Pro Bono Manager

Who We Are

Children’s Law Center is a mission-driven organization focused on providing high-quality legal services to children and families in DC.  As an organization, we envision a world in which all children have a strong foundation of family, health and education and are free from poverty, trauma, racism and other forms of oppression. Our mission is to do this work together with DC children and families, Children’s Law Center uses the law to solve children’s urgent problems today, improve the systems that will affect their lives tomorrow and strengthen our community so that change endures.  A key part of our mission is to challenge and reduce ways in which racism and other biases – structural and interpersonal – prevent each of us, our organization and the systems in which we work from providing children a strong foundation from which to thrive.   

Our greatest assets are our people.  We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our ability to provide the best outcomes for our clients and our community. Staff members at Children’s Law Center advance the organization’s mission through their leadership, result-oriented mindset and commitment to cultural humility.  We are looking for individuals who like to be challenged to grow both personally and professionally and value the opportunity to make a difference in their community.  Children's Law Center's continued success depends on recruiting and retaining individuals who possess and exemplify these attributes. 

Program Description 

Children’s Law Center’s mission and work are supported by a network of pro bono attorneys from law firms, corporations, government agencies, and solo practice. The Pro Bono Program collaborates across CLC’s programs to expand organizational capacity and access to justice through effective case placement, volunteer engagement, training, mentorship, and strategic partnerships.

Job Summary

The Pro Bono Manager manages the day-to-day operations of Children’s Law Center’s Pro Bono Program under the direction of the Pro Bono Director. This attorney position oversees pro bono case placement, volunteer attorney engagement, training and mentoring systems, data management, and program administration to support effective delivery of pro bono services across CLC’s programs.

The Pro Bono Manager supervises the Pro Bono Paralegal and Legal Assistant and works closely with the Pro Bono Director, legal program staff, Development, Communications, Evaluation & Learning, and Training teams to strengthen volunteer support, improve program systems, and expand access to high-quality representation for children and families.

The Pro Bono Manager supports implementation of CLC’s pro bono strategy, working under the direction of the Pro Bono Director, who leads the organization’s pro bono strategy, growth, partnerships, and innovation. The Pro Bono Manager helps maintain strong relationships with volunteers, law firms, corporations, government agencies, and other partners, including by supporting partner communications, presentations, and recruitment events.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provide tools, resources and training to support and hold direct report accountable to all expectations of their role.
• Provide regular and timely feedback to direct report.
• Support direct report with their professional development.
• Keep Pro Bono Director apprised of direct report strengths, performance concerns, and professional development needs.
• Inform Pro Bono Director and the HIRED team when a direct report is failing to perform adequately.
• Inform the HIRED team when accommodation or other deviations from standard performance are requested by direct report. This may include modifications to job function or deviation from organizational policy. 
• Spot and raise up trends on morale, culture, programmatic and organizational issues.
• Support and strengthen a positive work culture.

Role Responsibilities

Pro Bono Program Management

• Manage day-to-day pro bono operations, including case placement, volunteer communications, mentoring coordination, training logistics, and case tracking.
• Collaborate with legal program staff to identify and place appropriate matters with volunteer attorneys.
• Stay current on relevant legal and practice developments affecting CLC’s pro bono work and maintain systems that support effective volunteer training, mentoring, and case placement.
• In consultation with, and subject to approval by, the Pro Bono Director, implement and maintain program policies, procedures, templates, and operational tools.
• Monitor program performance and recommend improvements to increase efficiency, quality, and impact.
• Coordinate pro bono audits, reporting, and evaluation activities.

Volunteer Engagement

• Recruit, onboard, and support volunteers.
• Build and maintain relationships with volunteers, law firms, corporations, government agencies, and other pro bono partners.
• Manage volunteer communications, including listservs, event announcements, and resource updates.
• Represent CLC at trainings, presentations, and other community events as assigned.

Training and Resources

• Oversee development, maintenance, and delivery of pro bono training programs and resources.
• Coordinate with legal program staff and the Training Manager to ensure training resources remain current, accurate, and accessible.
• In partnership with legal program staff, develop and maintain training manuals, templates, samples, and other volunteer attorney resources.

