Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services

The Legal Action Center (LAC) seeks a full-time Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services to help develop and implement LAC’s litigation docket and integrate it with LAC’s direct legal services program. The Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services will also play a key role in connecting LAC’s litigation and legal services work to its multi-dimensional strategy of direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education, with a focus on advancing racial justice and equity and engaging directly impacted communities. The Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services will report to the Senior Vice President of Legal Advocacy.

The position is based in New York City. LAC has instituted a hybrid work model that offers the opportunity to work remotely, some of the time. COVID-19 vaccination and boosters are preferred.

About the Organization: The Legal Action Center (LAC) fights for the rights of people who use drugs, are in recovery, are living with HIV/AIDS or mental health conditions, and people with arrest/conviction records. We combat discrimination and advocate for equitable health outcomes and to drastically shrink the reach and harm of the criminal legal system. With offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., LAC uses a multi-faceted approach to effectuate its mission and create systemic change, including through impact litigation, legal services, education, and policy advocacy.

For over 50 years, LAC has fought to dismantle systemic barriers that perpetuate racial disparities in health, justice, and opportunities. LAC’s litigation and legal services program has established cutting-edge legal precedents and provided legal services that helped tens of thousands of individuals with conviction and arrest records, substance use disorders, or HIV/AIDS overcome discrimination and privacy violations in myriad walks of life, including employment, housing, education, and health care. Read about our legal services and impact litigation.

LAC’s legal team of nine attorneys, four paralegals, and administrative staff serves over 1,000 people annually. Together with other staff, they also engage in a robust education and technical assistance program that reaches thousands more. These programs directly inform – and are informed by – LAC’s policy advocacy and special projects, such as Clean Slate NY.

Position overview: The Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services will help develop and implement LAC’s litigation docket and integrate it with LAC’s direct legal services program. The Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services will also play a key role in embedding these efforts within LAC’s broader, multi-dimensional strategy of direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education, with a focus on advancing racial justice and equity and engaging directly impacted communities.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Play a key role in developing and implementing LAC’s litigation docket, including –
  • Working with the co-Deputy Director of Litigation and Legal Services and Senior Vice President of Legal Advocacy to create and implement LAC’s impact and individual litigation strategies – including pre-litigation negotiations, administrative complaints, and court cases – across LAC’s issue areas;
  • Developing, directing, and participating in litigation across issue areas – with special focus on reentry litigation.
• Maintain a limited docket of legal services cases, primarily on reentry issues.
• Support, supervise, and promote the professional growth of direct reports.
• Lead and implement special projects, such as developing and implementing the legal department’s response to new legislation securing rights for LAC’s constituencies, such as the NYC Fair Chance for Housing Act, or other major external events.
• Help lead the legal department’s strategic management in collaboration with other legal department leaders and staff. This includes creating systems for internal assessment and analysis of department strategies and leading periodic reviews of intakes, services, and outcomes to identify patterns and assess the substantive efficacy of LAC’s interventions.
• Help lead the Legal Department’s practice management, taking a significant role in creating or updating policies and procedures for intake systems and litigation.
• Participate in the legal department’s educational and technical assistance work, including creating, updating, and disseminating know-your-rights information, conducting trainings, and providing legal counsel to health and social service providers, government agencies, lawyers, and others working in LAC’s issue areas.
• Engage in the broader advocacy work of the legal department by working with the policy and communications departments to ensure coordination of work across the organization; conduct limited policy advocacy as appropriate; cultivate and respond to media opportunities on issues relevant to LAC’s legal services agenda.
• Work with the Senior Vice President for Legal Advocacy, other Legal Department managers, and development staff to raise and maintain funds for litigation and legal services, including from foundations and government contracts.
• Collaborate with pro bono counsel and build or maintain relationships with other co-counsel (e.g., private plaintiff-side firms and other public interest groups).
• Collaborate with grassroots organizations, providers, and advocacy groups by participating in task forces and coalitions, making presentations, attending conferences, etc.

Job qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

• 8-12 years of litigation and legal services experience, including substantial experience with federal and/or state court litigation and experience handling complex or impact litigation, including developing case strategy and managing cases from inception through resolution;
• Prior experience supervising or mentoring attorneys and/or legal staff, with the ability to lead effectively in a small, collaborative team environment;
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and equity;
• Familiarity with and passion for dismantling barriers to re-entry, ending mass incarceration, promoting a public health approach to substance use, securing and enforcing privacy rights, and promoting racial and economic justice;
• Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills, including the ability to relate and communicate effectively with a diverse group of clients, community partners, legal, non-profit, and government stakeholders;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively within LAC and to network effectively with external stakeholders, including government officials, service providers, advocates, and directly impacted individuals;
• Proven ability to problem-solve creatively while maintaining a sense of humor;
• Familiarity with employment, disability rights, housing, health privacy, or insurance law and substance use and/or HIV-related issues a plus;
• Experience working with development staff to fund projects a plus;
• Bilingual in Spanish strongly preferred;
• Experience speaking publicly and to the media a plus;
• J.D. and admission to New York State Bar.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary is commensurate with experience. The salary range is $115,000 to $135,000 per year. LAC offers excellent benefits, including medical insurance, 403(b) plan with employer contribution, flexible pre-tax benefits, and generous time off.

Application Instructions:

Please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample of up to five pages (no calls) as a single PDF document to humanresources@lac.org and write “Deputy Director of Litigation & Legal Services” in the subject line.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

The Legal Action Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Individuals directly affected or impacted are strongly encouraged to apply.

Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred.