Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy, Senior Policy Counsel

Job Title:   Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy, Senior Policy Counsel

Location:   Flexible – must be comfortable working from a remote environment

Reporting to:  Chief Policy Officer

Compensation:   Salary commensurate with experience + generous benefits package

Background:

Family Equality advances legal and lived equality for current and future LGBTQ+ families through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change. We envision a future where:

• All LGBTQ+ families and youth live in communities that recognize, respect, protect, and value them.
• Everyone has the right and opportunity to form and sustain a loving family.
• Systems of service and support are free of discrimination and maximize opportunities for LGBTQ+ families & youth.

As an organization, we have prioritized anti-racism and integrating racial equity into every facet of our work. We acknowledge our history as a predominately white organization and are committed to ending white supremacy. Doing so is essential to our objective of full equality for all LGBTQ+ people.

Family Equality is a distributed organization, with employees throughout the country. The Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy is a full-time position and may work remotely anywhere in the United States.

Position Summary:

The Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy will lead Family Equality’s work on LGBTQ+ family law and policy throughout the country. They will lead efforts to advance our legislative and public policy agenda at the state and federal level, focusing primarily on relationship and family recognition, family formation and expansion (adoption, assisted reproduction, and surrogacy), and parentage. This includes legislative and administrative advocacy, grassroots calls to actions, and creation of written resources and materials to inform our families of their rights related to the various paths to parenthood and family formation. The Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy also will lead our work on amicus curiae briefs in key LGBTQ+ family law and family recognition cases, including identifying opportunities to file or join briefs related to LGBTQ+ family law, family formation, adoption, and/or parentage. This work is done in collaboration with our pro bono law firm or other LGBTQ+ movement partners. As a senior attorney on the Policy team, they also may assist with other state and federal policy issues that affect the lives of LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to create and expand them as needed to further Family Equality’s organizational mission and the Policy Department’s mission and strategic plan.

The Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy will report directly to the Chief Policy Officer. This position is highly collaborative, working closely with other members of the Policy, Communications, and Programs teams, as well as civil rights partners at the national and state level, state equality groups, federal and state lawmakers, and constituents.  All work will be done through a racial and economic justice lens, with intentional incorporation of the perspectives of multiple communities, including communities of color and low-income communities and in consideration of impacts and outcomes of policy advocacy.

Responsibilities:

• Draft and advocate for state laws and administrative policies related to recognition of LGBTQ+ families and their right to form and expand them, including parentage, family formation and expansion (foster care, adoption, assisted reproduction, and surrogacy), relationship recognition, and nondiscrimination.
• Work to eliminate discriminatory parentage laws and other barriers to family formation, expansion, and recognition for LGBTQ+ people.
• Support legislative solutions to outdated laws such as laws that prohibit marriage equality or inhibit equal recognition of marriages of same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ families.
• Work in coalition with national and state partners to expand the rights of LGBTQ+ people to form families and establish and protect their legal rights as a parent and defend against legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ parents and their families.
• Lobby on key legislation, regulations, and policies related to LGBTQ+ family formation, parentage, and protection, including providing written or in person testimony or written regulatory comments to local, state, and federal agencies in support of priority policy goals.
• Work with our Communications team to develop and execute social media driven public education campaigns on legislation and issues that impact LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to form them.
• Participate in and facilitate strategic workshops, panels, presentations, trainings, and webinars.
• Track and analyze state legislation, regulations and litigation impacting LGBTQ+ family formation, parentage, and protection, and identify opportunities for collaboration with state and local partners.
• Recruit and supervise legal and policy interns.
• Occasional travel will be required.

Qualifications:

All candidates must enjoy a fast-paced environment, be highly organized without losing sight of larger objectives, and be committed to justice and equality for LGBTQ+ families. 

