Classifieds

​Milwaukee Office Managing Attorney

Posted: November 17, 2022

Open until filled but with a minimum of 14 days posting

Summary: Legal Action has an exciting opportunity available for an attorney who is committed to our mission. We are hiring a Managing Attorney for our Milwaukee office. The position will be available immediately although transition time is available. (The current Managing Attorney will be transitioning to an attorney position, effective 4/16/23.) This is a full-time, FLSA-exempt position that is supervised by the Executive Director. This position works closely with Legal Action’s other Managing Attorneys, administrative staff positions, and others to manage our largest office. The Managing Attorney also has high visibility in the legal and the client community representing the firm and our work.

Legal Action of Wisconsin: Legal Action is a large, vibrant non-profit law firm funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and many other sources and by individual, corporate, and foundation donors. Legal Action provides free legal aid to 11,000 – 13,000 low-income persons each year in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin with six offices (Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and La Crosse.)

In addition, Legal Action operates a statewide farmworker project and other statewide projects serving crime victims, including victims of sex and labor trafficking. Legal Action attorneys have expertise in a range of substantive areas, but our work is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer law, and family law. Staff attorneys maintain a direct service caseload on behalf of individual and group clients and engage in law reform litigation and other impact work. As often as possible, attorneys specialize in specific areas of poverty law.

Legal Action believes that equal justice under law can only be achieved through the collaboration of a diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and people with life experiences or educational backgrounds that add to the firm’s diversity and our capacity to provide high-quality legal aid.

Milwaukee Office: Our Milwaukee office provides free legal services to thousands of low-income clients from 2 counties: Milwaukee and Waukesha. It is located at 633 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 2000, Milwaukee, WI 53203. It is Legal Action’s largest office. The total staffing currently consists of the following: 13 supervising attorneys or project managers, 30 staff attorneys, 17 paralegals, and 18 other administrative, professional, and technical staff. We also have a small satellite office down the street at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) where 1 of the supervising attorneys, 2 of the staff attorneys, and 1 paralegal staff are located. (The Milwaukee Office Managing Attorney does not directly supervise all these positions.)

Key Responsibilities:

• Hiring, supervision, evaluation, coordination, onboarding, and direction of the supervising attorneys, staff attorneys, paralegals, and other staff assigned to the office, using Legal Action’s supervisory standard and including regular case review of legal work;

• Ensuring management’s compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement for AFSCME-represented employees (paralegals and legal secretaries) and maintaining a working relationship with AFSCME representatives through regular Union/Management meetings;

• Encouraging and supporting and participating in the Milwaukee office contributions to the firm’s strategic impact litigation and other advocacy efforts;

• Encouraging and supporting and participating in the Milwaukee office contributions to the firm’s efforts to undertake racial justice legal work;

• Encouraging and supporting and participating in the Milwaukee office contributions to the firm’s efforts to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and service delivery system;

• Managing the office’s budgets and funding sources (adjusting and managing expenditures as needed), office accounts (petty cash and client trust accounts), and invoices;

• Grant writing and grant and contract reporting;

• Implementing special projects;

• Management of service delivery to ensure that the Milwaukee office are responsive to all priority areas of law;

• Maintaining relationships with funding sources, community groups, legal organizations, and other external entities;

• Respond to grievances and complaints from clients, from people who were denied services, and others;

• Through supervision, training, and performance-based goal setting, ensure that all Milwaukee office attorneys:

o provide the highest quality and aggressive representation of clients in service cases and in impact work and for performing all duties associated with such representation;

o stay current with the law as it changes and develops, particularly in their area of specialization;

o develop and maintain good working relationships with community groups and state and local bar associations;

o travel to and adequately serve each county for case work and outreach activities;

o contribute to the firm’s efforts to undertake racial justice legal work;

o contribute to the firm’s efforts to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace

• Ensure that all Milwaukee non-attorney staff perform their assigned duties;

• Contribute to providing training and supporting volunteer attorneys in Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project when needed;

• Manage physical office and implementing office-wide procedures;

• Other activities to ensure provision of quality legal services in the Milwaukee office service areas.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Juris Doctorate is required;

• Currently licensed to practice law in Wisconsin or ability to become licensed within 3 months of hire is required;

• 5 years of relevant experience in supervising attorney and non-attorney staff and managing legal services delivery is desired. 3 years of experience in supervising attorney and non-attorney staff and managing legal services is required;

• Experience practicing in multiple areas of civil law is desired. Experience practicing in one area of civil law is required;

• Enthusiasm for civil legal aid and equal justice for and service to our clients is required

• Effective communication skills to engage key stakeholders, staff, clients, and pro bono attorneys is required;

