Director of Litigation Advocacy
Director of Litigation & Advocacy (Charlottesville, Richmond, Falls Church)
LAJC is seeking an experienced litigator to provide leadership and supervision to LAJC programmatic work. In addition to significant litigation experience, the ideal candidate will also have demonstrated experience working with directly impacted community leaders on anti-poverty and racial justice initiatives. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Director of Litigation & Advocacy (working title) will work to advance LAJC’s ambitious agenda to achieve economic, racial, and social justice throughout the state. Responsibilities may vary depending on the experiences, skill set, and vision of the selected candidate. Required qualifications include Virginia Bar licensure or ability to waive in to the Virginia Bar, at least seven years of relevant legal experience, and experience working in communities directly impacted by economic and racial injustice. Applications are still being accepted and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Salary range has been increased to $90,000 to $115,000, depending on relevant experience.
Responsibilities may vary depending on the experiences, skill set, and vision of the selected candidate, but will likely include:
• Supervision of LAJC’s impact advocacy, including providing support to each program’s strategic planning and development of multi-faceted campaigns using litigation, policy advocacy, organizing and communications strategies
• Support the development and execution of major litigation, including helping advocates identify recurring issues ripe for impact litigation
• Partner with community organizers and grassroots leaders to develop and implement systems change initiatives
• Work with LAJC’s policy teams to develop and execute policy advocacy campaigns and foster collaboration with litigation and organizing efforts
• Promote litigation skill development by matching attorney goals with campaign needs and working with LAJC’s Director of Professional Development to identify training needs and opportunities
• Co-teach our Civil Rights Clinic at University of Virginia School of Law
Develop systems that facilitate information-sharing and efficiency in bringing major advocacy campaigns
Required
Qualifications
- Virginia Bar licensure, or ability to waive in to the Virginia Bar
- Strong commitment to public interest law
- Experience working in communities directly impacted by economic and racial injustice
- At least seven years of relevant legal experience
- Outstanding oral advocacy, research, writing, organizational, and leadership skills
- Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively
- Reliable personal transportation and willingness to travel statewide occasionally and to LAJC’s other offices frequently
- Sense of humor
Preferred
Qualifications
- Familiarity with many of our areas of practice
- Diverse economic, social, and/or cultural experiences
- Significant federal litigation experience, particularly in class actions and civil rights cases
Location
Any of LAJC’s offices (Richmond, Falls Church, Charlottesville). (Must be willing to come to Charlottesville at least one day per week while the Civil Rights Clinic is in session.)
Email a cover letter, resume, three references, and a writing sample to Angela Ciolfi, Executive Director, at hiring@justice4all.org. The cover letter should highlight experience in building impact campaigns, including relevant litigation experience. The cover letter should also highlight any specialized skills, such as language fluency, organizing experience, or technology skills.
The positions will be open until filled, but applications will start being reviewed on April 30, 2020. Questions? Contact Angela Ciolfi, Executive Director, at angela@justice4all.org or 434-529-1810.
The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.