Attorney II Family Law & Victims of Crime at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida Inc – Plantation, Florida

Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, Inc. (CCLA) established in 2003 is a Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funded, non-profit organization. CCLA provides free civil legal services to low-income and otherwise eligible residents of Broward County and is located in Plantation, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. Our mission is to provide equal justice to underserved communities through quality and innovative free civil legal aid. CCLA provides legal advocacy for individuals in our community, helping thousands of economically disadvantaged residents to gain greater access to justice and much-needed legal assistance to remove barriers to a healthy and stable life.

CCLA provides legal assistance in the areas of Family Law & Victims of Crime, Economic Advocacy & Community Health (public benefits), and Senior Law for people age 60 and older. At CCLA, we provide quality civil legal representation and equal access to justice, regardless of their income. CCLA’s vision is a community where everyone has the legal resources to thrive.

CCLA is currently seeking a hardworking, compassionate an experienced Attorney who represents victims of intimate partner violence for their family law and injunction for protection cases, and victims’ rights enforcement in criminal cases under Marsy’s Law as well as other civil legal needs such as benefits and housing cases. This Attorney will also assist eligible pro se litigants with their family law matters, providing advice and brief service. This experienced Attorney will mentor and help train new attorneys and paralegals. The Attorney is expected to be an expert in the substantive law of the Unit, serve as lead attorney in the area of litigation, work independently, carry a heavier or more complex caseload, take initiative, and show leadership qualities.

Position Duties

• Prepares pleadings and represents clients for family law, injunctions, victims’ rights, and other related cases for holistic representation of clients who are victims of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and/or seniors age 60 and older.
• Maintains own caseload and co-counsel on more complex cases when needed.
• Conducts interviews with clients and witnesses.
• Answers client-related phone calls, keep detailed case notes, keep court calendar updated.
• Advises clients regarding their family law and or domestic violence issues and their legal rights and responsibilities.
• Interprets and analyzes statues and relevant case law and perform necessary legal research and writing.
• Analyzes probable outcome of cases using knowledge of legal precedent.
• Develop strategies and arguments in preparing cases and presenting cases in court.
• Engages in troubleshooting and prioritizing cases.
• Analyze client documentation.
• Represent clients in court. Litigate contested and uncontested court hearings and proceedings.
• Engage in discovery, mediation, and depositions and prepare clients for the same.
• Oversee status of cases through case management system.
• Participates in application/prescreen review for acceptance of cases.
• Assists Director and Supervising Attorneys with mentoring the Unit’s other Staff Attorneys, Supervising Paralegals, and helping to supervise substantive legal work and non-substantive work of Paralegals as assigned.
• Attends regular unit meetings and case reviews to ensure proper case management and grant compliance with LSC and other grants.
• With the Director and Supervising Attorneys, assists in interviewing, hiring, orientation, training, continuous training and evaluation of current staff in the Unit, and recommends personnel actions as needed.
• Ensures cases are compliant with grant requirements, completes and submits grant reporting, ensures grant deliverables are met, and assists the Unit in identifying gaps in services and source grants or resources to address those needs in our community. Ensures compliance with policies and procedures in accordance with grants and office requirements.
• Performs community outreach to ensure agencies are referring victims to CCLA for legal services, including providing content for social media, virtual and in-person outreach, active participation with coordinated community response organizations and groups, and educational training for staff, clients and community providers.
• Maintain accurate timekeeping to ensure contemporaneous and compliant timekeeping.
• Performs all other duties as assigned and/or requested by Director, Supervising Attorneys, or Management, or as required by grant(s).

Position Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school. Florida bar membership in good standing.
• At least 5 years of relevant family law and or criminal law experience including litigation.
• Knowledge of LSC rules and regulations and LegalServer a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Extensive in-person and remote hearing litigation experience.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to work as part of a team.
• Efficient in Microsoft Office Suite, court case management system, Florida’s e-filing, pdf software (Adobe, Foxit), and zoom.
• Patient, efficient, and ability to multitask, organize, prioritize, be adaptable, and be a strong collaborator and leader committed to excellence and collegiality.
• Understand the applicable laws and dynamics of intimate partner violence, injunctions for protection, and family law.
• Efficient case management and complete note taking, completion of information for grant reports, contemporaneous time keeping, conduct training and outreach, and ability to attend all mandated trainings.
• Due to funder requirements, all applicants must pass a background check before employment begins. See: Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website: https://info.flclearinghouse.com

Here at CCLA we offer our employees an outstanding and generous benefits package, which includes medical, vision, dental (100% employer paid for individual coverage), life, short-term, long-term disability insurance (100% employer paid coverage), supplemental insurance, and a 403(b) plan (tax-sheltered annuity plan) with an employer contribution.

CCLA covers attorney’s Florida bar dues, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, and attorneys have the opportunity to apply for student loan payment assistance.

Additionally, CCLA offers substantial discounts on gym memberships, parks, travel, pet insurance, and more, contributing to our employees' overall well-being.

CCLA is very proud of our work-life balance by giving our employees a substantial paid time off package which includes, vacation, sick leave and over 12 holidays a year. At CCLA we offer our employees (non-probationary) a more flexible work schedule by temporarily working a hybrid schedule 2 days in the office and 3 days working remotely.

At CCLA, we foster a positive and supportive work environment where we work hard to provide exceptional service to our community. The work is both challenging and rewarding, and we take pride in the commitment and dedication of our team.

For more information about CCLA, please visit our website at www.coasttocoastlegalaid.org.

CCLA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.