• Enthusiasm for and skill in supervising other attorneys and paralegals, including with partially or fully remote workers, is required;

• Ability to manage a high-volume, fast-paced work load is required;

• Ability to prioritize and organize resources while maintaining quality and attention to detail is required;

• Ability to work harmoniously and cooperatively with co-workers, clients, other managers, and other stakeholders is required;

• Familiarity with courtroom procedure (state and municipal) and state law is required. Familiarity with federal court and federal law is desired;

• Enthusiasm for creating training materials and leading trainings or a willingness to learn is required;

• Superior skills in case analysis, research, and legal writing are required;

• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and persuasively is required;

• Self-motivation, diligence, and ability to meet strict deadlines while under pressure are required;

• Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area, with occasional overnight stays, is required. Occasional out of state travel, with overnight stays, is also required; and

• A valid driver’s license is required.

SALARY: This is an Attorney Manager Tier 3 position. The salary is determined by the candidate’s number of years of relevant, post-J.D. experience. As one example, a candidate with five years of relevant experience will earn an annual salary of $89,747; 10 years of relevant experience will earn an annual salary of $109,500; 15 years of relevant experience will earn an annual salary of $123,986; and 20 years of relevant experience will earn an annual salary of $133,862. In addition, Legal Action offers a $2,400/year or a $4,800/year salary premium for employees who are proficient in Spanish or Hmong. Legal Action’s Board of Directors determines salaries and the language differential in a salary administration plan, and they are not negotiable.

FRINGE BENEFITS: Legal Action provides a generous fringe benefits package including employer-paid health and dental insurance for employees and eligible dependents. (Some employees are required to contribute to the health insurance premium for their spouse if the spouse has group health insurance provided by their employer.) Legal Action also provides life and long-term disability insurance, a profit- sharing retirement plan, salary deferral options for retirement planning, low-cost employee-paid vision coverage, four or more weeks of vacation per year (depending on length of time employed by Legal Action), four or five (depending on length of time employed by Legal Action) personal holidays in addition to 9 other firmwide paid holidays, generous sick leave, and four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: For an external hire, the probationary period is six months. Legal Action may extend the probationary period for an additional six months. For an internal hire, if the incumbent is moving into the Attorney Manager Tier 3 classification from a different classification, they may be subject to a probationary period of up to six months and Legal Action may extend the probationary period for an additional six months.

GOVERNANCE: The position is governed by Legal Action’s personnel policies and these are subject to unilateral change by Legal Action’s Board of Directors. As with any Legal Action position, there is no guaranteed period of employment and employment is at will, subject to termination at any time.

SCOPE OF AUTHORITY: This position makes recommendations to the Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Human Resources, and other managers on personnel management and direction of the workforce and directs work and the workforce. This includes but is not limited to discipline and responding to and adjusting employee grievances and concerns and assigning work. This position also receives confidential budgeting and other financial information related to direction of the workforce and assignment of work. This position uses their independent judgment in exercising this authority and in making recommendations.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT: At Legal Action, health and safety is a top priority. As a condition of employment, all new employees and interns, law clerks, volunteers, and contractors from employment agencies or consulting firms must be fully vaccinated, including boosters. New employees must provide medical proof of vaccinations and boosters within 28 days of their first day of employment. New employees may request a medical or religious exemption from this requirement, but they must complete an exemption request and Legal Action must approve the exemption before the employee may begin work.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Enter information into a computer accurately. Answer numerous emails, phone calls, and other electronic and electronic communications throughout the day. Occasionally move objects, usually about 10 – 20 pounds. Retrieve documents from printers and copiers and similar office equipment and file or distribute to others as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: This role is mostly sedentary, with most of the duties performed on a computer, phone, table, or reception desk. Desk and workspaces will accommodate a wheelchair or other assistive devices. This position may require occasional short-distance or long-distance travel.

REMOTE and/or COMPRESSED WORK: The Milwaukee Office Managing Attorney will be physically present in the Milwaukee office at least 3 days during a 5-day period or 6 days out of a 10-day period.

HOW TO APPLY:

All application materials must be submitted at this link:

https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/7988.careers?ApplyToJob=486727553​

All applicants are required to submit:

• cover letter with a succinct summary of qualifications and interest in the position;

• resume; and

• writing sample(s).

In addition, external applicants will be asked to submit a list of three professional references at interview.

We will begin reviewing applicants on 12/5/2022.

Interviews may be conducted remotely or in-person but we prefer in-person whenever possible.

Deedee Peterson, Executive Director, is the hiring manager for this position and will form and lead a panel to interview applicants.

RELOCATION EXPENSES: Reimbursement for eligible relocation expenses, up to $1,200, is available. ​