Mentoring and Volunteer Attorney Support

• Manage mentoring systems that connect volunteer attorneys with high-quality, expert support matched to case needs, expertise, volunteer experience, and mentoring capacity.
• Coordinate mentor onboarding, training, assignment, engagement, and support.
• Support communication among mentors and volunteer attorneys and provide guidance on pro bono procedures, resources, and expectations.
• Identify and implement improvements that strengthen mentoring systems, volunteer engagement, and outcomes.

Data, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management

• Oversee collection and maintenance of pro bono program data and reporting.
• Collaborate with Evaluation & Learning staff to support dashboards, audits, surveys, and other assessment activities.
• Maintain systems for tracking volunteer participation, case outcomes, training activity, and other partner engagement.
• Oversee updates to pro bono resources, website content, and knowledge-management tools.

Strategic Projects and Partnerships

• Support implementation of special projects, new initiatives, and program improvements.
• Monitor developments in pro bono practice and recommend improvements and innovations to strengthen program effectiveness.
• Provide operational support for Advisory Board activities, fundraising efforts, grant reporting, and partner stewardship.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• JD and D.C. Bar membership or immediate eligibility for admission without examination.
• Minimum of five years of legal experience as an attorney, preferably with a background in family law, special education, housing, and/or other legal services matters.
• Demonstrated experience managing legal or program operations, projects, or workflows.
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, stakeholders, and details with accuracy and follow-through.
• Excellent oral, written, editing, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with colleagues, volunteers, law firm and corporate partners, and other external audiences.
• Strong interpersonal judgment and relationship-management skills, including the ability to build trusted working relationships internally and externally, collaborate effectively across a multi-program organization, and communicate with professionalism, discretion, responsiveness, and cultural humility.
• Ability to supervise staff and support professional development.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and case-management systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice, including a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural humility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience representing individuals living on low incomes.
• Prior litigation experience.
• Prior supervisory, mentoring, or project management experience.
• Experience working with, presenting to, training, or recruiting volunteer attorneys, law firms, corporations, government agencies, or other partners.
• Experience developing and maintaining training materials, practice resources, templates, or other written materials for professional audiences.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional projects or initiatives involving internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Experience with program evaluation, reporting, audits, surveys, or data management.
• Experience with Legal Server or similar case-management systems.

Organizational Competencies

• Cultural Humility – an openness to self-reflection and to understanding and respecting other cultural experiences and points of view and viewing individuals as experts in their own culture and experiences.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback – the ability to be self-reflective, give and receive appreciative, coaching, constructive, interpersonal and evaluative feedback.
• Conflict Management – a process which is designed to guide individuals and groups from the moment of conflict to the implementation of an identified solution. This process incorporates skills and techniques, including recognizing points of conflict, identifying the facts and feelings involved to get to the root of the issue, investigating equitable solutions, implementing and evaluating solutions and supporting and guiding others throughout the process.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position ranges from $85,000-$98,000 annually based on relevant experience. Children’s Law Center offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance; employer-provided retirement contributions; flexible spending plans; and vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave. You can find more details about Children’s Law Center’s comprehensive benefits package at https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/employee-benefits/.

Children’s Law Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Employees with federal student loan debt can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. For more information, go to https://myfedloan.org/borrowers/special-programs/pslf.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter via CLC's careers page (https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/).

Children’s Law Center is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. If you believe that you need accommodation to search for, or apply for, one of our positions please send an email to Jobs@ChildrensLawCenter.org. In your email, please include the accommodation you are requesting and the job title you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request.

Hybrid Working Conditions

Children’s Law Center is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule. Employees are required to work in-person from Children’s Law Center’s office a minimum of two days per week. At least one of these days must be either Tuesday or Wednesday. The hybrid work schedule is subject to change based on organizational needs and/or best practices for health and safety. Hybrid work expectations may vary depending upon role responsibilities.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. Children’s Law Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Background Checks

Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a background check.

EEO

Children’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and existing employees. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our company and our career opportunities (https://childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/careers/).

Our Commitment

Children’s Law Center is dedicated to building a world that is inclusive in approach and has equal opportunities and equitable outcomes for all. Our organization is committed to developing and supporting a robustly diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist community, where all members can create and feel a sense of belonging. Through our collective deliberate efforts, we work toward racial and social justice for children and families in DC.