Executive Director
Indiana Legal Services (ILS) seeks an Executive Director to lead this statewide nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal assistance to qualified individuals throughout Indiana. The mission of ILS is to use resources to provide qualified individuals with aggressive, quality legal services which effectively help gain equal access to the courts and alleviate the major causes and effects of poverty.
About the Position
The next Executive Director will lead ILS as this pre-eminent legal aid organization seeks to preserve and enhance high quality of legal work for clients, continue a leadership role in Indiana and throughout the legal aid community, and nurture newer generations of ILS staff. ILS has been well-served by its highly regarded executive director of forty-four years who is retiring from the organization.
High Priority Roles and Responsibilities for the New Executive Director:
• To serve as the public face of ILS, carrying out a leadership role in local, state and national networks of legal aid, client and social services communities.
• To help ILS achieve the goals established by the Board in its strategic plan.
• To provide the leadership and structural support for staff to strengthen, protect and focus high quality work of maximum impact for clients.
• To preserve institutional expertise and leadership, and hire and develop staff in the face of significant projected retirements.
• To creatively work with the board so that members actively contribute to ILS’ success.
• To collaborate with partners and service providers on behalf of eligible clients.
About Indiana Legal Services
In 1966, the original Indiana legal aid organization was established to provide free civil legal assistance to eligible individuals. It evolved into a statewide organization Indiana Legal Services (ILS) in 2000. ILS helps clients who are faced with legal problems that harm access to basics of food, shelter, income, medical care and personal safety. Most of the cases ILS handles are family law involving domestic violence, housing, consumer law, access to health care, and access to government benefits. ILS does not handle criminal matters.
ILS has a service area of ninety-two counties. Ten counties are urban and eighty-two are rural and mixed. Indiana’s population is 6.5 million, and 15% of its people have incomes below the poverty level. The ethnicity of the service area is approximately 80% Caucasian, 9% African American, 6% Latino, 2% Asian, and 2% two or more races.
ILS organizes its statewide delivery through eight branch offices covering specific counties, plus nine specialty centers and projects, including the Consumer Law Center, Housing Law Center, Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center, Senior Law Project, Community and Economic Development Project, Migrant Farmworker Law Center, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Military Legal Assistance Project and Medical-Legal Partnership. ILS also offers information through the Indiana Justice Center, established in 1999 to develop a statewide collaborative justice community, and the ILS website, www.indianalegalservices.org.
ILS is the largest of the agencies and programs throughout the state that try to meet the legal needs of the poor. ILS recognizes and supports these agencies, such as legal aid societies and pro bono programs.
ILS attorneys are active in the Indiana Pro Bono Commission (IPBC) and the Indiana Bar Foundation (IBF). The IPBC, created by Indiana Supreme Court rule, funds twelve pro bono districts that hire plan administrators to create twelve distinct pro bono delivery systems throughout Indiana. The pro bono districts are funded by grants from the IBF which distributes Indiana IOLTA funds, statutory filing fees awarded to the IBF, and cy pres awards.
ILS is governed by a fifty-one member Board of Directors which includes private attorneys throughout the state of Indiana and individuals who are eligible for services at ILS. ILS is proud of its commitment to client board members.
ILS has a budget of approximately $8.4 million. ILS receives funds from many different sources, including from Congress through the Legal Services Corporation; from United Way agencies and other agencies around the state; and private donations. It employs 105 staff members, including fifty-eight attorneys, twenty-three paralegals and twenty-four administrative staff.
Qualifications of the New Executive Director:
• A demonstrated commitment to advocacy in support of the legal rights of eligible clients and to equal access to justice.
• Management experience involving staff supervision, financial oversight and reporting, budget development, and compliance with grant, contract and legal requirements.
• Demonstrated experience as a manager in a multi-million dollar, multi-office organization preferred.
• Familiarity with federal and state civil legal aid organizations preferred.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Skills in relationship building and stakeholder interaction rooted in collaboration.
• A commitment to the use of technology to extend services throughout the state.
• Demonstrated success in resource development and fundraising.
• Experience and skill in communicating with a strong active board of directors.
• Ability to establish and maintain close working relationships with an experienced staff.
• A minimum of five years experience as an attorney.
• Possession of a JD and Indiana license or willingness to become licensed in Indiana within a reasonable period of time.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To receive full consideration, please submit your application materials by September 12, 2014. Please include a letter expressing in detail your interest in the position, your qualifications, and what you hope to contribute to the organization’s future; a current resume; and the names and contact information for three professional references.
Materials should be emailed to ppap@m-i-e.org in Microsoft Word format.
ILS is being assisted in the search by Patricia Pap, Executive Director, Management Information Exchange, 99 Chauncy St., Suite 700, Boston, MA 02111, 617-556-0288, ppap@m-i-e.org, www.mielegalaid.org. Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her.
ILS expects to make a hiring decision in mid-December 2014 and to have the successful candidate join the organization in the first quarter of 2015.
ILS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates with disabilities, women, persons of color and others who represent distinct linguistic or cultural communities to apply.