuring comprehensive and up-to-date  client  case notes;  and  stay ing current in  employment  law  a nd  aspects of  immigration law  relevant to agricultural workers such as humanitarian (T & U) visas  and naturalization . • Working with the  FWRD  outreach coordinator, c onducts and oversees extensive outreach, public education ,   training,  and community relations with  agricultural workers ;  service providers ,  promotoras ,  and  other  key partners across the state ;   and  a Summer Outreach Program consisting of interns   providing legal information to agricultural workers across rural Colorado . • Working with the FWRD outreach  coordinator,  e nsures that FWRD maintains and nurtures relationships throughout the state with trusted partners  and  promotora  networks  to  maintain  trust and credibility with the Colorado  agricultural  worker population. • Ensures compliance with  policies of CLS, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), and other funders , including those related to the   assistance  we provide to  all i ndividuals  eligible  for our services . • Where  consistent with LSC regulations,  engages  in policy work related to the rights of agricultural workers. • Oversees  and continually improves the dedicated FWRD intake system, including r eview ing  requests for  assistance  and mak in g  determinations  as to  eligibility and the extent of services  FWRD  is able to  provide , including referral, advice and counsel, brief services, and litigation. • Facilitates case acceptance meetings and trains staff  on   identifying  the legal needs of  agricultural  worker clients , while  provid ing  constructive feedback to staff on cases discussed. • Develops  a strategic  advocacy plan and case acceptance priorities in line with FWRD's mission . • Timely r eviews and closes all unit cases  in c ompliance with LSC regulation s. • Attend s  management meetings,  participate s  in statewide substantive task forces and working groups, and  is available to   offer  case support to other CLS  casehandlers  seeking  assistance  related to  the work of FWRD . • Assists  with grant management activities,  including  communicating with grantors, gathering data  for  and completing grant reports, and working with Senior Leadership to apply for grant funding. • Handle s other administrative and supervisory tasks for the Unit. Qualifications We are looking to hire an empathetic and trauma-informed attorney who is energetic, excited about leadership,  experienced with  outreach ,  and passionate about our mission. This individual must excel as a supervisor, attorney, and representative of Colorado Legal Services in the community. They must also have: • A n a ctive license to practice law in  Colorado or  the ability  to obtain a Colorado license as soon as  practicable . • Fluency in oral and written Spanish . • Experience in direct client representation  in employment and/or civil rights law. • Excellent  interpersonal  skills, including  ability  to treat clients and staff with courtesy and respect . • Excellent  written and verbal communication skills . • Strong critical thinking ,  analytical , and organizational  skill s, and strong work  ethic . • Ability and willingness to travel to visit client population s  throughout Colorado, especially during the summer months . • Comfort and efficiency with Microsoft 365. Preferred Qualifications • Preferably experience in immigration law related to agricultural worker and humanitarian visa programs. • Prior personal or professional experience with the agricultural worker community. • Experience  with  leading outreach and/or community engagement initiatives. • Demonstrated commitment to providing effective  and trauma-informed  legal services to  agricultural worker s , including   communicating through translators and interpreters with clients who speak Indigenous languages other than English and Spanish. How to Apply To apply, please use the "Apply for This Job" link on our  careers page  and submit your resume, cover letter, and legal writing sample. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis and we will accept applications until the position is filled. In your cover letter, please tell us about   your commitment to the work  of this unit , your  management style ,  and  yo ur approach to building a strong working tea m.  Please reach out to Karen Vilner, our Director of People & Culture, at  [email protected]  if you have any questions about the position. Compensation and Benefits Salaries are commensurate with years of experience. 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.