Website Lawyering Project
POSITION SUMMARY:
Founded in 2017, the Lawyering Project is a legal advocacy organization that blends traditional impact litigation with movement lawyering to promote reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States. We are fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) organization.
Laws that undermine reproductive health, rights, and justice deprive people of moral agency, rob us of control over our bodies, and compound other forms of oppression like racism, sexism, and poverty. Our mission is to eliminate these laws and the harmful impacts they have on people’s lives. We are especially focused on laws that limit the availability or affordability of abortion care; contribute to disparities in reproductive health outcomes; embody gender-based stereotypes; or discriminate against people based on their reproductive decisions.
We envision a society with laws that enable each of us to make decisions about intensely personal matters like sex, pregnancy, family, and healthcare based on our own beliefs and values, and ensure that we all have access to safe pregnancy care, safe abortion care, and safe communities for our families.
The Lawyering Project is seeking an experienced attorney to manage a new set of pro bono initiatives. In collaboration with other public interest legal organizations working to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice, our pro bono initiatives will ensure that every abortion patient, provider, and supporter who needs direct legal services in the post-Roe legal landscape will have access to high-quality representation regardless of their financial means. The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives will play a key role in designing and implementing these new initiatives and will be responsible for managing their day-to-day operations.
The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives is an exempt position. Exempt employees are expected to work the time needed to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage the day-to-day operations of the Lawyering Project’s pro bono initiatives;
- Assist in designing and implementing a system for matching individuals who need direct legal services with volunteer attorneys;
Participate in recruiting and vetting a nationwide network of volunteer attorneys; - Design and host trainings for volunteer attorneys;
Coordinate with other public interest legal organizations working to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice; - Solicit input from key stakeholders to ensure that their needs are being met;
- Conduct client intake interviews and assess prospective clients’ legal needs;
- Publicize pro bono initiatives to target audiences;
- Supervise other staff members working on pro bono initiatives; and
- Cultivate an organizational culture that aligns with the Lawyering Project’s core values
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist with the recruitment and orientation of new staff members;
- Assist with fundraising for the pro bono initiatives; and
- Represent the Lawyering Project at conferences, convenings, and speaking engagements
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives must have:
- A J.D. or equivalent degree;
- At least 7 years of experience practicing law or working in the legal field;
- At least 2 years of experience managing a program or department; and
- A commitment to advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives must have:
- Knowledge of the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements; and the national pro bono ecosystem;
- Skill in cultivating strategic relationships; coordinating large networks of people; managing information and tasks; and utilizing a secure database; and
- Ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences; manage a team; meet deadlines; work well under pressure; and cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives reports to the Senior Counsel & Project Director and works closely with other staff members, clients, pro bono counsel, and allied organizations.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Must be able to travel domestically on an airplane 3-5 times per year.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
This is a full-time position that sometimes requires work during evenings and weekends. This position may be based anywhere within the United States. The Senior Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives has the option to work from home or from office space provided by the Lawyering Project.
SALARY:
The Lawyering Project has a fixed salary scale based on job responsibilities, education, and experience. For example, the salary for a candidate with 7-8 years of relevant work experience is $152,549. A copy of our complete salary scale is available here.
We offer a robust benefits package that includes: health insurance (medical, dental, and vision); disability and life insurance; flexible spending accounts (FSA) for health, dependent care, and transportation; a retirement savings plan; paid vacation, holiday, and sick days; and paid parental, family, and medical leave. We also provide a professional development stipend and reimbursement for state bar membership fees. For additional information about our benefits, please contact [email protected].
TO APPLY:
Please email the following items to [email protected]:
- a cover letter including the personal statement described below;
- a resume; and
- a list of three professional references.
- Applications without these attachments will not be considered.
PERSONAL STATEMENT: To best achieve our mission, the Lawyering Project is committed to cultivating an inclusive and equitable workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. In a section of your cover letter containing no more than 200 words, please describe the identities, perspectives, and experiences that you would bring to the Lawyering Project that are important to you and/or relevant to our work.
As finalists progress in the application process, other assessments evaluating knowledge, skills, and abilities may be assigned. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
EEO NOTE:
The Lawyering Project, a project of Tides Center, is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. At the Lawyering Project, we believe that a team with varied perspectives and experiences will best enable our organization to thrive and achieve its mission. We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive work environment that values individual differences. We welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences, identities, and backgrounds to apply. We will not discriminate against applicants and employees because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to pregnant people and qualified individuals with disabilities, including in the application process. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please send an email with the subject line “Reasonable Accommodation Request” to [email protected].