Legal Aid of the Bluegrass seeks a full-time Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Managerfor one of its offices in Covington, Lexington, Morehead, or Ashland. The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Manager will plan, implement, and manage all aspects of LABG’s Low-Income Taxpayer Program. The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Manager will serve as, for the IRS’s purpose, clinic director and qualified tax expert. The position will lead our newly formed low-income taxpayer clinic as funded by the IRS. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass is a dynamic civil legal aid provider seeking public interest-minded attorneys to help us reach our goal of alleviating the profound and brutal effect of poverty on people’s lives. As a team member at Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, attorneys can participate with us in ensuring fairness, protecting families, and changing lives through the civil legal system.
Responsibilities:
Under the general direction of the Advocacy Director, the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Manager will direct the activities of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, which assists low-income people who have a tax dispute with the IRS.
The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Manager will:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive plan that meets the IRS requirements to serve low-income taxpayers who have disputes with the IRS.
- Coordinate all aspects and day-to-day operations of LITC, maintain open communication with the other Unit Managers, Advocacy Director, and when required, the Leadership Team.
- Help develop the screening process for client eligibility for the LITC program, assist with intake, and establish case assignment methods.
- Maintain a caseload and manage the clinic caseload.
- Work with LABG’s recruitment process to build and maintain a roster of volunteers to serve eligible taxpayers, participate in training volunteer attorneys, and support volunteers.
- Act as a resource for LITC staff, maintain orderly client files, maintain proficiency in electronic tools, IRS requirements, and legal training for this type of work.
- Develop and coordinate relationships with other LITC programs in KY, and engage with other LITC clinics around the country.
- Support taxpayer education including offering presentations and workshops for English as a Second Language (ESL) taxpayers.
- Assure compliance with grant requirements, and work with the grants team for reporting and preparation of future grants.
- Maintain a productive and collegial working relationship with the IRS, LITC’s national office, the United States Tax Court, the Kentucky Department of Revenue, and other organizations in the community, and attend required conferences.
- Work closely with LABG staff to create and implement an outreach program to advertise the existence of the LITC Program.
- Develop and manage benchmarks and metrics to ensure goals are met or exceeded.
- Maintain accurate and complete files and records, and prepare timely and complete forms and records required for legal work, volunteer management, and/or related administrative tasks.
- Enter accurate data into LABG’s electronic case management system.
- Interact with clients, other staff members, service providers, and court and administrative officials in a professional, appropriate, collegial, and cooperative manner.
- Identify and pursue individual training needs and work with Program Administration to address those needs.
- Actively participate in staff and planning meetings, task forces, and trainings if required.
- Maintain time records of all work-related activities and enter accurate data on a timely basis into LABG’s electronic case management system
Requirements, Skill & Abilities include:
- Must hold a Law degree (J.D.) from an accredited School of Law. At least one year of tax law is preferred;
- Current standing as a licensed attorney in Kentucky is not required but desired;
- Ability to use office and computer technology, including case management and word processing software;
- Must be able to travel between LABG’s four office locations and within our 33-county service region;
- Highly collaborative style; Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills;
- Excellent oral and written advocacy skills;
- Excellent litigation skills and experience litigating individual cases;
- Demonstrated commitment and experience in public interest law;
- A strong track record as an implementer who thrives on managing a variety of key initiatives concurrently;
- Relationship builder with the flexibility and finesse to "manage by influence";
- Commitment to exploring alternative approaches for legal practice;
- Sincere commitment to working collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, board members, donors, member organizations, and other supporters;
- Self-starter, able to work independently, and entrepreneurial; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives, highly organized.
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass is a non-profit law firm providing civil legal assistance to nearly 220,000 low-income people in 33 counties from 4 offices located in Covington, Lexington, Morehead, and Ashland. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass’ legal practice is primarily in the areas of family law, domestic violence, government and VA benefits, and housing and consumer law. It has been and will continue to be the policy of Legal Aid of the Bluegrass to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, age, gender, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected categories.
At Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, we believe that diversity and inclusion are critical to our future and our mission – creating a foundation for a creative workplace that leads to innovation, growth, and success. Through a wide variety of programs and initiatives, we invest in each employee, seeking to ensure that our people are not only respected as individuals but also truly valued for their unique perspectives. The position is open until filled.
Required Documents:
Resume
Cover letter
Writing Sample
References
Qualified Candidates should send resume, cover letter, writing sample, and references toResumes@lablaw.org with the subject line Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Unit Manager.
