Senior Staff Attorney

Reporting to the Deputy Legal Director, the Senior Staff Attorney will assist with all legal matters under the Deputy Legal Director’s purview, including intake, assessment and litigation of those cases where Child Justice, Inc. (CJI) has taken on direct representation of legal clients. The Senior Staff Attorney will provide comprehensive legal services to CJI clients, from intake through post-trial motions and appeals, in protective order cases, family law matters and related complex litigation in Maryland courts or before administrative bodies. The Senior Staff Attorney is expected to maintain a reasonable caseload and independently litigate protective order, custody, child support, divorce, and related cases, as assigned. The Senior Staff Attorney will work as part of a collaborative legal team to engage in systemic advocacy and policy work and to provide legal advice, consultations, and technical assistance, as needed. In addition, the Senior Staff Attorney will assist the Deputy Legal Director in the training and supervision of junior attorneys and paralegal staff.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Provides client-centered representation to a full caseload of clients in family law cases, including protective order, child custody, divorce, as well as related matters such as contempt, modification, appeal, and shielding hearings in the Circuit and District Courts throughout Maryland.

Provides direct casework supervision to junior staff attorneys or paralegals, as assigned.

Conducts in-depth client intake interviews as part of the case assessment process and for consultation and/or trial preparation.

Prepares opening, closing, and case status memoranda, including an articulation factual background, legal theory of the case, and proposed litigation strategy.

Updates, contemporaneously, client management systems and client files.

Collects and prepares evidence to be presented in Court.

Identifies lay and expert witnesses to support the theory of the case.

Engages in effective litigation techniques, such as persuasive oral argument, witness preparation, expert witness presentation, presentation of physical, documentary and other types of evidence.

Drafts legal documents including, but not limited to discovery, memoranda of law, motions, orders, answers, complaints, counter-complaints, and correspondence.

Maintains knowledge of, and compliance with, all ethical and legal requirements of attorneys to practice law.

Maintains and organizes case files and coordinates/copies the Deputy Legal Director’s Case Manager/Paralegal to ensure electronic files are complete.

Locates additional resources and referrals to address clients’ non-litigation related needs.

Coordinates trial calendar, schedules interviews, performs administrative duties, develops and provides follow-up services and referrals for clients or prospective clients.

Assists with recruiting, training, supervising the legal work of Staff Attorneys, Legal Interns, Paralegals and CJI staff.

Provides technical assistance and consultation to external attorneys and individuals seeking information about family law, interpersonal violence and child protection, as assigned.

Attends regular staff meetings, team meetings, in-house training and continuing legal education.

Maintains case statistics and develops regular reports of project achievements for inclusion in grant reports, and other CJI products.

Provides occasional staffing for events, participates in project and membership development, attends and participates, as time permits, and as directed by supervisor, in committees and policy-making bodies concerned with child protection and interpersonal violence.

Maintains detailed log of all clients and cases on which Staff Attorney works and completes all necessary paperwork and memoranda to track case work for grant funding and other purposes.

Other duties as assigned.