Job Description

Director of Training & Professional Development #25-36

New York, New York, United States

Deadline is 3:00 PM EST for Date Listed

Mar 25, 2025

Job Description

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is looking for an exceptional, dynamic leader to join our team as the Director of Training and Professional Development.

The Director will deliver cutting-edge client-centered training programs for both new and experienced advocates. The Director of Training & Professional Development will play a key role in strengthening the legal community’s advocacy skills across various areas of civil law and litigation, helping to ensure that our team continues to deliver justice for those who need it most while furthering Legal Aid’s commitment to anti-racist values. The Director of Training & Professional Development  will ensure that The Legal Aid Society remains at the forefront of advocacy excellence and legal education throughout New York State.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Training Development and Implementation

• Manage an interdisciplinary team of trainers to develop innovative and client centered training programs and materials, including internal trainings as well as trainings for external partners and stakeholders
• Provide substantive law and litigation training for the Civil Practice including implementing new hire training and ongoing training for all staff at all experience levels including but not limited to managers, staff attorneys; paralegals; social workers; and administrative/operations staff
• Work with Civil Practice legal managers to develop and execute trainings including leveraging technology and interactive learning
• Recruit and mentor staff attorneys and non-lawyers to play roles in training in the Civil Practice
• Articulate a clear vision and plan for the Civil Practice Training Unit including representing the Civil Practice and The Legal Aid Society at local, State and national forums and within the legal service training community
• Build partnerships with external experts including law schools, learning institutes, and bar associations to expand training opportunities and share best practices in public interest law
• Participate in the creation and updating of practice manuals for all areas of the Civil Practice for use by attorney and non-attorney staff in the Civil Practice
• Work closely with managers and staff throughout the Civil Practice to evaluate and solicit training needs and identify necessary resources to address the needs
• Collaborate with training teams across The Legal Aid Society to develop and deliver trainings for a diverse group of stakeholders

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Law Degree and at least 8 years of legal education or legal practice experience
• Commitment to representation of low-income households
• Experience developing and/or leading trainings

Preferred qualifications:  

• Substantial litigation experience
• Admitted to New York State Bar

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND abilities

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Experience with civil legal matters and the representation of low-income individuals
• Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills
• Demonstrated commitment to exploring alternative training structures for legal practice
• Ability to work in a collaborative team model

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Substantial supervisory and management experience
• Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
• Ability to manage the work including: assessment of work process and outcomes, gathering relevant information about the work, recommending alternatives, or elevate issues as needed
• Ability to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, delegate tasks and hold people accountable
• Ability to create and implement effective communication plans
• Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues
• Pursue continuous learning on forms of systemic oppression of marginalized identities and establish team norms and management practices using an equity mindset and informed by inclusive practices

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers.
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships.
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect.
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values.

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video.
• Will require travel within NYC, across the five borough region.
• This job is mostly in-person

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $150,000 – $160,000

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

Location

Citywide

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: #Training, Advocacy, Attorney, civil, development, director, full-time, law, lawyer, Legal, non-profit, Public Defender, and training and professional development. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

19 total views, 0 today

Apply for this Job