Executive Director
“Equal Justice Under Law” is one of our nation's most basic principles. Economic realities leave this promise too often unfulfilled. Utah Legal Services (ULS) is a nonprofit law office incorporated in 1976 committed to making equal justice a reality by providing free legal help in non-criminal cases to low-income Utahns. ULS seeks an Executive Director as it begins its next chapter. The successful candidate will succeed ULS’s long-time and well-respected executive director, whose involvement with Utah Legal Services spans 46 years, 40 as executive director.
ULS’s mission is to protect the rights of the disadvantaged and persons of limited means through legal representation, advocacy, and education. It serves the entire state of Utah with offices in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo and St. George.
It focuses on the basic needs of the 360,000 people eligible for legal help in the state. In addition, it has specialized programs handling protective orders and family law cases; disability and medical benefits; uninhabitable housing, eviction defense and subsidized housing disputes; end-of-life and guardianship issues for senior citizens; collection defense and other consumer matters; expungements to remove barriers to employment and housing; as well as issues unique to agricultural workers and Native Americans.
ULS has a staff of 72, including approximately 30 attorneys. It is financially stable with an annual budget of approximately $6.5 million, primarily from federal and state grants, and private fundraising with And Justice for All.
High Priority Roles and Responsibilities for the next Executive Director:
• Be the standard bearer of the ULS mission and goals of the organization;
• Hire, supervise, guide, direct, evaluate, lead and retain staff to ensure a positive equitable and safe workplace culture, including successful management of hybrid employees;
• Serve as an effective ambassador for ULS, by nurturing collaborative relationships with community organizations, funders, legislators, private bar and judicial leaders, private donors, and business and civic organizations throughout the service area;
• Create, lead and support an effective management team;
• Oversee and execute a strategic operational plan in conjunction with Board and staff;
• Provide leadership to and strengthen the collaborative relationships with legal aid partners including And Justice for All, the Disability Law Center, and the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake;
•Provide leadership in local, state and national civil legal aid forums, and engage with state and local courts, community leaders and the Utah State Bar;
• Increase and diversify financial support for ULS, and provide leadership for the And Justice for All development initiatives;
• Work closely with the organizational controller to ensure ULS’s financial health and stability through sound financial planning and management systems, including preparation of budgets, monitoring of financial systems and controls, and allocation of resources;
• Engage with the Board of Directors to ensure it can effectively execute its governance, financial oversight and leadership functions;
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the program’s delivery of services to clients, with staff and Board, and a culture that promotes mutual respect and teamwork;
• Maintain and grow an effective communications program to enhance ULS’s profile in the legal community, client community, and public at large.
Location: This is primarily an on-site position at ULS’s Salt Lake City office. Periodic travel throughout the service area, including the Ogden, Provo and St. George offices, is required.
Salary: The anticipated salary range of the competitive candidate is $135,000 - $155,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
About Utah Legal Services:
ULS provides compassionate legal services to the most vulnerable individuals in the community with committed staff. The board is caring and involved. ULS offers a supportive and inclusive environment for clients and staff members alike.
ULS has emphasized individual case work and advice to clients, putting client needs first. The organization is highly regarded among lawyers and community leaders.
ULS has embraced the benefits of technology as a tool for helping clients. For example, an effective intake system connects new clients to an advocate during the first contact. The intake system features a central intake unit that includes an online intake portal and an intake call center.
ULS’s Salt Lake City office is in the James B. Lee Justice Center along with the Disability Law Center (DLC) and the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake (LAS). The DLC is a private, non-profit organization designated by the governor as Utah’s Protection and Advocacy agency to enforce laws that protect the legal rights of disabled Utahans. LAS is a nonprofit law firm that provides eligible clients with both full representation and limited pro se assistance in domestic relations matters in Salt Lake County. In 1999, ULS, DLC and LAS created “and Justice for All” (AJFA), a collaborative partnership designed to increase access and provide a consistent funding source for civil legal services. AJFA’s employees have training and experience in grant writing and fundraising, and AJFA provides resource development support to its member organizations. The successful AJFA collaboration resulted in a capital campaign to fund the co-located Justice Center. The Center offers one-stop assistance for clients and allows the partner agencies to share costs on rent and certain administrative functions.
