Directing Attorney - Health

The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley is seeking a full-time Directing Attorney for its Health Program. Over the past year and as a part of our Strategic Plan, the Law Foundation consolidated its longstanding Mental Health Advocacy Project and Health Legal Services programs into a unified, mission-driven program. There is a renewed focus on promoting access to and quality of health and behavioral health care services and delivery and addressing health disparities among low-income and underserved populations. We utilize a comprehensive approach of both direct legal services and system change work, including policy advocacy, local systems reform, and potentially impact litigation.

Our Health team has longstanding expertise in the areas of mental health patients’ rights, economic rights, and related disability rights and health access advocacy. We represent individuals in inpatient psychiatric facilities at due process and capacity hearings, investigate allegations of abuse or denial of rights at behavioral health facilities, and assist with access to county behavioral health services, including treatment in the county jails. Our public benefits work includes denials, overpayments, terminations, and reasonable accommodations related to public benefits programs. Our health team also operates a medical legal partnership focused on health and homelessness and is a longstanding provider of legal services to low-income people living with HIV or AIDS.

The Health team will continue working to refine its renewed focus under the leadership of the new Directing Attorney, including incorporating race equity tools such as community lawyering in order to provide the best possible advocacy to our community. The Directing Attorney will play a critical role in further developing the Program’s mission, structure, prioritization, and service delivery model. We are seeking a strategic thinker who has experience leading and advocating with vision, passion, and effectiveness. The Directing Attorney will be responsible for training, developing, motivating, and supervising staff and overseeing the daily work of the practice. In addition, the Directing Attorney will help to maintain and grow funding resources and manage the administrative aspects of the program.

The Directing Attorney will report to the Chief Program Officer and directly supervise the Health Program management team, including the two Supervising Attorneys. The Directing Attorney will also work closely with the Law Foundation’s management team to support the goals and operations of the entire organization, including implementation of the Strategic Plan.

DUTIES

• Lead and be responsible for the Law Foundation’s Health Program, from both a strategic and execution perspective.
• Supervise and work in close collaboration with two program Supervising Attorneys.
• Serve on and be a thought-partner to the Law Foundation’s management team.
• Oversee all legal work, including direct services, administrative law hearings, litigation, and policy advocacy.
• Set priorities and implement goals, program development, project management and administration.
• Represent the program in systemic reform efforts, including local systems, policy, and legislative advocacy.
• Track policy and legal developments in the areas of health, mental health, disability rights, and other substantive legal issues affecting program clients.
• Engage in development functions, including funder and donor relations, grant writing, and creating sustainable funding models.
• Collaborate with Law Foundation Board of Directors, stakeholders, community, and clients.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Deep commitment to and passion for the vision and mission of the Law Foundation.
• Significant legal and management experience (minimum of seven years preferred) in public interest law, including direct legal services, litigation, and policy advocacy.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively develop and supervise a team of attorneys, advocates, and other staff.
• Experience working with underrepresented communities, including people living with chronic health conditions, behavioral, mental health or developmental disabilities, and other disabilities, clients who experience homelessness, clients who are currently or formerly involved with the criminal justice system, and members of the LGBTQ community.
• Commitment to race, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively with local government officials, judicial officers, health professionals, staff in institutional settings, volunteers, and other system and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within systems while also maintaining an advocacy posture.
• Strong legal skills and demonstrated ability to analyze systems-level problems and develop creative solutions.
• Experience developing and maintaining internal processes for direct services-related client management, program development, project planning, client intake, grant/contract management, and outcome measurements.
• Strong judgment and demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities while efficiently executing on multiple tasks.
• Experience in program administration, fundraising, and financial management.
• A team-building, collaborative, and positive approach to work, combined with ability to create and maintain a healthy work culture with clear and fair expectations and a culture of feedback.
• Bilingual ability (English/Spanish or English/Vietnamese) is strongly desired.
• California Bar Membership.
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint proficiency.

COMPENSATION

Highly competitive nonprofit salary; excellent benefits including generous paid time-off, fully paid employee health insurance (and significant dependent coverage), and 401(k) with partial match. More information regarding the Law Foundation is available on our website: www.lawfoundation.org.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled. Please submit the following via email to jenniferk@lawfoundation.org: (1) a resume and (2) at least 3 professional references, and (3) a cover letter that explains your interest, and also addresses the question below.

In order to best serve our clients and our community, the Law Foundation is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How has your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to social justice, race equity, and diversity among our staff?

The Law Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer. We encourage people of color, women, people living with disabilities, older people, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to apply. It is the policy of the Law Foundation to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to  race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, medical condition or genetic information, veteran status, national origin, disability, marital or other protected status. The Law Foundation will conform to the spirit, as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.