Director, Legal Affairs

Description

The Director of Legal Affairs (DLA) serves as a senior leader and strategic thought partner to the Chief of Activation & Justice, driving the alignment of the organization’s legal strategies related to voting and civil rights across federal, state, and local levels.

As the organization advances into a new era of impact and innovation, the DLA will blend sound legal judgment, organizational strategy, and team leadership to translate high-level goals into sustainable legal frameworks and actionable outcomes.

This position leads a dedicated legal team that includes a Supervising Attorney (who manages a group of junior attorneys), providing oversight, direction, and mentorship while fostering professional excellence, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable results. The DLA is charged not only with ensuring the legal soundness of the organization’s work but also with helping redefine how an established civil rights organization meets the contemporary challenges of voting justice.

The ideal candidate demonstrates unrelenting leadership, intellectual agility, strong foresight into federal jurisprudential trends, and the ability to navigate and synthesize complex legal issues into creative, mission-driven solutions.

This position can be hybrid or fully remote. 

The salary range for this position is $140,000-$150,000 annually.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Legal Leadership

· Serve as a key strategist and advisor to the Chief Legal Officer in developing and implementing the organization’s overarching legal vision, goals, and frameworks.

· Translate organizational priorities into actionable plans for the Legal Affairs department.

· Assess evolving federal, state, and local jurisprudence to identify strategic litigation opportunities and threats.

· Provide high-level review and insight on case strategy, without engaging in daily casework unless strategic guidance or escalated oversight is required.

· Serve as a bridge between traditional litigation practices and innovative advocacy models that enhance impact and effectiveness.

Team Leadership and Management

· Supervise, coach, and develop the Supervising Attorney and the broader legal team, empowering them to operate with independence and excellence.

· Foster a culture of accountability, skill development, and intellectual curiosity.

· Ensure clear delegation, workload balance, and alignment between team tactics and organizational strategy.

· Build processes and systems that support collaboration, documentation, and the consistent delivery of quality legal work.

Litigation Oversight and Innovation

· Provide leadership and guidance on the organization’s role in supporting regional or partner organizations engaged in federal court litigation.

· Assess legal trends, instinct for “reading the tea leaves” in emerging jurisprudence, and leverage insight to anticipate changes affecting litigation strategy.

· Partner with external (pro bono) counsel and partner organizations on strategic decisions, amicus positioning, and the sustainability of impact litigation programs.

· Promote innovation in legal approaches and advocacy methodologies, balancing the organization’s legacy with opportunities for modernization.

Organizational Thought Partnership

· Collaborate across departments to integrate legal thinking into broader programmatic, policy, and communications strategies.

· Serve as a visible and trusted thought partner to senior leadership, helping to inform executive-level decision-making and institutional growth.

· Represent the legal department in strategic initiatives, briefings, or interdepartmental planning discussions as needed.

Governance and Compliance

· Ensure adherence to organizational policies, professional standards, and ethical obligations.

· Oversee select contracts, memoranda of understanding, and critical compliance reviews as assigned by Chief Counsel.

Requirements

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:

· Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active membership in good standing with a U.S. bar required (federal court admission preferred). 

· Minimum 10–12 years of progressively responsible legal experience, ideally within civil rights, election law, constitutional, or voting rights contexts. 

· Demonstrated experience leading attorneys and managing legal teams. 

· Proven record of strategic legal leadership — experience advising executives strongly preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Strategic Legal Judgment

· Exceptional ability to interpret legal developments and anticipate emerging jurisprudential trends.

· Capable of connecting long-term legal implications to organizational mission and goals.

Leadership and People Development

· Strong coaching orientation; skilled at developing others through guidance, empowerment, and accountability.

· Ability to build consensus and inspire confidence across hierarchical and disciplinary lines.

Futuristic and Analytical Thinking

· Adept at fusing legacy frameworks with creative problem-solving.

· Brings a forward-looking perspective to the challenges and opportunities of next-generation advocacy.

Operational Excellence

· Strong project management, delegation, and prioritization skills to manage competing priorities at the executive level.

· Ability to synthesize complex issues quickly and communicate with clarity and impact.

Advocacy Passion

· Deep commitment to social justice, democracy, and the protection of voters’ rights.

· Capacity to connect mission, law, and leadership into a cohesive narrative for impact.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The position requires the ability to move about the office to access files, meetings, and office equipment. The individual will regularly operate a computer, laptop, copy machine, and other standard office tools. This role also requires occasional travel and participation in advocacy or partner-engagement activities, including walking longer distances to event venues, courtrooms, or community spaces.

These duties reflect the dynamic and collaborative nature of the position, both strategic and hands-on, as part of a mission-driven national team.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is generally indoors and rarely exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate-to-low.

This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.