Legal Director

Profile

Legal Director

Duties: Partners with the Legal Team on building a clearly defined legal program plan that incorporates effective legal strategies, establishes realistic objectives, measures overall progress against short term and long term goals, and generates reports that analyze program impact. Effectively manages relationships with pro bono and volunteer attorneys to expand capacity and ensures all members of the Legal Team are building and maintaining these relationships. Partners with our Legal Team to develop clear roles, expectations, divisions of labor, and measurements of success for the legal team staff. Employs a coaching mentality in growing and leading the legal team, with a focus on ongoing professional development. Supervises the day-to-day operations of the legal program, including establishing the systems and the goals to manage the legal docket and assure quality control and risk management. Establishes effective systems and protocols for managing intake, tracking donated legal hours, and preparing all pertinent case documents, filings, briefings, and correspondence. Adheres to and ensures that the program is fully compliant with the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct. Partners with the affiliate’s senior management team, the Lawyers Committee, and ACLU national staff, to advance ACLU of Oregon priorities through litigation, policy, communications, and development programs in an integrated advocacy model of law reform. Oversees the identification and development of new litigation and other legal advocacy projects consistent with the mission and vision of the ACLU of Oregon. Partners with the Legal Team and volunteer attorneys to develop and advance strategic legal goals; coordinates with national ACLU’s legal program; discusses and approves overall strategy and legal theories; consults with litigation teams handling our cases, as needed. Works collaboratively with Lawyers Committee leadership and members to innovate in strategic ways that ensure a highly productive and effective committee. Engages in legal advocacy, in coordination with the communications and policy teams, to provide legal support that advances other ACLU of Oregon work, and to conduct community outreach as necessary. Directs the scope of, and manages (or delegates, as appropriate) the ACLU of Oregon’s legal observer programs and similar advocacy projects. Assigns and manages strategies related to pre-litigation and non-litigation legal advocacy, including preparing demand letters, settlement negotiations, advocacy materials, public testimony, and public education resources. Stays informed on current local and nationwide civil rights and civil liberties priorities and issues. Participates in, creates, and sustains inclusive and engaging spaces for all people by demonstrating a commitment to racial equity, to dismantling white supremacy, and to operating with knowledge and understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability, language, immigration status, national origin, and socioeconomic circumstances. Works to build and sustain diverse and inclusive coalitions for the impact litigation or advocacy work of the Legal Program, always in coordination with the organization’s integrated advocacy goals. Represents the ACLU publicly, speaking to the media and at public forums, events, and trainings, as assigned; and works with the communications team to draft strategic communications, including news releases, articles, and blogs that detail the impact of ACLU litigation work. Supports other staff, as needed, in doing the same. Ensures internal/external stakeholder meetings are effectively, and inclusively, designed and facilitated. As a resource developer, the Legal Director: Works with the development team to drive fundraising efforts by participating in meetings with major donors, speaking at donor forums and events, as needed. Develops an annual departmental budget and monitors departmental expenditures. Develops strong relationships with the private bar, and recruits, retains, and supervises volunteer (or pro bono) attorneys.

Company info

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - Oregon
P.O. Box 40585
Portland
Oregon
United States 97240-0585
Website : http://www.aclu-or.org/