Link to full summary and application form: https://tlcenter.bamboohr.com/careers/80
Job Title: Legal Services Project Senior Helpdesk Attorney
Status: Full time, exempt
Location: This position can be remote or work out of TLC’s offices in Oakland or Brooklyn
Reports to: Legal Director or Legal Director’s designee
Salary: $85,000-$90,000 depending on experience and location
ORGANIZATION
Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. (www.transgenderlawcenter.org)
POSITION SUMMARY
This position is within TLC’s Legal Services Project, which works to break down barriers to legal access for trans and gender-nonconforming people by operating a Legal Information Helpdesk, Prison Mail Response Program, developing know-your-rights resources; and providing technical assistance and training to attorneys, government officials, and service providers.
The Legal Services Project Senior Attorney will take the lead managing TLC’s Legal Services Project. The Project includes all of the organization’s legal information, pro bono legal services, and know-your-rights education work, including the Legal Information Helpdesk, and the volunteer-staffed prison mail response program. This staff person will be generally responsible for ensuring those separate pieces are coordinated, as a project manager, and will also be directly responsible for several specific elements of the work. As currently structured and when fully staffed, TLC’s Legal Services Project also includes a Helpdesk Coordinator, a Prison Mail Coordinator, and a Legal Assistant who also supports the broader legal team.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- The Helpdesk Attorney will assume primary responsibility for the Legal Information Helpdesk, including reviewing and responding to incoming inquiries, recruiting and training volunteers, maintaining an internal database of legal information and resources, and identifying and implementing improvements to Helpdesk operations.
- Maintain and update internal legal information database tracking most relevant laws and policies for all 50 states across a wide variety of issue areas (e.g., identity document updates, public accommodation nondiscrimination protections, criminal defense, and other issues)
- Recruit, onboard, and supervise volunteers and interns to support the Helpdesk.
Seek out innovative ways to improve the delivery of legal information and assistance to TGNC community members.
- Provide training and ongoing technical assistance to attorneys and/or service providers.
- The Helpdesk Attorney will also support other work within the Legal Services Project as needed; and may include legal research and analysis and direct advocacy on behalf of currently incarcerated TGNC people.
- Coordinate and oversee TLC's Prison Mail Program, which provides basic legal information and resources to about 800 TGNC people inside prisons and jails across the country each year.
- Provide training and ongoing technical assistance to attorneys and/or service providers.
- Collaborate with TLC’s program/organizing staff, and grassroots TGNC groups to coordinate legal education strategies and organize legal clinics in communities across the country.
- Create and lead “train-the-trainer” programs to support community organizations and law firms interested in hosting legal clinics or otherwise providing direct pro bono legal assistance to TGNC community members.
- Maintain and grow TLC’s database of cooperating attorneys willing to assist TGNC people with a wide range of legal issues across the country.
- Engage in limited-scope direct advocacy for TGNC people.
- Recruit, train, and supervise interns and other LSP staff members.
- Engage in limited-scope direct advocacy for TGNC people.
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
- Familiarity with legal issues impacting transgender and communities of color including name/gender changes, healthcare access, criminal defense, police misconduct, or other legal services for low-income clients
- Ability to explain legal and other complex issues in clear way for all audiences
- Strong writing, editing, and research skills
- Collaborative both within an organization and with other groups.
- Experience working with people from a variety of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, religious, sexual, gender, and generational backgrounds
- Experience with Salesforce or similar Customer Relationship Management software
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Admission to the bar of at least one state
- Project management experience / experience with program development
- Proficiency in an additional language other than English
BENEFITS
- Medical/dental/vision (TLC covers100% of premiums for employees, 75% for dependents)
- Employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (currently $2,000 per year)
- Optional employee-funded Flexible Spending Account
- Employee Assistance Fund that can grant financial assistance for certain qualifying disasters and personal hardships
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- 3 weeks of sick leave
- 19 days vacation (24 after 3 years’ employment) and 12 holidays
- Flexible Friday schedule with organization-wide ‘no internal meetings’ practice
- Organizational ‘slowdown’ in winter and summer
- Two-weeks paid time off in the summer and 2 weeks paid time off at the end of the year (separate from employee vacation time)
- 2-month paid sabbatical program available after 5 years’ employment
- Retirement plan with partial organizational matching
- Indemnity insurance for critical illness, hospital confinement, and accidents
- Professional development & coaching
- Office setup, phone and internet reimbursement (if working from home)
- Additional mental health, budgeting, travel, and pet benefits
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Transgender Law Center is proud to be an affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including Black, indigenous, and other people of color; women and femmes; people with disabilities; and people who are transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer are particularly urged to apply. For more information about Transgender Law Center please visit our website: www.transgenderlawcenter.org.
