Social Work Program Coordinator, Mills Legal Clinic

Job description

Social Work Program Coordinator, Mills Legal Clinic

**School of Law, Stanford, California, United States**

Administration

Post Date Oct 08, 2025

Requisition # 107490

***** NOTE: This position has been deemed critical/has specific funding, has been approved by the Law School for posting, and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

The Mills Legal Clinic (MLC) is seeking a full-time Social Work Program Coordinator who will work alongside MLC attorneys, students, and other staff to provide holistic representation and advocacy to individuals with immigration, criminal defense, education, disability, and housing-related needs.

The Coordinator will be the MLC lead for a pilot collaborative with Partners for Justice (PFJ), an organization that supports public defender agencies and other organizations through embedded collaborative defense teams and capacity building support.

The Coordinator will be the MLC supervisor for two PFJ client advocates working full-time within the MLC.

The ideal candidate is a social worker with excellent case management, communication, and organizational skills, experience working with economically disadvantaged communities, the ability to work collaboratively across legal and social work disciplines, an interest in working in an academic setting, and the entrepreneurial skills to launch a new pilot embodying best practices in integrating social work into a legal organization.

**This position is for an initial two-year fixed term during an MLC-PFJ pilot.** The position may have the option for an extension or movement to a continuing term based on funding.

**About the Position**

The Coordinator will work regularly with MLC’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Youth & Education Law Project, Community Law Clinic, and Criminal Defense Clinic to support and improve the lives of clients.

Each of these four MLC clinics provide free legal services to the most vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities and chronic illness, members of the LGBTQ community, undocumented immigrants and refugees, children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and people involved with the criminal legal system.

The Coordinator will work closely with clinic directors, attorneys, staff, and students in serving MLC’s clients, who may face multiple life challenges in addition to their legal issues.

The Coordinator will launch and supervise the pilot placement of two PFJ client advocates within the MLC and serve as the liaison between the MLC and PFJ.

The Coordinator will provide one-on-one professional development support to the client advocates; ensure that the PFJ client advocates meet the expectations and objectives for their placement within the MLC; supervise the advocates to identify and build relationships with social service agencies to benefit MLC’s clients; help advocates to understand the communities and legal context in which they are working; and gather best practices and programming to enhance the advocates’ experience within MLC.

The Coordinator role is a fully in-person position reporting directly to one of the Directors of the four MLC clinics described below.

Supervision will rotate between the four Directors at the beginning of each academic year.

**Primary Responsibilities:**

+ Work with the Clinic attorneys to integrate social work services into MLC’s provision of legal services, including through supervision of PFJ client advocates
+ Work collaboratively with attorneys, staff, and PFJ advocates in meeting the psychosocial and legal needs of clients
+ Participate in trainings with the legal teams, PFJ client advocates, and law students, including teaching students and PFJ client advocates on the intersection of social work and legal case management
+ Help PFJ advocates understand MLC clients’ diverse needs
+ Supervise PFJ advocates in providing intake appointments, case management services, and crisis intervention support to clients and their families
+ Supervise PFJ advocates in identifying client needs and matching clients with appropriate social services and support
+ Supervise PFJ advocates in providing advocacy for clients in non-legal settings (e.g., meetings with county case workers, probation, social service offices, community-based organizations etc.)
+ Ensure detailed supervision of workflow and task management for PFJ advocates working across different clinics in the MLC to ensure performance expectations are consistently met
+ Provide excellent client case management, in partnership with PFJ advocates
+ Deepen relationships with local social service organizations and agencies
+ Participate in professional development to improve client services
+ Participate in administrative meetings of the MLC

**Minimum Qualifications:**

+ LCSW preferred (minimum requirement is MSW or equivalent)
+ At least one-year of relevant post-licensure experience (preferably 2+)
+ Excellent oral and written communication skills
+ Experience supervising or coaching others
+ Proven ability to work effectively with a diverse range of individuals, including formerly incarcerated people, people of color, homeless people, immigrants, non-English speakers, people with mental disabilities, students, service providers, government employees, and community partners
+ Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team
+ Experience working with lawyers (preferred)
+ Commitment to the MLC’s mission and to collaborative, client-centered representation for low-income people involved in the criminal, immigration, and other legal systems
+ Expertise in psychosocial needs evaluation, crisis intervention, and case management
+ Demonstrated experience working in an interdisciplinary setting or experience working collaboratively with attorneys, especially in an office with holistic practices
+ Deep familiarity with the government agencies and other institutions that low-income people in California regularly interact with
+ Proficiency with timely completion of clinical documentation and administrative tasks
+ Knowledge of ethical standards, relevant state and HIPAA laws regulating the privacy and confidentiality of health information and mandated reporting statutes.
+ Aptitude to work under pressure in an empathetic and professional manner
+ Creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to find innovative and efficient solutions to unusual obstacles
+ Proactive and entrepreneurial approach
+ Ability to handle ambiguity and independent work
+ Proficiency in Spanish preferred

**About the Mills Legal Clinic at Stanford Law School**

Founded in 2007, the Mills Legal Clinic is a vital part of Stanford Law’s mission to prepare every student for the challenges, responsibilities and rewards of a career as a legal professional.

Providing individualized, hands-on learning opportunities, this intensive training ground shapes future lawyers of every career aspiration, whether they choose to work in a large firm, become entrepreneurs, make policy, or engage in full-time public service.

We seek to expose students to the full array of services lawyers provide and the whole range of work they may do.

Through clinic faculty, staff, and students, the MLC provides legal services to people who would not otherwise have access to legal representation.

**About Partners for Justice**

Partners for Justice (PFJ) was founded to transform public defense locally and across the United States, diminishing the effect of race and wealth on legal outcomes.

This means ensuring that public defenders are equipped to assist clients with the underlying drivers of legal system involvement, to address the civil and family enmeshed penaltiesof arrest, to secure better legal outcomes both inside and outside the courtroom, and to help more clients emerge from prosecution with their rights, life, and future protected.

Since our launch in 2018, PFJ has grown rapidly and now supports public defender agencies across the country through embedded collaborative defense teams andcapacity-building support.

**Application Procedures:**

**_Application Deadline:_** **_November 7, 2025_**

All qualified and interested applicants are encouraged to apply by completing the application process through the Cardinal Careers website(https://careersearch.stanford.edu/ reference job # **107490** **)** .

Applicants should upload a cover letter and resume.

_The expected pay range for this position is $96,913 to $112,850,000 per annum._
_Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position.

The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs._

_At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.

The Cardinal at Work website (_ **_https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards_** _) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees.

Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process._

**Why Stanford is for You**

Imagine a world without search engines or social platforms.

Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses.

Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enrich the world.

Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff.

We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy.

Our culture and unique perks empower you with:

+ Freedom to grow.

We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or course auditing.

Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.
+ A caring culture.

We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
+ A healthier you.

Climb our rock wall or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities.

We also provide excellent health care benefits.
+ Discovery and fun.

Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.
+ Enviable resources.

Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and more

_Consistent with its obligations under the law, the university will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job._

_Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law._

_Stanford Law School seeks to hire the best talent and to promote a safe and secure environment for all members of the university community and its property.

To that end, new staff hires must successfully pass a background check prior to starting work at Stanford University._

Additional Information

+ **Schedule: Full-time**
+ **Job Code: 4541**
+ **Employee Status: Fixed-Term**
+ **Grade: H**
+ **Requisition ID: 107490**
+ **Work Arrangement : On Site**

Required Skill Profession

Other General