Position Summary:
PLSE is seeking a full-time Pro Bono Project Coordinator to oversee its pro bono Pardon Project. Reporting to the Senior Staff Attorney, the Pro Bono Project Coordinator leads PLSE’s volunteer attorney project, overseeing recruitment, management, engagement, and retention. The position is full-time and exempt, with employee benefits and a warm and supportive team atmosphere. PLSE values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages people with lived experience in the criminal justice system, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people with disabilities to apply.
Since its founding, PLSE has depended upon volunteers to drive its work. Although PLSE serves over 1,500 clients annually, it does so with a small and committed core of staff, overseeing the work of our volunteer partners to reach as many clients as possible. Over the last three years, PLSE has been leading an innovative outreach strategy that trains private attorneys and other professionals to deliver information and coaching to individuals considering applying for a pardon. We presently have about 250 trained Pardon Coaches and are hoping to double that number each year for the next 2 years, and increase the number of new pardon clients from 350 to over 1500 per year in 3 years. Through direct outreach work with community partners and communities affected by criminal records, PLSE’s goal is to demystify the expungement and pardon process, increasing the number of eligible individuals applying for a pardon and making it more accessible, with the ultimate goal of reforming the governmental system by which applications for clemency are received, processed and determined.
Responsibilities will include
• Serve as primary point of contact for new volunteers, including conducting volunteer intake interviews, managing input of volunteer information, and matching new volunteers with staff.
• Develop and lead strategies to improve PLSE’s activities and results related to volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention efforts and results.
• Lead planning, execution, and follow-up for volunteer trainings, volunteer orientation, and signature recruitment events
• Providing training to organizations, their staff and volunteers, on criminal records, expungements and pardons
• Identify and implement new and innovative volunteer recruitment and retention events.
• Develop new sources of potential volunteers, while retaining current volunteer relationships.
• Actively strengthen partnerships with law firms through routine outreach to firm pro bono staff or coordinators.
• Coordinate or assist with volunteer recognition efforts and events.
• Develop approaches to use data to identify volunteer prospects ready to take new cases.
• Work with staff to improve accuracy and quality of information stored in volunteer and organization profiles in Salesforce.
• Develop an effective and efficient system to coordinate referral attempts to volunteer attorneys; monitor and report on effectiveness of the system; identify and implement further system improvements as needed.
• Facilitate the volunteer-client relationship and obtain case updates from attorneys.
• Understand case issues and, with staff attorney supervision, provide technical assistance to volunteer attorneys in case subjects, procedures, support services, and client interaction.
• Monitor cases for status reports, deadlines, and emergencies.
To read about the qualifications, or to apply, click here.