ULS’s Salt Lake City staff includes staff members assigned to the Salt Lake City service area, and the program’s leadership team, also known as the Statewide Support Unit, of the executive director, the deputy director, the controller, the IT manager, the human resources manager, and the executive assistant.
ULS has regional offices in Provo, Ogden, and St. George.
ULS organizes its legal work through four statewide task forces that include a domestic relations
task force, a housing task force, a public benefits task force, and a consumer task force. Task force chairs oversee the substantive legal work of the advocates assigned to their group while managing attorneys handle regional office administration.
ULS’s PAI effort emphasizes extended services work and has multiple strategies to engage private attorneys in its legal services delivery. ULS is an essential participant in the statewide pro bono initiative led by the Utah State Bar Pro Bono Commission. It has a long history of working with local bar associations, and actively engages in activities that include community legal education presentations, and training community partners on protective orders.
About Utah:
Utah is ranked the #1 Best States Overall by US News and World Report. The state boasts a strong and vibrant economy with strong growth, a highly educated work force, and low unemployment. The cost of living is slightly below the national average.
Utah is home to 3.33 million residents. Over 75% of the population is concentrated in four counties along the Wasatch Front, making Utah the ninth most urban state in the US. Increasingly diverse, the state is home to two refugee resettlement centers and over 60,000 refugees. Currently 23 percent of the population identifies as non-white.
The state is world-famous for its natural resources and public recreation opportunities. Utah has five national parks, several national monuments, dozens of state parks, and 15 ski resorts. The State is easily accessible through the Salt Lake International Airport, the 21st busiest airport in the United States which provides direct flights to over 90 cities, including several international destinations.
For further information about Utah Legal Services, visit www.utahlegalservices.org.
Desired Qualifications and Experience of the Successful Executive Director Candidate:
• JD from an ABA accredited law school, licensed attorney in good standing for a minimum of seven years, membership in the Utah Bar or ability to become a member;
• Exceptional leadership skills and a passionate commitment to advocating for the legal rights of low-income individuals and those from disadvantaged communities;
• Substantial management experience in a successful legal services organization, law firm, corporate law department, branch of a court system, relevant government agency or nonprofit organization;
• Management experience at a policy-making level including nonprofit programmatic planning, evaluation, staff supervision, legal systems development, fiscal oversight, reporting and budget development;
• Significant civil legal practice experience in one of ULS’s core case service areas;
• Experience developing relationships for resource development and a history of successful grant-writing;
• Knowledge of the Legal Services Corporation and state regulatory systems that apply to ULS;
• A visionary, positive and collaborative leadership style when working with staff and Board;
• A high level of initiative and the ability to make decisions, solve problems and plan;
• Experience working with organizations and individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, including clients, staff, board members, the public, and elected and appointed officials;
• Additional personal attributes including resilience, open-mindedness, ability to motivate and delegate, professionalism, integrity and good listening skills; and
• Located in or able to commute to the Salt Lake City area.
Application Process:
ULS is assisted in its search for a new Executive Director by Patricia Pap, Consultant, Management Information Exchange, www.mielegalaid.org.
Materials should be submitted electronically to ppap@mielegalaid.org in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact Patricia at the email address above or at 508-737-4010.
To receive full consideration, you are encouraged to submit your application materials by September 25, 2023. Please submit a letter expressing your interest in the position, your qualifications for the job, and what you believe you will be able to contribute to ULS’s future. Please include a resume and the names and contact information for three professional references.
ULS encourages qualified candidates of all backgrounds to apply. ULS believes that equal opportunity of all employees is important for the continuing success of the organization. In accordance with state and federal law, ULS will not discriminate against an employee or applicant for employment because of race, disability, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status in hiring, promoting, demoting, trainings, benefits, transfers, layoffs, terminations, recommendations, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.