Policy Counsel

Who We Are:

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is a non-partisan, nonprofit research and policy advocacy organization that promotes financial fairness and economic opportunity for all, including families of color, rural residents, women, military personnel, low-income borrowers, low-wealth individuals, and early-career workers.

CRL provides a strong voice on both the state and national levels for these families to expand family wealth and financial stability through sustainable homeownership, affordable higher education, and support for small businesses, and protect their financial stability by preventing abusive products that trap families in debt and strip away their income, by ending payday lending and other predatory high-cost lending, exorbitant bank fees, and abusive debt collection practices. CRL’s staff, allies, and funders reflect a collective commitment to eliminating systemic injustice in America’s financial services.

CRL is an affiliate of Self-Help, a community development lender founded in 1980 that has provided more than $9 billion dollars in financing to help over 185,000 low-wealth borrowers buy homes, build businesses, and strengthen community resources.

Position Summary:

The Policy Counsel will focus on policy analysis of consumer lending issues at the state level such as small dollar loans, student loans, mortgages, debt collection practices, and other related issues. The Policy Counsel will craft state policy approaches that advance the Center’s mission of promoting responsible lending. Responsibilities include research and writing on legal issues and major policy reports, comment letters, regulatory proposals, and testimony, speeches or articles.

We are seeking a Policy Counsel to join either our Durham, NC or Oakland, CA team!

What You’ll Do:

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY RECOMMENDATION

• Develop expertise on CRL priority issues and participate in issue work groups to develop and execute strategies to achieve CRL’s policy goals.
• Monitor state legislative and policy developments; play a proactive role in identifying and assisting in development strategy to advance legislative and regulatory agendas.
• Study proposed state legislation and regulations to determine the possible effect on consumers, particularly people of color and low-income people.
• Provide significant technical assistance in drafting state legislation or regulatory proposals; engage in legal research and assist in developing policy recommendations.
• May prepare amicus briefs and other documents and help represent CRL in litigation matters as needed.
• Write or review regulatory comment letters, testimony, speeches, articles, and policy briefs. Contribute content or editing support on research papers and editing support of peer’s policy materials.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND ADVOCACY

• Review and advise on coalition sign on letters.
• Represent CRL at meetings and conferences and testify at public hearings, as needed, to enlist support for CRL’s interest.
• Build relationships with other organizations, trade groups and companies with an interest in lending policy in the states.
• Perform outreach to state legislators or legislative staff, regulators, and allies to advocate for CRL’s policy positions or other action.

OTHER

• Help identify media opportunities, draft informational materials, and participate in news conferences to state CRL’s views. Speak to media to represent CRL’s point of view on policy issues.
• Perform other duties as may be deemed necessary.

What You’ll Need:

• J.D. or commensurate degree or experience and a minimum of 2 years related experience.
• Direct experience in government or in nongovernmental organizations working to influence policy.
• Experience in civil rights, housing/mortgage lending, predatory lending, consumer law, or banking law, desired, but not required.
• Experience and skill at building and maintaining relationships with external partners and cultivating collaboration.
• Strong writing, editing and oral communication skills. Able to execute communications assignments with limited oversight and provide feedback to peers.
• Intermediate level of proficiency with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Center for Responsible Lending is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.