Director for the Montgomery and Prince George Counties Office
Homeless Persons Representation Project
Location
Silver Spring, MD
Category
Attorney
Posted
January 31, 2024
Type
Full-Time
Description/Duties
The Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) is seeking a director for their Montgomery County/Prince George’s Office located in Silver Spring, Maryland. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wishes to create a vision for providing civil legal aid, advocating to end homelessness, and leading a team.
HPRP is an organization that advances economic and housing justice and works towards ending homelessness in Maryland. Our services include outreach, education, and free civil legal services to the unhoused or unstably housed. We also work to eliminate barriers to housing and employment posed by criminal records. HPRP values collaboration with persons who have lived experience of homelessness, recognizing that they have the power and expertise to determine solutions to systemic issues affecting their lives.
The Montgomery/Prince George’s County Office is an esteemed team of legal professionals and activists who are dedicated to fighting for the rights of the marginalized individuals in the community. The team employs a multifaceted approach to their work, which includes providing direct representation to those in need, organizing community-based outreach and educational programs, and advocating for justice at the local and statewide level. Since its inception in April 2017, the office has made significant strides in its efforts to promote access to justice. Specifically, the team has been instrumental in facilitating legal clinics and educational programs on topics such as criminal record expungement and tenants’ rights. The Director of the office will have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the team continues to serve the community effectively and achieves its goals.
The Director will:
Supervision and Training:
Recruiting, training, and supervising volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students who serve Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Updating and developing written materials for volunteers, including training manuals.
Maintaining the necessary infrastructure to monitor the work of volunteer attorneys and provide ongoing support and supervision as needed.
Managing Direct Legal Representation:
Planning and assigning the legal work of the office/unit in consultation with leadership directors.
Ensuring grant compliance and preparing and drafting required grant funder reports.
Representing a limited number of clients
Participating in fundraising efforts, including working with the executive director on grant applications, attending meetings with current and potential funders, and assisting with grant reports.
Community Engagement and Collaboration:
Establishing HPRP’s off-site legal clinics, including developing strong relationships with new providers to open additional locations for HPRP’s off-site legal clinics in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and evaluating the effectiveness of the off-site locations.
Conducting Know Your Rights and informational sessions at local shelters and other community-based programs and creating client and community education materials.
Working with HPRP’s executive director and other staff to expand the visibility of HPRP’s satellite office, including publicizing the program and developing relationships with the private bar and government lawyers, county agencies, and legislative and executive offices.
Managing Systemic and Administrative Advocacy:
Identifying systemic legal and policy issues to pursue in consultation with HPRP’s legal director.
Supervising legal and administrative staff.
Skills/Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland. Out-of-State attorneys must be able and available to take the next scheduled bar exam following the date of employment.
Knowledge of principles of civil law, judicial procedures, and rules of evidence.
At least seven (7) years of litigation experience with at least three (3) years of which were obtained while employed at a non-profit civil legal aid organization providing direct client representation.
Knowledge of housing law and criminal expungement law.
Demonstrated ability to provide quality legal advocacy and representation for low-income, diverse client base.
Excellent research, critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.
Prior informal or formal supervisory experience.
Highly organized with excellent time management skills.
Demonstrated commitment to social justice and working with people in poverty.
Preferred Qualifications:
Prior experience and/or interest in public-interest litigation or providing nonprofit legal services is a plus.
Prior experience working with volunteers.
Previous experience in program development.
Compensation
The minimum starting salary for this position is $108,568. This figure represents the base threshold, and HPRP enthusiastically recognizes and rewards experience. Accordingly, your final starting salary may be adjusted upwards to reflect the depth and relevance of your professional experience.
HPRP has a 35-hour workweek, and flexible scheduling when appearing in court or at other program locations is not required.
In addition, there are personal incentives, including comprehensive health and retirement plan options. HPRP’s package of benefits includes full health coverage (medical, prescription, dental) and a contribution toward family coverage; short- and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; 403(b) plan (employer supplemental salary contribution determined annually); paid vacation, sick, and personal leave; and up to 12 weeks of paid Medical and Family leave.
How To Apply
If you’re interested in applying for the position of Director of Montgomery/Prince George’s Office, please send a cover letter and a detailed resume highlighting your interest and qualifications to jobs@hprplaw.org. Please send these items as PDF attachments and make sure to mention “Director- Montgomery County Prince George’s Office” in the subject line.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Homeless Persons Representation Project, Inc (HPRP) is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Accordingly, all terms and conditions of employment will be carried out without regard to race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, marital status, age, or disability. HPRP will not tolerate acts deemed to constitute discrimination or harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Flexible work from home options available.