Director of Litigation

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel organizes its work through seven legal teams: Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Education Equity, and our impact litigation team, Opportunity Under Law (OUL).

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of approximately 160. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Interim Vice President, Chief Advocacy Officer, the Director of Litigation is charged with providing leadership and direction for Public Counsel’s impact litigation across its seven legal teams, while honoring, supporting, and amplifying the expertise within each team. The Director of Litigation will work closely with Public Counsel’s leadership team, Senior Special Counsel for Strategic Litigation, Directors of Social Work and Pro Bono, and eventually a Director of Policy & Coalition Building to promote and guide a cohesive and coordinated approach to high-quality impact litigation across the organization, including embedding system-change cohorts within each team. The Director will mentor and support attorneys at all levels of the organization. The Director will also serve as the leader of OUL. In this role, the Director will spearhead groundbreaking litigation arising in part from Public Counsel’s direct services work. The Director will provide management and strategic direction for OUL’s dynamic team of 11 advocates, including attorneys, fellows, paralegals, and a program manager.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Organization-Wide Litigation Strategy and Leadership

• Collaboratively develops an articulated and coordinated strategic vision and goals to guide Public Counsel’s impact litigation priorities across issue areas, and ensures that this vision is manifest in the organization’s work
• Guides and strengthens Public Counsel’s overall litigation strategy by aligning work across legal teams and embedding system-change approaches within each team
• Coordinates amicus strategies across Public Counsel, including identifying amicus opportunities and supervising the drafting and filing of amicus briefs
• Proposes action steps to fill gaps and build capacity for impact litigation that advances Public Counsel’s mission
• Stays abreast of national, state, and local legal developments to ensure Public Counsel deploys the most effective strategies to meet its priorities and goals

Management and Leadership of OUL

• Leads, mentors, and supports OUL’s attorneys, fellows, paralegals, and program manager, fostering excellence, collaboration, and growth
• Oversees OUL’s docket and the development of novel or complex legal theories underpinning our cases as well as the related litigation plans and media strategies
• Serves as lead counsel in select pieces of high-profile litigation, guiding teams of in-house staff and pro bono counsel through all phases of litigation, including investigations, discovery, motions, trial, appeals, settlements, and settlement implementation
• Directly supervises OUL’s managing attorney, program manager, and senior counsel, including by holding consistent individual check-in meetings, supporting their development, and providing growth-oriented feedback
• Engages in active and intentional recruiting and hiring for OUL staff and for impact litigators across the organization to attract and retain high-performing employees
• Oversees OUL’s departmental budget and compliance with grant terms and deliverables

Litigation Development, Execution, and Technical Expertise

• Collaborates with staff to identify, evaluate, and develop potential impact litigation matters arising from Public Counsel’s direct services work and from community needs on the local, state, and national levels
• Consults on factual investigations, legal research, case analysis, and risk assessments to determine litigation viability
• Provides technical assistance and strategic thought partnership to attorneys throughout the organization at all stages of litigation
• Collaborates with the Vice President, Chief Legal Officer to identify litigation training needs and facilitates or conducts litigation trainings
• Collaborates with the Director of Social Work to embed trauma-informed practices and client-centered approaches into litigation

Cross Department Collaboration, Partnerships, and External Engagement

• Works with the Director of Pro Bono to recruit and support pro bono attorneys engaged in impact litigation and amicus work
• Partners with the communications team and outside media relations firms to craft compelling messaging and elevate the visibility and impact of our active litigation and related campaigns, including by representing Public Counsel at conferences, trainings, and other public-facing events
• Collaborates with the development team to secure grants, donations, and other support for impact litigation and related advocacy
• Builds and sustains strong relationships with community partners, co-counsel, coalitions, peer organizations, and external stakeholders to support coordinated and community-centered litigation
• Collaborates with the information technology team to identify and implement IT platforms and AI-based tools that enhance litigation management and effectiveness

Requirements

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• At least 15 years of legal experience
• Juris Doctor degree and a member in good standing of any state bar (if not a member of the State Bar of California, must be prepared to join)
• Extensive experience developing, evaluating, and selecting impact litigation and moving strategically and credibly in the face of emerging needs
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and refine novel or complex legal theories
• Substantial experience serving as lead counsel in complex, high-stakes, or multi-party litigation with a strong and creative command of all phases of litigation, including investigations, pleadings, discovery, dispositive motions, trial work, appeals, settlements, and settlement implementation
• Exceptional brief writing and editing skills, with a record of producing or overseeing top-quality trial and appellate filings
• Significant experience with oral advocacy, including arguing motions or appeals in state and federal courts
• Experience developing strategic communications and engaging with press and funders
• Significant management and mentorship experience, including assembling effective teams and teaching and cultivating the talents of more junior staff, with experience in an organization-wide role in the non-profit and legal services sector preferred
• Significant leadership experience and vision for—as well as demonstrated commitment to—advancing justice, with experience working in coalition with pro bono co-counsel, policy advocates, and community stakeholders preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in the communities Public Counsel serves
• Experience and comfort working with clients living in poverty, including clients experiencing addiction or mental health issues
• Demonstrated experience with and commitment to trauma-informed legal advocacy
• Ability to work cooperatively across teams, levels, and functions within the organization and to navigate difficult conversations and address conflict effectively
• Excellent judgment and discretion as well as excellent interpersonal, management, and organizational skills that gain and sustain respect internally and with external partners
• Inspiring, decisive, collaborative, transparent, and flexible leadership style
• High levels of emotional intelligence and cultural competency, including being curious, self-aware, cognizant of bias, compassionate, patient, and willing to listen, and having a growth and open mindset

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/exempt
• Salary range is $185,000–$200,000 and commensurate with abilities and experience
• Non-bargaining

Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Medical coverage with an option for 100% employer-paid employee and dependent child(ren)’s premiums; buy-up options are available for other HMO and PPO coverage
• Dental and vision coverage
• Option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans

Generous paid time off (per year):

• 15 accrued vacation days that increase to 20 days after 3 years of employment
• 12 accrued sick days that may be used for physical and mental health needs
• 2 personal observance days
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 one-week office closures (during the summer and winter)
• Up to 60 hours of compensatory time per calendar year (for exempt staff only)

Additional benefits:

• 403(b) retirement plan with an elective employee contribution, and after a year of employment a discretionary employer contribution
• Free on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement
• $45 per pay period for employees who use non-English language skills to perform work duties
• Up to 6 months of parental leave
• Organizational and team wellness activities to build team cohesion and camaraderie
• Professional development support and opportunities
• Annual payment of dues for required licenses or certifications (state bar dues for attorneys) and for a mutually agreed-upon professional organization
• Centrally located headquarters in the heart of Koreatown, a vibrant neighborhood with easy access to public transportation, diverse dining options, and cultural attractions