Managing attorney

Legal Aid of Western Missouri is looking for a Managing Attorney to lead our Central Office in Kansas City, which serves Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties. This is a full-time position reporting to the Deputy Director of Programs. Our Central Office is the largest of our seven offices, and the person who leads it shapes how legal help reaches people across the Kansas City metropolitan area. The Managing Attorney directly supervises the office's six supervising attorneys and, through them, a team of roughly 80 legal and support staff. This is first and foremost a people-leadership role, and we're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys developing staff and building a team that does its best work. Because leading the office is the heart of this job, the Managing Attorney carries a smaller caseload of their own, no more than 10 - 20% of their time.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop the Central Office's supervising attorneys, and hold overall responsibility for their teams and the quality of the legal work they produce.
• Manage day-to-day operations of a large office: helping our supervising attorneys set team priorities aligned with organizational priorities, managing workloads, solving problems, and building a healthy, collaborative culture across teams.
• Oversee performance management for the office, including evaluations, professional development, and addressing issues as they arise.
• Oversee and review all legal work produced in the Central Office, using regular case review to ensure quality and consistency across practice areas.
• Ensure the Central Office complies with LSC regulations, case acceptance policies, program priorities, and other policies set by the Executive Director and Board of Trustees.
• In partnership with the Director of Client Access, oversee intake of new cases, including managing intake staff, keeping intake practices efficient, and tracking trends in case types and community needs.
• Help to design and lead outreach and community legal education in the office's service area so residents know how to reach Legal Aid.
• Build and maintain relationships with courts, community organizations, and local partners that connect people to our services.
• Support the hiring, onboarding, and ongoing development of attorneys and staff in the office.
• Serve on the Legal Aid leadership team.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• A JD and licensed to practice law in Missouri.
• At least 8 years of experience practicing law.
• Significant experience supervising and managing staff, including managing other supervisors or leading a team large enough to demonstrate the ability to manage at this scale.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in poverty law, civil rights law, or other public interest practice.
• Significant litigation, administrative, and management experience.
• Experience leading a large or multi-layered team.
• Experience with the Legal Services Corporation regulations and guidance.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $106,000 on Legal Aid’s formal salary scale. Placement above the starting point is based on years of relevant experience and internal equity. Legal Aid offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical Plans with PPO or HSA options
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical or dependent care
• Health Savings Accounts
• Paid CLE and Bar Dues
• Paid Time Off: Vacation, Sick, Personal and Holidays
• Qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
• Travel and parking reimbursement
• 401k and up to 3.5% employer match

Location

This role is an in-person role based in Legal Aid's Central office in Kansas City, Missouri. Regular in-office presence is an expectation for this role, and Legal Aid offers flexible work arrangements to support employees in maintaining schedules that enable them to perform at their best.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in the role and your experience building or advancing systemic advocacy to http://www.lawmo.org/careers/current-openings. Applications received by September 25, 2026, will be given priority consideration.

Legal Aid of Western Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Those applicants requiring accommodation to the interview/application process should contact the Human Resources Department at EEO@lawmo.org.