Director, Legal

About the Organization

Founded in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is the leading advocacy organization in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. NILC’s mission is grounded in the belief that everyone living in the U.S. regardless of race, gender/gender identity, immigration status, or economic status — should have equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full human potential. NILC is committed to advancing its mission — which intersects race, immigration status, and class — through a racial, economic, and gender justice and equity

orientation.

NILC is at an exciting moment in its organizational trajectory, supporting our refreshed four-year strategic plan and scaling the organization and its work through influencing legal and policy change in addition to continuous improvements to our operational model. We are looking for entrepreneurial, results-driven, relationship builders who are committed to NILC’s mission and values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty.

About the Role

The Director, Legal (the Director) is a subject matter expert that leads and executes the Legal Department’s programmatic work at NILC. One of the three core strategies of NILC’s current strategic framework is to achieve progressive legal and policy reforms. As a vital part of NILC’s day-to-day work, the Director is heavily involved in the technical legal work within the matrix workgroup structure of the Programs teams by handling the work and workgroup members. The Legal Director supports the Executive Vice President, Programs, the Vice President, Law & Policy and other Directors across the Programs team to set the overall law-related programs strategy. The Director works in close coordination with the Policy, Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy, Strategic Communications, and Development teams, NILC’s Immigrant Justice Fund (501(c)4), and other local and national partners to advance NILC’s goals via the strategic framework. The Legal Director will lead the execution of a robust legal strategy for immigrant justice that is people- and community-centered and grounded in intersectional rights and needs of immigrants in the US.

This role is not a member of the Bargaining Unit. 

The Legal Director will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key areas:

Specific Position Responsibilities

·       Leadership and Strategy

o   Support the Executive Vice President, Programs and the Vice President, Law & Policy, to develop a strategic plan for the Law & Policy team and workgroup areas that implements and leverages the Strategic Framework.

o   In collaboration with the VP, Law and Policy, and the Deputy Legal Directors, oversee the implementation of a robust impact litigation and legal advocacy strategy in support of broader immigrants’ rights movement strategies; develop legal theories and cases; litigates key select cases.  

o   Collaborate with the Policy, Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy, Strategic Communications, and Development teams to engage other parts of our team to effectively leverage the resources and talents across the organization.

o   Ensure working groups, project/campaign teams, and litigation teams have larger vision and strategic framework at the core and are aligned across various subject areas.

o   Serve as a spokesperson with the media, testify before Congress or other policymaking bodies based on area of expertise, and present at national conferences or other public speaking engagements that further NILC’s mission and legal strategies.  

o   Engage with key stakeholders, including movement allies, donors, and board members, including providing periodic reports to the board of directors.

·       Litigation 

o   Serve as a subject matter expert in the legal tools NILC uses in programmatic work including litigation, analysis, policies, legislation, etc. to support campaigns and programs that advance NILC’s strategic framework.

o   Represent NILC and NILC clients in complex cases that are strategic to the collective goals of NILC and its partners.

o   Partner with programs directors and campaign leads to ensure that the Legal Department’s work is integrated and well-coordinated across the departments and key partners.  

o   Develop and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with law firms, law school clinics, NGO co-counsel, and other coalition partners.

·       Supervision

o   In collaboration with VP Law and Policy and Legal Management Team, recruit, interview, hire, and train staff.

o   Provide guidance and support in litigation and in the integration of NILC’s core strategies, development and growth of external relationships, and efforts to move forward NILC’s work under the strategic framework and campaign work. 

o   Oversee the daily workflow of direct reports.

o   Act as a coach and mentor including providing constructive and timely feedback to foster a collaborative environment that develops strengths, improves weaknesses, and encourages creative problem-solving.

o   Actively manage direct and indirect reports using applicable performance management software including documenting regular check-ins, goal progress, and any other relevant information in the system for performance and coaching purposes.

o   Handle discipline and performance of employees in accordance with organizational policy.

o   Manage outside consultants, third party administrators, and vendors.

·       Management

o   Oversee legal intake process, case approval process, and case staffing.

o   Develop effective communication systems and practices across the department, coordinating and connecting the dots through the various areas of work that team members are engaged in. 

o   Work closely with Programs supervisors, other Programs Directors, and workgroup/ project campaign, and litigation leaders to create and maintain employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations, and paid time off, telecommuting, cover for absenteeism, and overtime scheduling.

o   Provide mentorship and ensure ongoing professional development of department staff.  

o   Share feedback regularly on workgroup members’ performance, goals, strengths & weaknesses, and more to their respective supervisors to support the growth and development of team members at all levels.

·       May be a part of or lead cross functional/departmental projects using the MOCHA framework/methodology

Shared Organization Responsibilities

·       Champions NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income by demonstrating a commitment to human rights, and racial, economic, and social justice

·       Attends and actively participates in NILC meetings at the organization, department, project, and individual level

·       Develops relationships and supports NILC and IJF colleagues across all teams, recognizing that each individual brings a unique background and perspective to the work and assuming good intent from each other.

