Senior Attorney, Debt Free Justice is a three-year, grant-funded position. This position will support NCYL’s work to advance the Debt Free Justice Campaign, including leading state and local level reform efforts. It will be responsible for identifying reform opportunities and building relationships with new partners in jurisdictions where NCYL has not previously worked. This position is an excellent opportunity for a self-starter who enjoys community organizing.
National Center for Youth Law
The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) works to amplify youth power, dismantle racism and other structural inequities, and build just policies, practices, and culture in support of young people. Our efforts advance justice through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every young person thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.
The Debt Free Justice Campaign
The Debt Free Justice Campaign (“Campaign”) is a national collective impact campaign dedicated to ending court fees and fines assessed on youth and their families. Our work extends across the US in numerous states and local jurisdictions to change court practices and end the assessment of fees and fines and the collection of previously assessed fees and fines. NCYL is a member of the Debt Free Justice Steering Committee, which is a collaboration of partner organizations, and the Campaign Leadership Team, which is comprised of representatives from organizations nationwide.
Position
Senior Attorney, Debt Free Justice is a three-year, grant-funded position. This position will support NCYL’s work to advance the Debt Free Justice Campaign, including leading state and local level reform efforts. It will be responsible for identifying reform opportunities and building relationships with new partners in jurisdictions where NCYL has not previously worked. This position is an excellent opportunity for a self-starter who enjoys community organizing.
The Debt Free Justice campaign has two attorney positions open. We will fill the positions in some combination of the two posted descriptions (e.g., two senior attorneys, one senior and one junior). Please review both postings when applying.
Essential Functions
- Lead work in multiple state and local jurisdictions to abolish fees and fines in collaboration with other partners.
- Identify and develop new strategic policy advocacy and litigation opportunities.
- Coordinate and build relationships with grass roots organizations, community groups and external partners and ensure community voice and advocacy for racial justice are integrated into state and local campaigns.
- Oversee creation of new bills and process of enactment, including drafting and approving recommended bill language to abolish fees and fines.
- Lead data collection process to inform state and local campaigns.
- Conduct legal research and analysis.
- Litigate, in partnership with other NCYL staff and co-counsel, when necessary to achieve policy goals
- Collaborate with other NCYL staff to integrate policy and litigation advocacy.
- Review and approve various agreements, contracts, and other legal documents.
Required Qualifications
- J.D. degree.
- Admitted to practice law.
- Minimum of 8 years of directly relevant experience in some combination of the following areas: advocacy campaigns, community organizing, analyzing and managing large data sets, legislative drafting and advocacy.
Other Qualifications
- Experience working with young people of Color and their families.
- Familiarity with the court fees and fines, the juvenile justice system, and/or other public systems impacting young people and their families.
- Demonstrated ability to successfully coordinate multiple projects simultaneously with diverse partners and stakeholders.
- Understanding of the role of structural racism in public systems and demonstrated ability to utilize a racial justice lens.
- Experience in one or more of the following areas: advocacy campaigns; community organizing; public policy; analyzing and managing large data sets; coalition building; legislative drafting and multi-faceted advocacy combining policy advocacy and litigation.
- Proficiency in written and spoken Spanish preferred.
- Demonstrated creative problem-solving ability.
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Requires ability to work remotely and requires travel.
Salary, Benefits and Location
This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary is competitive at $117,897.00 or $129,736.00 annually, based on the applicant’s knowledge, skills and abilities . A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, or Washington, DC. NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, generous vacation and sick benefits, flexible spending account, commuter benefits, employer contribution to a retirement plan, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Candidates must reside in CA, AZ, RI, DC, VA, MD, NY, CO, or WI. In addition, applicants who live in or are willing to relocate to any of the following states are also encouraged to apply: Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska.
This position is eligible for 100% remote work for 2022. It is possible that in 2023, NCYL will require people to work in an office, in which case they will need to be in a location where they can commute to the office regularly. We are actively engaging in this conversation as an organization. We understand that the nature of the workplace has changed in general. We don't yet know what remote work will look like in 2023.
How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter and resume at the link below. Please, no calls or emails.
Apply at this link: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/949347
Applicants with personal experience within a public system, such as the justice system, and applicants of Color are strongly encouraged to apply.
NCYL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, ethnic background, sex, disability, size, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, color, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, or genetic information.