Support Link Community Attorney

Position Description:

SupportLink is a groundbreaking initiative designed to provide direct legal services, advocacy, and preventative legal education to students and families within school communities. We are seeking a dedicated Community Attorney to serve as a trusted legal resource within designated schools, ensuring families have access to legal support that strengthens community and family stability positively impacting student success.

This position is particularly focused on addressing public school chronic absenteeism caused by eviction or housing instability and the prevalence of co-existing civil legal issues, recognizing that legal barriers to stable housing directly impact student attendance and academic outcomes. The attorney will triage and resolve legal issues on the civil law spectrum with emphasis on income supports, housing, immigration, and family law. Direct legal services will range from advice and counsel, brief services, limited scope representation, and full representation depending on capacity and caseload. Time will be split between the embedded site and YWCA Legal office. The Community Attorney will work proactively with families, school staff, and the Program Resource Navigator to intervene early in housing-related and other civil legal matters, helping prevent displacement and ensuring students can remain engaged in their education.

This role requires a community-centered legal professional who is passionate about serving families where they are, using a trauma-informed approach, and working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. This role is funded by a grant and continued employment will be contingent on the continuation of that grant.

Principal Responsibilities and Duties:

• Provide direct legal assistance to students and families in areas such as housing, family law, expungement, immigration, public benefits, and other civil legal matters that impact family stability and student well-being.
• Conduct legal education workshops for families, school staff, and community members to empower them with knowledge of their rights in various legal areas and available resources.
• Utilize a trauma-informed approach when working with clients, recognizing the impact of past and ongoing trauma on legal needs and decision-making.
• Collaborate with the Program Resource Navigator to ensure holistic support for families, making referrals to social services, housing assistance, and other community-based resources as needed.
• Develop and maintain strong community ties with school administrators, parent organizations, and local service providers to enhance the program's reach and impact.
• Maintain client confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards of legal practice, ensuring culturally responsive and equitable service delivery.
• Track case outcomes and contribute to program evaluation efforts to assess the pilot program’s effectiveness and sustainability.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusting relationships with diverse communities, particularly families and youth in under-resourced areas.
• Strong commitment to collaboration and ability to work effectively with school personnel, social service providers, and legal aid organizations.
• Excellent communication, public speaking, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to work independently while also contributing to a team-oriented approach

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in the state of Oklahoma and in good standing with the Oklahoma Bar Association.

• Minimum of 2 years of legal experience in civil legal services, family law, housing law, or other relevant areas (experience with school-based legal programs is a plus).
• Experience providing trauma-informed legal services and working with individuals facing systemic barriers.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Required competencies and expectations: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following mission centered competencies as they relate to YWCA Tulsa core values:

• Community: We center people in our program design; we engage the Community in our decisions, and we partner with others to achieve the greatest impact.
• Advocacy: We are committed to creating space for voices to be heard.
• Respect: We care about each other and treat each other with dignity and value. We believe that authentic, respectful relationships lead to learning and growth.
• Empowerment: We empower each other [and the community/those we serve] to have a voice and create change.
• Equity and Inclusion: We build diverse, welcoming, and inclusive spaces within our walls and in the world.
• Excellence: We set and achieve ambitious goals.

Data Competency:

YWCA leaders are expected to demonstrate knowledge of their department and organizational data, management skills in overseeing their department goals including grant goals, key performance indicators, and monthly reports/program evaluations, the ability to understand and successfully navigate internal controls, policies, and processes, and behaviors that lead to successful outcomes for their department. Leaders use data to help teams create action plans, work strategically, and analyze any gaps or areas of need. Leaders understand that the data reflects our work and should be used to drive decision making.

Communication Competency:

YWCA leaders are expected to communicate clearly, effectively, and in a collaborative manner. Leaders are expected to utilize communication in the following manner:

• Informing others
• Presentation
• Receiving Information
• Problem Solving
• Information sharing
• Enabling participation of others
• Providing and Receiving Feedback

Financial Competency:

YWCA leaders are expected to demonstrate knowledge of their department and organizational finances, management skills in overseeing their department budget including revenue and spending, the ability to understand and successfully navigate internal financial controls, policies, and processes, and behaviors that lead to financial sustainability for their department.

Mission Centered Competency:

YWCA leaders are expected to remain focused on our mission while making strategic decisions for their team. YWCA leaders are change agents who model a growth mindset, proactive problem-solving approach, accountability and adaptability. Effective time management is an expectation of YWCA leaders and deadlines must be met. Leaders work diligently to support our mission by creating and contributing to a cohesive and collaborative culture. YWCA leaders can speak effectively about our work, our mission and our impact to various stakeholders. Leaders at the YWCA understand the importance of continuous improvement and are involved in their team’s quarterly program evaluation. YWCA Leaders understand, review and monitor progress on our strategic plan. YWCA leaders consistently demonstrate the ability to respect and maintain the privacy of sensitive and confidential information and use best practices to protect that information.

Leadership Competency:

YWCA Leaders are expected to know the job descriptions of their direct reports and lead their assigned project effectively and proactively. YWCA leaders inspire trust by saying what they mean and doing what they say and can effectively resolve conflict by having crucial conversations with those involved. It is an expectation that leaders lead weekly meetings with their teams or departments and utilize agendas for meetings and hold their team accountable for any action items. YWCA leaders build competency within their direct reports by empowering them and ensuring that they are held accountable. They are aware of the growth opportunities of their team and work to plan, provide or find professional development that will support their direct reports.

Along with team meetings, leaders are expected to provide one on one meetings with team members where applicable, provide feedback and coaching and complete bi-annual staff evaluations. Leaders are expected to know the grant under which their team operates where applicable and seeks to find answers proactively when they have questions.