Description

About CAASE

Mission and Vision

CAASE envisions a community free from all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade. CAASE addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation. Our work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services.

Values

Social and institutional systems do not adequately serve survivors of sexual violation. Sexual violation disproportionately harms people from marginalized communities, including girls and women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and immigrants and people without documentation. To best support survivors, CAASE confronts the inequities that fuel or intersect with sexual harm. Our dedication to this work is reflected in our values.  

• Dignity | We respect the inherent humanity of all people and strive to expand opportunities for personal autonomy.
• Accountability | We answer to survivors and collaborate with allies as we seek to hold those responsible for harm accountable.
• Progress | We create individual, institutional and cultural change by using innovative approaches to ending sexual harm. 
• Equity | We commit to building a world where every person, with consideration for their intersecting identities and unique circumstances, has the same access to opportunity and power.

CAASE does not discriminate against job applicants or employees on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, sex (including sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender stereotyping, pregnancy and childbirth status) religion, national origin, age (40 and over), mental or physical disability, neurotype, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, veteran status, arrest record, status as a victim of domestic violence, status as being under an order of protection, lack of a permanent mailing address or using the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. CAASE supports a person’s full access to reproductive health information and services.

About the Opportunity

Job Function

Reporting to the Legal Director and serving as an integral member of the CAASE management team, the Managing Attorney serves as a program leader of the Legal Department, ensuring that CAASE’s legal team operates efficiently and effectively. The position has leadership responsibilities for enabling CAASE to continue growing its legal services program, while collaborating with the full legal team to ensure consistent and effective legal representation and legal team policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Supervision

• Manage Legal Department, including coordinating the growth and development of these legal services in alignment with CAASE’s Strategic Plan, in collaboration with the Legal Director and CAASE’s second Managing Attorney.
• Directly supervise attorneys assigned for supervision by the Legal Director and hold responsibility for all managerial facets of division staff supervision, including hiring, training, mentoring, and providing formal, ongoing guidance and performance evaluation. 
• In collaboration with Legal Director and CAASE’s second Managing Attorney, develop and implement legal team annual plans in alignment with grant goals and Strategic Plan, including delegating tasks and ensuring follow-up and completion.
• In collaboration with Legal Director and CAASE’s second Managing Attorney, develop and ensure alignment with consistent Legal Department policies and client representation and coordinate and lead Legal Department meetings, including regular case review, with the entire legal staff.
  

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Working with the legal team, identify policy trends that directly affect clients and legal work for referral to the Policy Department, providing legal guidance, insight, and collaboration as requested.
• Identify and update the Prevention Department on changes to law that may affect their work with students and schools.
• Actively participate in regular meetings with other Program Managers and Directors and in CAASE-wide initiatives, as requested.
• Work with Communications Manager and Development staff to identify legal program stories and events for highlighting in newsletter and on CAASE website.

External Partnerships and Community Engagement

• As assigned by Legal Director, manage CAASE’s Coordinated Service Program with rape crisis center advocates, as set out by the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, including participation in regular communications and meetings with RCC advocates and directors and ICASA general counsel.
• Serve as a public resource on CAASE and sexual harm issues, including in the media and through speaking engagements.
• Participate in or delegate to staff coverage of legal team coalitions and community partnerships.
• As directed by the Legal Director, ensure all training requests are evaluated and covered appropriately.
  

Direct Representation of Individual Clients

• Carry an active caseload of 8-10 clients at any given time, working independently according to the organization’s policies and procedures.
• Meet with, assess the comprehensive legal needs of, and provide legal advice and representation to victims of sexual assault and exploitation through prostitution. 
• Provide advocacy and representation to victims seeking to have the criminal justice system investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual assault and exploitation.
• Address the civil legal needs of victims related to privacy, physical safety, education, employment, housing, and financial compensation matters.
• Utilize civil rights remedies, including the Illinois Civil No Contact Order Act and Gender Violence Act, to litigate on behalf of survivors of sexual assault and exploitation.
• Maintain organized and detailed case files and client database.  

Education and Experience

Applicants must have a Juris Doctorate, admission to the Illinois Bar in good standing, and a minimum of seven years of direct legal experience. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Prior supervisory and/or management experience, preferably in a legal or non-profit setting. 
• Commitment to developing innovative legal and policy responses to sexual assault through representation of and advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and prostitution both within the criminal justice system, the civil justice system, and in any other venue applicable to survivors, including in educational or employment settings.
• Ability to work collaboratively, leading a team in developing creative and innovative strategies to complex legal questions. 
• Demonstrated, exemplary research, writing, and litigation skills. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and comfort working with survivors, victim’s advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement, medical practitioners, and other attorneys. 
• Comfort and experience with public speaking, particularly in the area of legal education. 
• Demonstrated commitment to working against all forms of violence against girls and women and on behalf of all victims of sexual assault and exploitation, regardless of sex, gender identity, race, ethnicity or economic circumstances.  Demonstrated commitment to feminist principles of identifying and opposing all forms and manifestations of inequality.  

Status:  Full time, exempt. 

Reports to:  Legal Director

This position is primarily remote, but there may be occasional travel within Chicagoland.

Salary and Benefits

The starting annual salary for this position is $80,000 - $90,000 depending on experience. CAASE strives to provide a comprehensive and equitable benefits package, including health and dental coverage with employer contributions to premiums, optional vision coverage, and employer paid life insurance. CAASE offers a robust 401k plan with a 2% employer contribution regardless of employee elections. CAASE offers remote work stipends to partially cover phone and internet expenses for those to whom it applies. CAASE also has generous paid time off, including regular vacation time, flexible sick time which can be used for mental health, preventative health and family wellness, regular paid holidays (including floating holidays,) and long term paid medical and parental leave.  

Application Instructions

Please submit a resume, substantive cover letter, and writing sample to [email protected]. No phone calls please. If you need any assistance or accommodations during the application process, please contact [email protected]