Intake Unit Director

Job Description

Job Description

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing legal assistance and advocacy for low-income individuals and families. We work to ensure access to justice and fair treatment in the areas of housing, consumer rights, family law, and other essential legal services.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JALA seeks a licensed Florida attorney with a minimum of 8 years of civil practice experience to lead its Intake Unit. This is a full-time position working in JALA’s downtown Jacksonville office. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

What you get when you come to JALA

JALA is the premier litigation legal aid firm in the Southeastern United States. We are mission-driven, and our team makes a difference in our community. As a JALA employee, you can expect immediate hands-on experience interviewing and counseling clients as well as litigating cases in Federal and State court. Staff are expected to take on challenging cases for our at-risk clients while being mentored and supported in taking on such cases. While there is a premium placed on initiative and self-motivation, you can expect to be supervised by lawyers who are recognized as subject matter experts in their field (JALA is the only law firm in Florida with two Florida Bar Consumer Protection Lawyers of the Year on staff, for example) Our lawyers and paralegals regularly serve on local and statewide committees, and our lawyers have gone on to become hearing officers, magistrates, judges and administrative law judges. In addition to the opportunity to litigate early, our lawyers and staff are trusted as professionals - we have adopted a hybrid work environment (although not all positions are able to work remotely) Regardless of what others may prefer, we embrace diversity and inclusion as a way to ensure we are the most prepared to offer the best and highest level of representation for our clients, as this is what they deserve from us.

Salary/Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience.  Sign-on bonus . Benefits package include, but are not limited to, hybrid work model, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, group life insurance, 401(k) (match 100% of deferrals up to 6% of compensation), generous leave policy (13 paid holidays plus 22 personal leave days in first year, one-month sabbatical every four years), and membership in Access Perks, a private discount network.

To apply, submit a resume, a minimum of two professional references, and salary requirements.

All employees must clear Florida’s Level II background screening. Information on the background screening process can be found at

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer

$92,000 annually if 8 yrs experience

• Maintain a global overview of firm practice areas, grants, and policies to design responsive intake practices to frequently changing client needs. Work with the Chief Operating Officer to understand deliverables under grants.
• Coordinate intake functions with substantive units to create and modify intake practices, intake and closing documents, case management software, grant requirements, case acceptance criteria, and firm staffing.
• Evaluate and implement technological advances for the intake process and coordinate with the technology team to help evaluate office-wide technology updates. Evaluate performance and call handling for intake frontline staff.
• Responsible for hiring, training, and supervision of an intake staff of 6 intake specialists, 2 full-time intake attorneys, and 2 part-time intake attorneys.
• Resolve intake problems reported by clients, staff, and management and serve as contact person for client grievances.
• Interview, represent, and advise indigent and other disadvantaged clients in family law, housing, and consumer cases during regular hours and handle emergency matters.
• Maintain and improve the intake systems that serve a 17-county region, including Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns County.
• Learn the administration side of Legal Server and attend national Legal Server trainings.
• Represent clients at the intake level by assisting them with pro se responses and motions, limited representation in drafting advance directives and enhanced life estate deeds, and sealing or expunction of records.
• Willingness to be in the office on a reliable and regular basis to support the in-office staff.
• Step in and handle the front-line work of the office intake occasionally during times of high volume and staff leave; handle referrals from partner agencies and programs.
• Maintain office retainers, brochures, self-help information, and guides.
• Perform other duties and projects as required by executive management.

• Member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
• Minimum eight (8) years of civil practice experience.
• Proficiency with LegalServer, Microsoft Office, and JotForm.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing with applicants, clients, and/or staff, as necessary.

The mission of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. is to provide high-quality legal assistance to low-income and special needs groups, to empower them to accomplish energetic and affirmative advocacy, all to alleviate the circumstances, incidents, and causes of poverty and discrimination.

Developed during the Great Depression and subsequent recession of 1937, the organization that has become Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. JALA was born when a group of Jacksonville Bar attorneys banded together to provide legal services to those in need.

Called different names over the years, including Duval County Legal Aid Association, it was officially named Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 1973. The organization achieved 501(c)3 status in 1976. JALA now serves 17 counties of North Florida, including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union.