• Law degree; licensed in at least one state; and a minimum of 7 years of post-law school legal or policy experience, which must include LGBTQ+ family law and/or policy.
• Expertise in LGBTQ+ family law and/or policy, including assisted reproduction, surrogacy, parentage, and adoption.
• Strong legal research, analysis, and writing skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience with written legal, legislative drafting, and policy document development and analysis; ability to communicate complex legal and policy issues in accessible ways to a variety of audiences; and experience with lobbying or advocating with government officials and external partners.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently in a remote work setting.
• Willingness to collaborate with people who are mixed across race, income, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, and more.
• Strong interpersonal and team-collaboration skills, with a willingness to work across departments and teams, both internally and externally.
• Familiarity with and strong personal relationships with state and national LGBTQ+ organizations is preferred.
• Willingness to participate in professional organizations including the LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Family Law Institute.   

Even if you don’t meet all of the qualifications, but feel you have something unique to contribute to Family Equality, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits Summary:

Family Equality is 100% committed to revolutionizing the workplace, with a goal of demonstrating to the larger LGBTQ+ Movement that a human-centered workplace based in equity and justice is an effective workplace, where we can thrive as we work to change the world.  Here is an overview of our benefits, plus below are some new ideas that we are working on:

• 100% employer-paid health premium for individual employee
• FSA / HSA options
• 3 weeks paid vacation, 10 days health time, 3 personal days, 13 paid Holidays
• Summer office closure for a week aligned with the Fourth of July holiday
• Winter office closure between Christmas and New Year’s holidays
• 1% employer 401k Match (plus discretionary 1% additional match when finances allow)
• Paid Family Medical Leave
• Monthly Day of Rest
• “No meeting” Fridays

The entire staff is currently evaluating various options to radically transform our work lives.  These ideas are in the evaluation phase as they will require a radical transformation of how we define work and hold ourselves accountable:

• A “take what you need” vacation policy (“We trust each other to care for each other”)
• A 4-day minimum workweek (or a workweek with 5 shorter days)

Leadership Philosophy

We are a team of enthusiastic, empowered, and capable professionals who love our work.  You don’t have to think of yourself that way to be successful here, but we think if you like a challenge, and if you enjoy being prized, valued, and recognized for your contributions, and if you’re ok making a mistake because you know that it’s through mistake-making that we grow the fastest - then this could be your work home.  We prioritize the employee experience because when you feel cared for, you’ll give your work everything you can. To thrive here, it’ll help if you’re very organized, able to see “now” and “later” both at the same time, and do it clearly.  That way, you’ll have a better idea of what to pay attention to.  But don’t worry; you’ll have a passionate, smart, and - most importantly - compassionate work family behind you.

To apply, please submit  a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements inside Idealist.  (Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law & Policy). Please include your COVER LETTER and RESUME together as one document when you apply.

Anticipated Search Timeline:  Interviews will begin the week of June 27^th.

For questions only, please contact Brandon Gill, Director of HR + People Operations, at bgill@familyequality.org - PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATION MATERIALS VIA EMAIL AS THEY WILL BE DELETED.

Additional Details:

Family Equality provides a team-based environment and we value the benefits of a diversified workplace. 

Family Equality provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. 

Women, people of color, transgender individuals and members of other underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

Family Equality performs background checks on all volunteers and staff members as a condition of employment.

However, Family Equality also supports and encourages people who were formerly convicted to be active in their community.

Background checks results that indicate a conviction do not necessarily disqualify you from employment – Family Equality reserves the right to request further information to fully assess an applicant’s candidacy in relation to the job duties associated with the position.

COVID Vaccination Information

Family Equality is a remote organization where our entire staff works from their homes in numerous states across the country. While there is not a physical office space that any one staff member is required to visit at this time, Family Equality does hold events in various locations nationwide that include members of our staff and/or board. Accordingly, all new hires, interns, and volunteers will be required to be fully vaccinated from the time they start working or volunteering. Vaccination exceptions may be made for medical or religious exemptions.

For more information on Family Equality please visit our website at www.familyequality.org.