Through strategy development and leadership, the Senior Managing Director, Legal Advocacy, will contribute to NCYL’s litigation across multiple issue areas and jurisdictions, including state and federal court. This a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about transforming the systems that impact the well-being of children, youth, and communities.
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.
Legal Advocacy Team
NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team engages in impact litigation across all the issues on which NCYL works. The team brings systemic cases to improve systems that serve children and youth, often in collaboration with other public interest law firms and with support from pro bono partners. A description of our current cases can be found here: https://youthlaw.org/strategies/litigation-strategies/?_sft_situation=ac...
Position
Through strategy development and leadership, the Senior Managing Director, Legal Advocacy, will contribute to NCYL’s litigation across multiple issue areas and jurisdictions, including state and federal court. This a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about transforming the systems that impact the well-being of children, youth, and communities.
This position is supervised by the Deputy Director of Policy, Litigation and Programs.
Essential Functions
- Strategize to advance NCYL’s impact litigation across multiple issue areas and help to develop new cases in partnership with team directors and NCYLs Deputy Director.
- Direct, plan and perform litigation on issues impacting children and youth.
- Create objectives, policies, and procedures for the Legal Advocacy Team.
- In partnership with other teams, help manage NCYL’s caseload and case staffing.
- Configure and delegate roles and responsibilities based on team members' strengths and adjust to accommodate the casework.
- Ensure appropriate supervision and professional development of staff on the Legal Advocacy team.
- Ensure NCYL’s cases generate attorney’s fees.
- Oversee adherence to NCYL’s litigation policies and practices, including those for timekeeping, conflict checks and case approval, and make improvements as necessary.
- Create a positive and collaborative team and work environment.
- Together with NCYL’s Executive Director and development team, lead fundraising efforts for NCYL’s legal advocacy team.
- Coordinate with NCYL’s development and communications teams as needed.
Required Qualifications
- JD Degree.
- Admitted, or eligible to be admitted, to practice law in the US.
- Minimum of 15 years of litigation experience.
- Minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience.
Other Qualifications
- Demonstrated understanding of and experience in children’s rights and civil rights litigation on different issues involving a variety of public systems.
- Experience developing and leading systemic reform litigation across multiple issue areas, including identifying systemic issues in need of reform, creating litigation strategy, designing remedies, achieving systems change and monitoring implementation of remedies.
- Ability to generate and litigate multiple, new, complex cases with significant impact.
- Demonstrated experience litigating in at least five jurisdictions/forums.
- Commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Ability to use a racial justice lens.
- Ability to create a positive and collaborative work environment.
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Salary, Benefits and Location
This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary of $172,688.00. A geographic salary differential may be applied if a candidate resides somewhere other than the Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, or Washington, DC areas.
NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurances, 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 Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington DC, or Wisconsin.
This position requires the ability to work remotely and may require travel.
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.
Submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to apply. Your writing sample submission should be relevant to legal strategy and litigation and one that was not edited by anyone else. The writing sample should be 5-10 pages. No phone calls or emails please.
Apply at this link: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/951000/National...
Applicants with direct personal experience within the public systems that are the focus of NCYL’s work – immigration, juvenile justice, child welfare, health, or the foster system – and applicants of Color are strongly encouraged to apply.
NCYL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on 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.