ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is the nation’s largest provider of pro bono legal services. Founded in 1970, it is dedicated to advancing equal justice under law and addressing economic, racial, social, and other inequities by delivering free legal and social services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 130. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

The communications department is an integral part of Public Counsel’s efforts to create a more just society through legal services, policy advocacy, and civil rights litigation. The department is responsible for promoting the organization's brand, developing communications strategies to support advocacy campaigns and impact litigation, and strengthening the communications capacity of a dynamic 140-person legal non-profit.

JOB SUMMARY

The Strategic Communications Manager position is a full-time position for an experienced and accomplished communications strategist with excellent interpersonal, writing, and strategic planning skills, and demonstrated commitment to progressive advocacy and causes. The Strategic Communications Manager will develop and implement national, state, and local communications campaigns to support and amplify Public Counsel’s innovative and transformative impact litigation to advance racial and economic justice.

The Strategic Communications Manager will work closely with and be embedded within Public Counsel’s litigation teams. The Manager will also collaborate with Public Counsel’s Communications Department to ensure consistency between litigation team messaging and Public Counsel’s overall communications strategy, including supervising the Communications Specialist in developing social media and other online communications for the litigation campaigns.

Job Duties:

• Designing and managing the implementation of strategic communications and outreach plans for Public Counsel’s impact litigation campaigns;
• Developing values-based messaging to shape public opinion and advance Public Counsel’s litigation agenda;
• Implementing and overseeing the communications plans for traditional media to accompany each litigation by, among other things, drafting talking points, press statements, media advisories, press releases, FAQs and other documents; designing press conferences; conducting targeted media outreach and working directly with the press, including cultivating and maintaining relationships with key reporters and print, radio, and television outlets; 
• Identifying spokespeople and surrogates and providing media training and support to staff, clients and advocacy partners who are communicating about our litigation;
• Implementing and overseeing the communications plans for social media to accompany each litigation by supervising the Communications Specialist in developing media assets, and writing, creating, posting and updating written, video and photo content on Public Counsel’s website, Twitter feed, Facebook page, YouTube channel and case websites;
• Conducting and managing outreach to our partners, allies, and the public and identifying, building, and sustaining relationships with key allies and partners on new and existing litigation and working with the attorneys on areas of overlap and interest with such groups and individuals; and
• Researching opportunities for long term/major media coverage of issues in coordination with Public Counsel’s Communications Director, and supporting Public Counsel’s Development Director by providing content for grant proposals, grant reports and development outreach materials related to litigation.
• Other duties as assigned

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• At least 7 years of experience in communications, marketing, or public relations, with a background in civil rights, public interest, and/or progressive advocacy strongly preferred; 
• Experience designing and executing communications and public relations campaigns and developing values-based messaging
• Broad, in-depth, current knowledge of media outlets and trends and significant experience building and sustaining relationships and working closely with press
• Experience in using social media and other internet-based campaigns to advance communications and public education agendas
• Excellence in writing and editing
• Demonstrated understanding of the issues affecting low-income communities and communities of color
• Excellent verbal communications skills
• Experience training and coaching other professionals in written and verbal communications and media skills
• Spanish language proficiency is a plus but not required

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-Time 
• Exempt position
• Bargaining
• Salary Range: $ 90,000-$ 110,000
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package to full-time employees including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options, 
• The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account,         
• A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a year of employment, and 
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off for full-time employees
• Parking and transit benefits

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY   AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. As of June 6, 2022, all employees with Public Counsel will be required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.