Executive Director

Executive Director

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County seeks an experienced and passionate leader to serve as our next Executive Director and help us fight for justice.

About NLSLA

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) is one of California’s most prominent and largest legal services programs. A private, non-profit law firm serving low-income families and individuals throughout Los Angeles County, NLSLA was founded in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty. Now in its 60th year, the organization provides high quality legal services that change lives and transform communities. It is nationally recognized for its innovative and effective collaborative projects, its high quality direct legal services, policy advocacy and impact litigation.

With a 2026 budget of $37 million and approximately 218 staff, including 90 attorneys, NLSLA operates four program offices and oversees nine self-help centers in courthouses across Los Angeles County, as well as eight mental health clinics. Each year, NLSLA serves nearly 175,000 low-income individuals countywide. Funding for NLSLA’s work comes from a diverse mix of local, state and federal sources as well as foundations and individual giving. NLSLA is funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

NLSLA advocates specialize in areas of the law that disproportionately impact the poor, including:

• Housing
• Health
• Protecting Domestic and Intimate Violence Survivors
• Public Benefits
• Worker’s Rights
• Re-Entry
• Education Advocacy
• Trust and Estates
• Access to Justice
• Disaster Response.

NLSLA is a leader in multiple collaborative networks that help increase access to justice and promote best practices and consistency across the legal aid community. Through these partnerships, NLSLA works alongside government agencies, health care providers, community organization and sister legal aid providers to address systemic barriers facing low-income communities. Key collaborations include:

• Medical Legal Community Partnerships (MLCP): Now a permanent component of the LA County health services delivery system, MLCP embeds attorneys in hospitals and clinics to provide legal help to clinic patients and support to healthcare providers. MLCP advocates focus on identifying and addressing legal barriers that negatively impact patients’ health and stability.
• Self-Help Legal Access Centers: Located in nine courthouses throughout Los Angeles County, these centers provide legal information and assistance to self-represented people seeking help with family law, housing, restraining orders, bankruptcy, and other civil matters.
• Shriver Housing Project-Los Angeles: This collaboration leverages the resources and expertise of four of Los Angeles's most prominent legal services organizations to provide eviction defense and housing stability to tenants at risk of displacement.
• The Disaster Assistance Project: NLSLA is a longtime leader in disaster legal services. In response to the 2025 LA County fires and windstorms, this project assists fire survivors with disaster-related legal needs. In partnership with pro bono counsel, NLSLA filed lawsuits against local governments, helping to secure enforceable inspection and remediation protocols.
• Stay Housed- Los Angeles: NLSLA is a partner in Stay Housed LA—an initiative of Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles delivered in collaboration with local community and legal service providers. The project is led by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Together, this consortium supports residents across Los Angeles County—from Lancaster to Long Beach—by providing information, resources, and access to legal assistance, including attorney representation, to help people remain stably housed.

Service area and office locations

NLSLA serves all of Los Angeles County with a priority on serving the communities of the San Gabriel, Pomona, San Fernando, and Antelope Valleys, including the central cities of Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena. NLSLA staff members are housed in four regional offices located in El Monte, Glendale, Pacoima, and the historic General Hospital in Boyle Heights. In addition, NLSLA advocates are co-located in courthouses in Pomona, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Chatsworth, Lancaster, and Downtown Los Angeles, and mental health centers in Cerritos, Culver City, Granada Hills and metro Los Angeles.

About the Role

The Executive Director is the organization’s chief executive and public leader, responsible for strategic leadership, program excellence, financial sustainability, fundraising, compliance, and community and political relations. The Executive Director leads a seasoned senior management team and works closely with the Board of Directors, whose members include local attorneys, individuals eligible for NLSLA’s services, and community representatives.

The responsibilities of the Executive Director include:

• Provide strategic, mission-driven leadership to advance access to justice throughout Los Angeles County.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality legal services across diverse programs and service models.
• Serve as the primary public representative of NLSLA at the local, state, and national levels, including with courts, government agencies, funders, and community partners.
• Lead fundraising efforts for operations, innovation, and capital improvements; engage directly in major donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Recruit, develop, and support senior leadership and staff; foster an inclusive, high-performing organizational culture.
• Continue development of a collaborative working relationship with NLSLA’s union staff, including negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Oversee fiscal management, long-term financial planning, audits, and risk management.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to support governance, strategic planning, and fiduciary oversight.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Deep commitment to NLSLA’s mission and dedication to equitable, client-centered high quality legal services delivery which focuses on serving low-income and marginalized communities and ensuring access to justice.
• Significant senior nonprofit leadership experience; experience in a legal aid organization preferred.
• Significant experience managing large budgets and diverse funding streams, including federal and state grants.
• Significant experience managing personnel across multi-site operations.
• Strong fundraising, communications, external relations, and organizational leadership skills.
• Ability to maintain organizational compliance and strong relationships with government and private funders without being risk-averse in a manner that impairs strong client service delivery. Knowledge of and experience leading compliance with the requirements of the Legal Services Corporation is strongly preferred.
• Residence in the Los Angeles County area or willingness to relocate.
• Membership in the California State Bar and/or other legal experience is preferred but not required.

Compensation

The salary range is $220,000 to $270,000, commensurate with experience. NLSLA provides a generous and comprehensive benefits package; additional details are available upon request.

How To Apply

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To receive full consideration, candidates are urged to submit their applications by May 1.

Applicants should email a resume and cover letter describing relevant qualifications and why you are interested to EDHiring@NLSLA.org.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

NLSLA is committed to providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination based on each and every characteristic protected under the law and beyond.

Decisions related to hiring, compensating, training, evaluating performance, promoting, or terminating are made fairly, and are based on job-related qualities and abilities. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees. We examine our unconscious biases and take responsibility for always striving to create an inclusive environment that makes every employee and candidate feel welcome.

We further expect every member of the NLSLA community to do their part to cultivate and maintain an environment where everyone has the opportunity to feel included and is afforded the respect and dignity they deserve.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’s Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Please note that, in some circumstances, certain convictions may be considered incompatible with the responsibilities of specific roles, particularly where the safety and well-being of vulnerable client populations are a concern.

NLSLA’s Commitments

We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging within our organization and the communities we serve. We achieve this through:

• Continuous Learning: Cultivating cultural competency and humility among staff through ongoing training, open dialogue, and self-reflection.
• Equitable Practices: Regularly reviewing and revising policies, procedures, and decision-making processes to ensure fairness and access for all.
• Strategic Resource Allocation: Directing resources towards initiatives that empower communities.
• Meaningful Community Engagement: Partnering with the communities we serve to co-create solutions and foster trust.
• A Respectful Workplace: Providing a work environment free from discrimination and where every individual is valued, heard, and respected for their unique contributions.