Program Description

The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program represents 300 children a year from birth to age 21 who are alleged to have been exposed to abuse and neglect. The program incorporates a multi-disciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, investigators and education attorneys to ensure our GAL attorneys are equipped to provide zealous, child-centered, holistic and culturally humble advocacy on behalf of children’s best interests.

Job Summary

Attorneys in the GAL program represent children who are the subject of abuse and neglect cases in DC’s Family Court.  GAL Staff Attorneys manage a case load of up to 35 cases.  In managing those cases, attorneys benefit from multiple internal resources, including a litigation protocol, monthly case rounds, appellate support, close supervision and regular training.  Staff Attorneys advocate - both in and out for court - to advance the best interests of children, maintain notes in the case management system and keep their supervisors informed of all significant developments in their cases. The GAL program has identified core competencies that provide guidance for professional development and promotion; attorneys receive ongoing feedback about their performance with respect to each competency.  

Staff Attorneys receive cases through court appointment and, in addition to representing children, they assist in other program and organizational deliverables as necessary or requested.  Children’s Law Center (CLC) endeavors to maintain a collaborative, collegial workplace, and Staff Attorneys assist colleagues on their cases and provide emergency and holiday coverage, when possible, to assist in maintaining that environment.

Role Responsibilities

Case Handling: Advocacy

• Provide high-quality direct legal representation.
• Zealously advocate for the children in all cases.
• Attend all court dates and timely file all appropriate pleadings.

Case Handling: Supervision

• Attend and actively participate in regular supervision with their supervisor to brainstorm case strategies, keep the supervisor informed and ensure quality of representation.
• Provide written materials to their supervising attorney to allow the supervisor to provide feedback on all written material, including trial preparation.

Case Handling: CLC Obligations

• Maintain accurate, timely data entry and document storage in CLC’s case management system.
• Complete quarterly case planning note.
• Participate in all required trainings, meetings and other CLC events including but not limited to:
  • litigation meetings.
  • supervision.
  • case rounds.
  • trainings.
  • GAL staff meetings.
  • other internal committees or workgroups, if applicable.
• Follow all case representation policies.
• Provide support to CLC’s Policy team in areas of expertise to address the systemic needs of children.
• Identify and elevate TASIL (Targeted Appellate Strategy Issues List) cases to supervisor and Appellate team.

Case Handling: Professional Development

• Set annual goals and review them regularly to direct professional development.
• Work to achieve annual goals and incorporate feedback from supervisory staff to improve case performance and capacity.

Organizational Priorities

• Attend trainings.
• Develop or lead internal or external trainings as needed.

Required Skills and Experience

• JD degree.
• DC Bar membership or eligibility for DC Bar membership based the transfer of a Uniform Bar Examination score attained in another jurisdiction or membership in good standing in the Bar of another jurisdiction for at least 3 years immediately prior to the application for admission.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• A demonstrated commitment to social, economic and racial justice. 
• Post-JD litigation experience.  
• Experience working with children and/or teens.
• Experience in legal services or other community lawyering.  Experience that will be considered includes job experience, law school clinics, clerkships and internships.   
• Post-JD judicial clerkship experience.
• Experience in legal research roles.
• Experience in family law or disability law.
• Experience working with communities with limited financial resources.
• Strong legal analysis, research, writing and oral advocacy skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently and collaboratively.
• Proactively identifies issues and works to find creative solutions in the face of obstacles.
• Strong independent judgement and decision-making.

Organizational Competencies

• Cultural Humility – an openness to self-reflection and to understanding and respecting other cultural experiences and points of view and viewing individuals as experts in their own culture and experiences.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback – the ability to be self-reflective, give and receive appreciative, coaching, constructive, interpersonal and evaluative feedback.
• Conflict Management – a process which is designed to guide individuals and groups from the moment of conflict to the implementation of an identified solution.  This process incorporates skills and techniques, including recognizing points of conflict, identifying the facts and feelings involved to get to the root of the issue, investigating equitable solutions, implementing and evaluating solutions, and supporting and guiding others throughout the process.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position ranges from $66,000-$76,512 annually based on relevant experience. Children’s Law Center offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance; employer-provided retirement contributions; flexible spending plans; and vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave. You can find more details about Children’s Law Center’s comprehensive benefits package at https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/employee-benefits/.

Children’s Law Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Employees with federal student loan debt can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. For more information, go to https://myfedloan.org/borrowers/special-programs/pslf. Additionally, the DC Bar Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program provides renewable one-year, interest-free, forgivable loans up to $12,000 per year for qualified Children’s Law Center attorneys. For more information, see https:/dcbarfoundation.org/lrap/.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter as one PDF file via CLC's careers page (https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/).

Children’s Law Center is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. If you believe that you need accommodation to search for, or apply for, one of our positions please send an email to Jobs@ChildrensLawCenter.org. In your email, please include the accommodation you are requesting and the job title you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request.

Hybrid Working Conditions

Children’s Law Center is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule.  Employees are required to work in-person from Children’s Law Center’s office a minimum of two days per week.  At least one of these days must be either Tuesday or Wednesday.  The hybrid work schedule is subject to change based on organizational needs and/or best practices for health and safety.  Hybrid work expectations may vary depending upon role responsibilities.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.  Children’s Law Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Background Checks

Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a background check.

EEO

Children’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and existing employees. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our company and our career opportunities (https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/).

Our Commitment

Children’s Law Center is dedicated to building a world that is inclusive in approach and has equal opportunities and equitable outcomes for all. Our organization is committed to developing and supporting a robustly diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist community, where all members can create and feel a sense of belonging. Through our collective deliberate efforts, we work toward racial and social justice for children and families in DC.