Vice President, Civil and Human Rights

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) is a national nonprofit organization that has spent nearly a decade identifying where lawyers can make the greatest impact and mobilizing them to defend democracy and the rule of law, protect civil and human rights, and advance environmental justice. Founded in November 2016, L4GG has grown into an organization of nearly 60 staff supporting a network of more than 125,000 volunteer attorneys and advocates, with active programming across three intersectional “pillars” of work: Rule of Law & Democracy, Civil & Human Rights, and Climate Change & Environmental Justice.

While L4GG is known for its ability to respond rapidly when new legal threats emerge, we also run established, multi-year programs that deliver direct legal services, strategic litigation, systemic policy reform, and capacity building. Rather than simply matching attorneys to cases, we identify a specific need, build the program to meet it, and mobilize our network to carry it out, leveraging far more in pro bono legal value than we spend to generate it.

As an L4GG employee, you will join a dynamic, mission-driven organization with a track record of impact and the opportunity to shape what comes next. We seek out and invest in top talent because the quality and commitment of our staff is what makes our work possible. We operate remotely so we can recruit and hire the best candidate for any given position, regardless of where they choose to live and work.

ABOUT THE POSITION

STATUS: Full-Time, Exempt

LOCATION: Remote; location flexible.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Vice President, Civil and Human Rights (VP) is a newly created senior leadership role at L4GG, reporting directly to the President & Executive Director. The VP leads L4GG's civil and human rights portfolio, currently anchored by our Project Corazon (immigrants' rights) and Gender Justice & Health Equity program teams, while also serving as the organization's lead strategist and external voice on civil and human rights issues that cut across our full program portfolio, including intersections with democracy, rule of law, and climate justice work.

The Vice President will be a trusted partner, people manager, and strategic integrator. They will be dedicated to ensuring that each program area has clear direction, adequate support, and meaningful cross-department collaboration. This role is ideal for a mission-driven leader who thrives at the intersection of law, advocacy work, and organizational management.

This is both a programmatic leadership role and an external-facing one. Above all, we are looking for someone who is genuinely excellent at developing people and running high-performing programs: someone who can set a clear vision, build the systems to execute it, and get the best out of the teams they lead. The VP will supervise and develop program leads, help set vision and strategy for the civil and human rights portfolio, and represent L4GG externally as a spokesperson, coalition leader, and partner to funders, allied organizations, and our volunteer attorney network.

CORE PROGRAM OVERSIGHT:

Project Corazon / Immigrants’ Rights:

The VP will work in partnership with Project Corazon’s Supervising Attorney and Program Manager to ensure strategic clarity, operational support, and integration with L4GG’s broader civil rights agenda. Project Corazon delivers pro bono legal representation, strategic litigation, and direct services that respond to the urgent needs of migrants and asylum seekers.

Gender Justice & Health Equity

The VP will partner with our Director of Gender Justice and Health Equity to advance intersectional programmatic work at the nexus of reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and health access. We specialize in working at these intersections in coalition with affected communities and the organizations that serve them.

Intersectional Civil & Human Rights Leadership

Beyond direct supervision of the two programs listed above, the VP will also own L4GG's civil and human rights strategy across the organization — identifying where civil rights, racial justice, immigration, gender justice, democracy, and climate issues intersect, and ensuring our programs reflect that framework. Racial justice is not a standalone program at L4GG but is the throughline of our work and the VP will ensure our civil and human rights portfolio centers the communities most directly impacted by systemic racism, consistent with that framework across the organization. As funding allows, the VP will help identify, scope, and build new programming in emerging areas of need.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Senior Leadership, Strategy, & External Representation

• Serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, participating in organizational planning and decision-making processes.
• Contribute to the development of organizational strategy for L4GG’s civil and human rights work, and translate that strategy into actionable, measurable, program-level goals in partnership with program directors and organizational leadership.
• Serve as primary external spokesperson and thought leader for L4GG’s civil and human rights work - with funders, media, coalition partners, and peer organizations.
• Support fundraising for the civil and human rights portfolio, including maintaining funder relationships, contributing to proposals, and assisting with grant reporting, in partnership with the development team.
• Identify opportunities for cross-department collaboration and ensure program work reflects L4GG’s intersectional civil rights framework.

People Management & Team Leadership

The VP must be an excellent leader and supervisor - someone direct reports can trust and learn from while receiving the support required to do their best work. Responsibilities include:

• Directly supervise civil and human rights program leads providing regular 1:1 support, structured feedback, and meaningful professional development.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner for program leads navigating complex programmatic, legal, and organizational challenges.
• Help directors manage workload, prioritize competing demands, and build high-functioning teams.
• Proactively surface staffing, capacity, and ethics concerns to the ED.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and trust across program teams.

Program Coordination & Operational Oversight

• Ensure departments have clear goals, defined metrics, and consistent rhythms for planning and review.
• Work with the ED and VP, Operations to align budgets, staffing plans, and resources with program priorities.
• Track progress across programs and report regularly to the ED and senior leadership team.

Field & Movement Engagement

• Maintain and deepen L4GG’s relationships with peer organizations, community partners, and coalitions across the civil and human rights space.
• Elevate the voice and priorities of impacted communities in shaping L4GG’s program strategy.
• Stay current on legal, policy, and movement development across L4GG’s civil and human rights portfolio and advise the ED and others accordingly.

REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal candidate will have top-notch interpersonal skills, judgment, and the ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment. We need someone who can work independently with a strong sense of urgency and take initiative to identify and resolve challenges. Must have access to a quiet workspace (home office or other space) with high-speed internet and the ability to take calls and/or video conferences during working hours.

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. and active bar license in good standing in at least one state.
• A minimum of 12-15 years of experience in civil rights, human rights, or social justice law, with demonstrated senior leadership responsibilities.
• Deep subject matter expertise in at least one or more of the following areas: immigration, gender justice, reproductive rights, health equity, or racial justice (with familiarity across others).
• Proven track record managing and developing high-performing teams (including direct supervision of directors and senior-level staff).
• Demonstrated experience as an external-facing leader: as a spokesperson, coalition builder, or fundraising partner, and comfortable representing an organization to funders, media, and partner organizations.
• Demonstrated excellence as a people manager with a track record of developing direct reports, delegating effectively, and building team culture, not just overseeing output.
• Demonstrated excellence as a program manager with a track record of setting clear goals, building systems to track progress, and course-correcting programs to hit outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic connector across multiple program areas or issue portfolios.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as collaborate and work well with a team.
• Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a leadership style that is collaborative, empathetic, direct, and mission-grounded.
• Commitment to L4GG’s mission and principles.
• Proven ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Drive.
• Exceptional technology comfort and competence including willingness to embrace new tools and self-train using provided resources as needed.
• Consistent attention to detail.
• Strong ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and escalate issues to ED as appropriate.

Highly Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working in a non-profit legal organization, civil rights organization, or advocacy-driven legal team.
• Familiarity with remote team management.
• Experience using Mac computers.
• Experience building or launching new program areas, especially in early-stage or structurally evolving organizations.
• Background in intersectional movement work that bridges immigration, racial justice, and gender justice frameworks.
• Experience with communications, external affairs, or coalition building in a civil rights context.
• Experience with any or all of the following digital tools: Slack, Asana, Airtable.

• Fully Remote Work Environment
• Flexible Work Schedule
• Paid Time Off (Including Vacation and Sick Leave)
• Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage
• Company-Paid Short-Term/Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Company-Paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• 403b Retirement Plan (Including Company Match)
• Paid Bar Dues in One (1) State