Director of Pro Bono Program
Mission and Vision: Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid is an innovative, creative, progressive, and efficient civil legal service provider to the poor, working towards an inclusive justice system of equal access. All voices are valued, heard, and respected.
Why Join Legal Aid? Are you committed to the idea that all people deserve access to justice in our legal system? Do you want to use your talents to do deeply meaningful work, serve those experiencing poverty and work with a respected and impactful organization?
Legal Aid of North Carolina is the only statewide legal services organization serving low-income people in all 100 counties. It is the third largest law firm in North Carolina, employing 250 lawyers, 525 staff and serving over 40,000 people each year. It has offices located in 23 counties throughout the state.
In addition to providing direct legal services, Legal Aid assists thousands of people every year in enrolling in health insurance coverage and provides other critical needs to those experiencing poverty.
Legal Aid lawyers and staff work closely with clients, devising strategies and pursuing legal remedies that help clients obtain successful outcomes. Many lawyers gain significant courtroom experience, trying cases, arguing motions, and even pursuing appeals in North Carolina’s appellate court. Other lawyers, paralegals and staff handle transactional matters, for example by helping seniors with wills and other advanced directives. In whatever capacity you choose to join us, we can promise that Legal Aid delivers a life changing experience, both for you and for your clients.
Position Summary: Legal Aid seeks a Director of Pro Bono Programs. The Director will work with a staff of nine to grow our statewide pro bono programs for lawyers, paralegals, and law students. The dual goals of our Pro Bono Programs are to increase the number of clients we serve and to grow our base of supporters within the private bar. Pro bono work exposes private attorneys to the reality of poverty experienced by our clients and to the life-changing difference that our services make in their lives.
Responsibilities:
- Partnerships: Establish and maintain excellent collaborative relationships with partner organizations, including law firms, corporate counsel departments, state and local bar associations, other legal professional associations, public-interest legal organizations, fellow legal-services providers, and law schools. Seek leadership roles on state and local bar association sections or committees involved with pro bono or public service.
- Program development: Work with partner organizations and Legal Aid NC colleagues to (1) identify our clients’ unmet legal needs that can be met effectively by pro bono volunteers and (2) design, launch, refine and grow pro bono programs that meet those needs.
- Volunteer recruitment and retention: Lead efforts to recruit and retain a demographically, geographically, and professionally diverse corps of pro bono volunteers by collaborating with partner organizations, leveraging contacts of Legal Aid NC colleagues, and designing and overseeing volunteer appreciation and recognition efforts.
- Management and administration: Lead a team of nine staff, including attorneys, case coordinators and administrators. Proactively facilitate the professional development of Pro Bono Programs team members. Coordinate with pro bono coordinators in local field offices. Serve on internal strategic-planning and management committees. Work with our grants manager to identify, apply for, and administer grants for our Pro Bono Programs. Work with our development director to coordinate outreach to attorneys and organizations in the NC legal community.
Qualifications:
- Values: A proven commitment to, appreciation for and understanding of organizational values around diversity, equity, and inclusion. A positive, inclusive, and engaged leader who inspires others. High standards of integrity for self and others. A strong commitment to the professional growth of Legal Aid employees. An accountable leader who takes responsibility for their team’s performance. An innovator who embraces new and creative ways of thinking and operating.
- Experience: Experience leading or helping to manage pro bono programs or public-interest legal programs with a pro bono component. Experience providing legal services to low-income or vulnerable people is preferred. Current or past service on state or local bar association sections or committees related to pro bono or public interest is preferred. Professional familiarity with issues of poverty, racism and other forms of inequality is preferred.
- Skills: Excellent project-management skills, organizational and time-management skills, leadership and collaborative skills, oral and written communication skills, and legal skills.
- Credentials: Be authorized to practice law in North Carolina and in good standing with the State Bar. Have no pending North Carolina State Bar disciplinary proceedings.
Are you our next Director of Pro Bono Programs?
To apply for this position, submit a cover letter that specifically addresses how your qualifications align with the qualifications in the job description, resume, three references and any other materials that you wish to be considered to Erin Haygood, Pro Bono Programs, erinh2@legalaidnc.org and Legal Aid Human Resources, Jobs@legalaidnc.org. The deadline for submissions is due on or before May 19, 2023.