Legal Director

The University of Maryland, Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors is seeking applicants for a full-time Legal Director (classified as faculty position). The Legal Director will lead, grow, and manage the SAFE Center’s legal services program. In house, the legal services program provides comprehensive immigration representation for foreign national survivors of human trafficking, and crime victim rights advocacy for foreign national and US survivors. The program also coordinates with pro bono attorneys who specialize in areas we do not provide in-house, such as a family and landlord/tenant law, and civil litigation to hold traffickers accountable. The Legal Director is a key member of the SAFE Center’s leadership team. The legal program operates within a multidisciplinary services context and interacts with the SAFE Center’s social services, behavioral health services, and economic empowerment teams in a comprehensive service model. The SAFE Center is part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Graduate School.

The mission of the SAFE Center is to provide survivor-centered and trauma-informed services that empower trafficking survivors to heal and reclaim their lives, and prevent trafficking and better serve survivors through research and advocacy. Our mission is grounded in social justice and active efforts to fight systemic racism which is a root cause of human trafficking. The SAFE Center provides social, legal, behavioral health, and economic empowerment services to survivors of sex and labor trafficking of any age, nationality, or gender. More information is available on the SAFE Center’s website at www.umdsafecenter.org . This position is located in College Park, Maryland, and offers the flexibility of a hybrid work arrangement. Candidates will be required to complete a background check.

Benefits Information

UMB offers a generous benefits package that includes 22 vacation days, 14 floating and holidays, 15 sick days; comprehensive health insurance and retirement options; and tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any of the University System of Maryland schools.

UMB requires all faculty, staff, and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Exemptions for medical or religious reasons will be processed through Human Resources.

Job Responsibilities:

Manage legal services program

• Ensure delivery of high quality legal services and compliance with all ethical and professional rules.
• Work with leadership and legal team to review SAFE Center legal services protocols and policies. Develop new protocols where needed, with input of legal and multidisciplinary teams, and manage new protocol rollout and training.
• Promote and facilitate coordination of legal services with SAFE Center social services, economic empowerment services, and behavioral health services for holistic client care.
• Further develop and oversee volunteer, pro bono, and low bono attorney programs
• Oversee recruitment and placement of law student interns in supervised direct services or research.
• Coordinate input for grant proposals and grant reporting for program funding, including Equal Justice Works and other legal fellowship programs.
• Develop and maintain community partnerships and relationships with human trafficking task force members
• As a member of the leadership team, works with program directors, executive director, and deputy director to advance organizational goals

Supervise Legal Team

• Supervise, mentor, and empower a team of dedicated and talented legal professionals.
• Consult and advise on complex legal and client issues, especially issues at the intersection of immigration and criminal matters, as well as civil legal matters.
• Assist the team with managing caseloads, particularly during high-work/low- bandwidth periods, by helping to order priorities and set deadlines.
• Support team with respect to mitigating vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.
• Facilitate team meetings to assess referrals, open and assign cases, coordinate and discuss case progress, and address challenges.

Direct Services

• Handle a small caseload, which may include T and U visa applications, asylum and withholding of removal, special immigrant juvenile status, removal defense, and related immigration relief.
• Align with legal partners for broader strategic initiatives such as civil litigation, impact litigation, and filing of amicus briefs.

Qualifications :

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Jusris Doctorate from an ABA approved law school

Experience: Minimum four (4) years of legal experience, including at least one (1) year in immigration law

Supervisory Experience: Minimum two (2) years of supervisory experience

Licensure: Current bar membership in good standing in any state in the US or District of Columbia. Membership in the Maryland Bar is preferred but not required.

Other: Annual financial disclosure required Maryland State Law

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Demonstrated commitment to providing high quality and trauma-informed legal services for low income individuals and communities

Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, cultural humility, and anti-racism

Strong organizational skills and the ability to establish priorities and meet internal and external deadlines.

Excellent research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.

Ability to work as an effective and collaborative team member in a multidisciplinary setting.

Ability to adapt legal skills to changing legal environment; facility in acquiring new subject expertise.

Ability to apply critical thinking skills to anticipate and find the source of challenges, and propose and advocate for effective solutions. Committed to creative problem solving.

Excellent interpersonal skills, including a positive and professional orientation towards SAFE Center colleagues, staff, university officials, partner organizations, clients, grantors, and other stakeholders.

Demonstrated experience in helping attorneys and other legal professionals to develop professionally and acquire increasing levels of expertise and responsibility.

Experience and commitment to working with clients who may have complex trauma and a variety of legal, social services, and other needs.

Ability to demonstrate, understand, apply, and adhere to the UMB Core Values.

Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred.

Established relationships with legal services providers in the area a plus.

This is a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, non-tenure track, 12-month appointment. Lecturer/ Senior lecturer appointments are long-term, renewable contracts and are eligible for promotion. Rules governing such appointments are located at https://graduate.umaryland.edu/policies/ .

Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience.

UMB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law or policy. For assistance related to employment, please contact the Staffing department at HRJobs@umaryland.edu .

If you anticipate needing a reasonable accommodation for a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), during any part of the employment process, please submit a  UMB Job Applicant Accommodation Request . You may also contact HRDiversity@umaryland.edu. Please note that only inquiries concerning an ADA request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.