Supervising Attorney, Pennsylvania Farmworker Project

Position: Supervising Attorney, Pennsylvania Farmworker Project

Anticipated Start Date: Summer, 2024

Application Requirements: Cover letter, resume, writing sample and references

The Pennsylvania Farmworker Project (PFP) is seeking a supervising attorney to join a dynamic team advocating on behalf of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers throughout Pennsylvania. The position is based out of our Philadelphia office with a hybrid remote work schedule available.

PFP is a legal unit of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) that serves farmworkers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PFP is devoted to ensuring that the legal rights and dignity of Pennsylvania’s agricultural workers are protected. We do this through a wide array of legal advocacy, community education and engagement, and direct representation of farmworkers. The vast majority of those farmworkers are monolingual Spanish speakers who migrate to Pennsylvania from other parts of the U.S. and Mexico. They are often isolated from major city centers, making them a uniquely vulnerable population. PFP performs routine and consistent outreach to farmworkers throughout the state to educate them about their legal rights and to build trust.

Responsibilities

The Supervising Attorney will handle a full farmworker legal services caseload consisting of a variety of legal matters including:

· Federal and state employment law violations, including wage and hour issues, employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, termination, employment contracts, and other matters;

· Immigration-related screenings and petitions, including T- and U-visa screenings, DALE applications, and visa issues;

· Tax matters that commonly occur with migrant and seasonal farmworkers;

· Unemployment compensation matters;

· Systemic litigation and advocacy in concert with a national network of farmworker advocates;

· Advice and counsel on a variety of other matters including workplace injuries, health and safety concerns, pesticide exposure, and generally any other legal issue that a farmworker may confront while in Pennsylvania;

· Informed referrals to a network of legal practitioners.

The Supervising Attorney will also lead a team of farmworker advocates (currently consisting of a Project Paralegal and an Outreach Coordinator) to ensure that the PFP is adequately meeting the needs of Pennsylvania’s farmworker community in compliance with LSC regulations. Supervisory responsibilities include:

· Supervising the Project Paralegal, Outreach Coordinator, and any law student or undergraduate interns currently with the PFP;

· Onboarding and recruiting staff and interns and maintain the PFP’s training materials;

· Meeting with staff regularly to set goals, monitor progress, and ensure that PFP general operations are running smoothly;

· Setting an annual strategic plan considering recent trends in outreach, intake, and local/national priorities;

· Ensuring compliance with LSC regulations and PLA internal policies.

The Supervising Attorney, in collaboration with the Outreach Coordinator, will regularly meet with farmworkers throughout Pennsylvania on farmworker outreach trips. Outreach responsibilities include:

· Routine visits to farm labor camps throughout the state to build trust with farmworkers, provide extensive community education, raise general awareness of the PFP, and provide educational and instructive materials;

· Working with staff, primarily the Outreach Coordinator, to maintain the PFP outreach system;

· Meeting with providers who serve farmworkers to plan collaboration and mutual support services;

· Working with staff to create educational social media content and maintain our community-facing Facebook and Instagram pages;

· Providing regular Know-Your-Rights education to service providers and the community that they serve;

· Attending regular meetings of service-provider networks;

· Attending regular meetings of national farmworker advocacy and legal services coalitions.

Qualifications

· License to practice law in Pennsylvania or willingness to waive in to the Pennsylvania Bar from another state;

· Professional proficiency in written and spoken Spanish;

· Demonstrated commitment to client-centered advocacy, workers’ rights, immigrants, victims of crime, and low-income individuals;

· Cultural competence, including understanding the unique needs of low-income immigrants and ability to build trust within client communities;

· High degree of self-motivation, time management, and organization;

· Desire to work as part of a small, close-knit team and seek external support from a network of national practitioners (especially when that issue-area expertise is not available within the organization);

· 3+ years of experience in employment law and litigation (experience representing immigrant workers preferred);

· Driver’s license;

· Willingness to work irregular hours and travel throughout Pennsylvania on outreach.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with years of experience based on union scale. An Attorney 4 on the union scale (three full years of practice since the attorney based the bar exam and has been actively practicing law) salary is currently $77,500. Attorney 11 on the scale is currently $91,800. Unit Supervisors earn an additional $5000 per year.

PLA offers a generous benefits package in addition to salary, including: health insurance premiums paid in full for employee and family, cash incentives for health insurance opt out, vacation, personal, and sick leave, thirteen (13) paid holidays, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution based on years of service, paid parental leave, life insurance and short and long- term disability benefits.

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal-opportunity employer. PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume, preferably in one PDF document, to: work@philalegal.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The position will be filled as soon as an appropriate candidate is identified.