The Defender Association of Philadelphia is seeking a experienced and deeply committed leader to serve as the Assistant Managing Director of the Child Advocacy Unit (CAU). The Assistant Managing Director is the Managing Director’s principal partner in leading a large and dynamic multidisciplinary department to ensure that children and young people in the child welfare and dependency systems receive high-quality, trauma-informed, client-centered legal representation. Our team of attorneys and social workers promotes and protects the legal and best interests of children from birth to twenty-one. This is an opportunity to champion the rights and futures of our most vulnerable clients.
What You’ll Do
Leadership & Operations
- Direct daily legal operations, managing case assignments, workflow distribution, and court coverage.
- Drive strategic unit priorities, utilizing data and client feedback to inform resource allocation and reporting.
- Represent the unit to external stakeholders and serve as acting Managing Director when necessary.
- Mentor a diverse team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and supportive workplace culture.
Staff Supervision & Development
- Manage, evaluate, and coach Supervising Attorneys through regular case consultations and courtroom observations.
- Partner with recruitment and training directors to hire, onboard, and develop legal staff.
Legal Strategy & Practice Standards
- Enforce rigorous standards for legal analysis, written advocacy, database management, and ethical representation.
- Advise on complex case strategy and collaborate with appellate counsel on legal developments.
- Maintain a limited caseload, co-counsel cases, and provide emergency court coverage.
Equitable & Multidisciplinary Advocacy
- Champion trauma-informed representation that empowers youth voices and challenges systemic biases (e.g., racism, poverty).
- Partner with Social Service Supervisors, peer advocates, and lived experts to ensure cohesive, multidisciplinary client support.
Required Qualifications
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
- Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar, or eligibility for admission.
- At least 5 years of dependency or related child-welfare litigation experience, with excellent research, writing, negotiation, and courtroom advocacy skills.
- Strong knowledge of dependency law, child welfare law, and relevant state and federal legal frameworks.
- Demonstrated commitment to public defense, children’s rights, family integrity and racial justice, with experience applying anti-racist and trauma-informed approaches to representation and leadership.
- Ability to lead effectively in a complex, high-volume public defense environment.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive representation.
- Sound judgment, attention to detail, effective communication, and reliable follow-through; ability to build trust, manage competing priorities, and lead multidisciplinary work.
Preferred Qualifications
- At least 3 years of attorney supervisory or management experience.
- Philadelphia dependency practice.
- Multidisciplinary leadership experience.
- Experience with appellate, impact, policy, or systemic advocacy.
- Experience developing training programs or professional development initiatives.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Affordable medical care options plus employer paid vision, dental, life and long- term disability insurances
- Generous Time Off: 25 days of paid time off (PTO) annually, in addition to all federal holidays
- Wellness Initiatives: Dedicated, separate sick leave policy alongside organizational programming to support your physical and mental health
- Family Support: 10 weeks of paid parental leave
- Retirement: Generous retirement savings plan with Employer Match
- Commuter Benefits: Free Septa All Access Key card
- PSLF: We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer
- Culture: Meaningful, mission-driven work within a supportive, learning-focused, and collaborative environment.
To apply
Please apply online with a resume and cover letter detailing your interest and relevant experience. Please include a writing sample related to children and youth issues that is no more than 20 pages.
Who is the Defender Association?
The Defender Association of Philadelphia is more than just a law firm. We’re the community’s lawyers. The Defender team – more than 500 attorneys, social workers, investigators, administrators, and other staff – make sure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to high-quality defense when facing criminal charges. Our mission-driven, client-centered model focuses on outcomes that support a system that is fundamentally fair and creates safer, stronger communities. Follow us @PhilllyDefenders (Twitter, Instagram & TikTok) and on LinkedIn.
The Defender Association provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, the Defender Association complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Skills Required
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
- Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar or eligibility for admission
- At least 5 years of dependency or related child-welfare litigation experience
- Excellent legal research, writing, negotiation, and courtroom advocacy skills
- Strong knowledge of dependency law, child welfare law, and relevant state and federal legal frameworks
- Commitment to public defense, children’s rights, family integrity, and racial justice
- Experience applying anti-racist and trauma-informed approaches to representation and leadership
- Ability to lead effectively in a complex, high-volume public defense environment
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive representation
- Sound judgment, attention to detail, effective communication, reliable follow-through, trust-building, prioritization, and multidisciplinary leadership skills
- At least 3 years of attorney supervisory or management experience
- Philadelphia dependency practice experience
- Multidisciplinary leadership experience
- Experience with appellate, impact, policy, or systemic advocacy
- Experience developing training programs or professional development initiatives
What We Do
The Defender Association of Philadelphia is a nonprofit public-defense organization providing client-centered legal representation to adults and juveniles in Philadelphia, including people facing criminal charges and clients in mental-health proceedings, as well as children in dependency matters. It complements courtroom advocacy with social-service connections, reentry support, community collaboration, and justice-system advocacy, aiming to protect constitutional rights and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.