·       Follows through on commitments acting with a clear sense of ownership individually and collectively by taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures, establishing clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results, and designing feedback loops into work.

·       Learns quickly when facing new situations by experimenting to find fresh solutions, taking on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, and extracting lessons learned from failures and mistakes.

·       Acts with integrity by following through on commitments, being direct and truthful, keeping confidences, and showing consistency between words and actions.

·       Commits to centering NILC’s values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty in all decisions and actions

In recognition of the fluidity of the work and ecosystem that NILC operates in, other duties may be assigned depending on organizational need.

What We’re Looking for in This Role

·       Commitment to NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income and a demonstrated commitment to human rights, racial, economic, and social justice, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice for all.

·       Collaborative, proactive, and action-oriented working style with a strong service mentality promoting mutual accountability and inspiriting trust and confidence from colleagues, other NILC team members, and NILC leaders alike.

·       Sound judgment in decision-making, high integrity, and utmost respect for confidentiality.

·       Excellent verbal and written communication skills: ability to read, analyze, and interpret as well as draft documents such as reports, correspondence, and presentations for various audiences. 

·       Self-starter with a strong strategic ability to move daily tasks forward in alignment with NILC’s broader organizational needs and goals.

·       Commitment to legal practice that empowers collective vision and action by low-income immigrants and their loved ones.

·       Desire and ability to integrate legal practice with organizing, policy change, and other adjacent work.

·       Ability to consistently integrate deep understanding of key racial equity concepts into work projects and interactions by addressing structural implications and disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions on race, class, and other group identities within the context of job responsibilities and projects.

·       A track record of partnership and coalition building with diverse groups of external partners, including law firms, organizers, community leaders, and other legal advocacy organizations; proven success engaging with diverse communities and centering their experience and voices.

·       Excellent writing and public-speaking skills, with the ability to make complex legal and advocacy issues accessible to all audiences.

·       Capacity to make “hard choices” relating to organizational positions, coalition decisions, and allocations of resources among competing demands.

·       Ability to recognize each team member's unique background and perspective to achieve team goals in a positive and motivating working environment.

·       Ability to develop team through coaching, feedback, exposure and stretch assignments.

·       An inclusive management style that places deep value on diverse perspectives and emphasizes the development and growth of team members and encourages learning and continued improvement.

·       Humility and a can-do attitude.

Qualifications Required

·       Juris Doctor from an accredited school and an active member in good standing with a State Bar Association.

·       At least 10 years of progressive experience in litigation or related legal work at a nonprofit or social justice organization that includes substantial experience in federal courts, appellate practice, or constitutional law, with 4+ years of leadership/management experience including legal supervision, case development, and project management.

·       Demonstrated experience in labor, employment, immigration, and/or civil rights law showing excellent skills and outcomes and innovative strategies.

·       Proficiency with in-office and virtual environments and software such as MS Office, internet research, and virtual collaboration tools.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Experience using multiple tools – including impact litigation, policy advocacy, and narrative change, to further a cause, ideally in a social justice context.

·       Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Caribbean, and Arab communities preferred. Fluency in more than one language is desirable.

At NILC, we know that talented people may have different backgrounds or experiences, and if your education and experience doesn’t exactly align with the above that’s okay! NILC believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. NILC’s goal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization. We encourage you to apply and let us know in your cover letter why you are qualified and the right fit for this role and NILC.

Work Environment

Location & Travel:

NILC's office is located in Washington, D.C. For this role, up to 10-20% of overnight interstate travel may be required; travel is typically quarterly to the NILC Washington, DC office or another location within the US for 3-5 nights.

Remote work locations are as follows: (Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin).  To be considered, applicants must live in one of the work locations.

Compensation:

NILC’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively in the nonprofit sector and ensure equity across the organization. Compensation for the role will depend on several factors including qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. The salary range for this role is $128,000 - $161,000.

NILC provides an incredible benefit package that includes employer-paid healthcare coverage (100% for employees and 75% for dependents), employer-supported dental and vision coverage, a 403(b)-retirement plan including an automatic contribution from NILC, paid parental leave, monthly cell phone and wellness stipends, pre-tax accounts for transit, health, and childcare benefits (FSA), and employer-paid short- and long-term disability and life insurance. NILC also provides a generous paid-time-off policy, 15 holidays and 22 days of paid time off annually (increased to 32 after 2 years of employment).

NILC is also a qualifying public service employer, which means all full-time NILC employees qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. To learn more about the program, please visit  https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Physical Demands

·       Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods

·       Communicating with others to exchange information.

·       Repeating motions, like typing or answering a phone, that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.