Deputy Director, Legal
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 currently live in one of the work locations.
About the Position
n The Deputy Director, Legal leads and collaborates with NILC’s Legal and other Advocacy Department staff in a matrix workgroup environment to advance programmatic work based on NILC’s strategic framework. The Deputy Director, Legal is an experienced civil litigator and legal advocate who successfully leads litigation teams of Staff and Senior Staff Attorneys, Paralegals, and administrative staff in the identification, development, and conduct of impact litigation and legal advocacy in coordination with NILC’s other core strategies of policy analysis, movement power building, strategic communications, and narrative change. The Deputy Director, Legal is responsible for a mix of substantive and strategic work, supervision and management. They will operationalize strategy and work to maximize the team's efficiency, productivity, and performance. The Deputy Director plays a critical role in the execution of NILC’s legal & litigation work, and they support NILC’s Legal Department as a people manager who oversees and supervises members of the Legal team managing, developing, and advising within the workgroup matrix structure. The Deputy Director, Legal is responsible for training and developing employees, collaborating with other members of the workgroups to provide regular, ongoing feedback and coaching, and supporting the ongoing creation and stewardship of NILC’s organizational culture. This role helps to support members of the Legal team to do their best work and support NILC’s missio
n.This role is not a member of the bargaining uni
t.
The Deputy Director, Legal will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key are
as:
Specific Position Responsibili
ties
Litigation and Legal Str
ategy· Support the Legal Director in the development and execution of litigation and legal advocacy strategies, providing guidance and support to workgroups and teams driving the work, in a way that integrates narrative change, movement power building, and campaign strategies, together with litigation and legal advocacy strate
gies.· Collaborate with the Policy Department and other Advocacy Departments to develop and execute NILC’s law and policy, movement power building, and narrative change work to ensure maximum im
pact.· Lead litigation teams of Staff and Senior Staff Attorneys, Paralegals, and administrative staff in the development and conduct of impact litigation on a range of issues. Support staff to, and, as needed, prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs; conduct discovery; present oral arguments; and handle appeals. As needed, assume greater case responsibilities depending on the evolving needs of the case
team.· Strategically, creatively, and boldly oversee and advance plaintiff-driven, community-grounded impact litigation in combination with NILC’s other core strategies of policy advocacy, communications, and movement building to advance NILC’s vision and mis
sion.· Identify potential new cases and play a role in developing those cases or working with others in the department to d
o so.· Serve as a legal and litigation expert in coalitions with external partners and in coalit
ions.· Advance NILC’s administrative and legislative advocacy by providing legal analysis and technical assistance to colleagues in NILC’s other departments; government officials and staff; the media; and advocates, organizers, and attorneys nation
wide.· Represent NILC in media about relevant legal work and litigation in coordination with Strategic Communications depart
ment.Management, Leadership, and Superv
ision· In collaboration with the Legal Director and Legal Management team, participate in leadership and management of the Legal Department, including project management, skills development, and team sup
port.· Supervise, support, and mentor Staff Attorneys, Senior Staff Attorneys, and NILC Legal Fellows in the performance of their job duties, including the development of both litigation skills and professional sk
ills.· Supervise, support, and mentor Staff Attorneys, Senior Staff Attorneys, and NILC Legal Fellows in the identification, development, and litigation of complex civil cases in federal and state co
urts.· Lead and build effective case teams that incorporate and leverage the skills and contributions of all team members and that promotes a team-oriented appr
oach.· Collaborate with staff across the organization via Programmatic workgroups to support ongoing programmatic work, including serving in a leadership role in one or more workgroups as ne
eded.· Proactively report to leadership about programmatic developments, administrative needs and broader institutional concerns, opportunities, and needs, while identifying and collaborating on constructive solut
ions.· Work with legal team staff on responding to requests for assistance, case development, and provision of legal representa
tion.· Collaborate with the other Advocacy Directors and Deputy Directors to create and maintain employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations, and paid time off, telecommuting, cover for absenteeism, and overtime schedu
ling.· Provide insights to workgroups, Advocacy Directors, and other Advocacy staff and leaders to understand individual employee’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals to better assign work tasks and proj
ects.· Assist managing the quarterly Board reporting pro
cess.· In conjunction with LMT, develop, track, and revise the Departmental budget; and, in conjunction with VP Law & Policy - Legal, set the agendas for the weekly LMT and Legal Department meet
ings.· Partner with and support the Development and/or Finance Departments as requested to support NILC grant applications, grant reporting, and grants administra
tion.· May be a part of or lead a larger cross functional/departmental projects using the MOCHA framework/method
ology
Qualifications Re
quired· JD degree and active member in good standing of a State Bar Association req
uired.· 8+ years of litigation experience, at least 6 of which must be complex federal civil litigation, and 4+ years of people management exper
ience.· Demonstrated experience in the investigation, development, and litigation of impact
cases.· Demonstrated success leading case
teams.· Demonstrated success supervising or mentoring other attorneys, fellows, and/or in
terns.· Proficiency with in-office and virtual environments and software such as MS Office, internet research, and virtual collaboration
tools.
Preferred Qualific
ations:· Expertise in civil rights or anti-discrimination law, federal class action litigation, or another substantive area of law that impacts immigrants with low-income strongly pre
ferred.· Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Caribbean, and Arab communities preferred. Fluency in more than one language des
irable.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 an
d NILC.
Location &
Travel: NILC's office is located in Washington, D.C.. For this role, up to 30% of overnight interstate travel may be required; generally, travel is quarterly to the NILC Washington, D.C. 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 currently live in one of the work loc
ations.
Compensation &
Benefits:NILC’s compensation and benefits philosophy is to provide a competitive offering in the nonprofit sector and ensure equity across the organization. The salary range for this role is $111,800 -
$139,800.
