ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of approximately 160. 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. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Vice President, Chief Legal Officer leads Public Counsel’s dynamic team of advocates consisting of approximately 125 attorneys, social workers, and administrative staff in the delivery of high-quality legal services to clients and communities. In partnership with the CEO and our directing attorneys, the Chief Legal Officer will help realize Public Counsel’s mission through the development and management of seven of the organization’s legal programs: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Advancement, and Gender Justice. A key member of Public Counsel’s Executive Team, the Chief Legal Officer engages in vision, strategy, and programmatic leadership; management and team building; liaising and building relationships with stakeholders; and financial, compliance, and fund development.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Vision, Strategy, and Programmatic Leadership:

• Oversees and guides all aspects of the organization’s programmatic work, including by collaborating on the implementation of select goals identified in our 2023–2028 strategic plan;
• Establishes, updates, and oversees the implementation of policies, procedures, and practices to ensure consistent, high-quality, trauma-informed, and well-documented delivery of legal services across the organization; 
• Designs evaluation processes for existing programs—including the solicitation of client feedback—evaluates those programs, and implements changes based on those evaluations to improve and ensure meaningful impact; 
• Develops and implements new programs, including those designed to meet strategic priorities involving pro bono, social work, and community lawyering, with an eye toward sustainability; 
• Collaborates on efforts to bring about systemic change arising out of direct services work by identifying and supporting opportunities to engage in impact litigation and policy advocacy at the local, state, and national levels; and
• Collaborates with the Director of Social Work to integrate social work resources into the delivery of legal services and with the Director of Pro Bono to develop and refine pro bono-centric programming to meet client and community needs.

Management and Team Building:

• Directly supervises and fosters connection with and among seven directing attorneys, including by holding consistent individual check-in meetings, supporting their development as leaders of their teams (including in the areas of navigating complex team dynamics and conflict resolution), providing growth-oriented feedback, and collaborating on staffing to best support our work; 
• Fosters and ensures high-quality supervision across the organization that promotes excellence, open communication, and accountability while valuing staff well-being (including sustainable workloads), recognizing the impacts of compassion fatigue and burnout, and nurturing a culture that values workplace wellness;
• Leads organization-wide professional development efforts, including by creating and sustaining robust mentorship, training, and growth opportunities for program staff;
• Engages in active and intentional recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and performance evaluations of the directing attorneys, and supports these practices organization wide to attract and retain high-performing program staff and interns; and
• Collaborates with management to lead and execute other organization-wide priorities and initiatives as needed.

Liaising and Building Relationships with Stakeholders:

• Maintains and builds existing relationships with community partners—including grassroots organizations, legal service providers, and social service agencies—and develops and nurtures new relationships relevant to the communities we serve;
• Promotes and oversees outreach directed towards key constituencies such as immigrants, low-income households, and communities of color;
• Meets regularly meets with local, state, and federal officials to discuss governmental duties, community needs, and the development of collective responses to those needs; 
• Partners with the Director of Pro Bono and program staff to develop and maintain relationships with pro bono counsel and to leverage pro bono resources to expand our impact;
• Serves as a liaison to select Public Counsel Board committees and collaborates with Board and Leadership Council members to support and promote our work; and
• Engages with the media to pursue strategic goals in partnership with the Director of Communications and program staff, including by authoring statements and talking points and providing comment about our programs and issues of concern.

Financial, Compliance, and Fund Development:

• Collaborates with the General Counsel, the Grants Team, the Finance Team, and the Legal Data Manager to establish and implement internal protocols related to program compliance, grant reporting, audits, and data collection;
• Possesses a comprehensive understanding of and manages progress toward grant spend downs and deliverables;
• Reviews and revises significant grant applications and reports;
• Collaborates with the CEO, the Chief Financial Officer, and program staff to develop the program budget and to monitor and adjust program spending consistent with budgetary constraints; and
• Works with the CEO, the Development and Grants Teams, and program staff to maintain existing funding and strong donor relations and to identify, prioritize, and pursue new sources of funding to support and, where appropriate, expand Public Counsel’s objectives and impact.

 QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 10 years of legal experience;
• Must be a member in good standing of any state bar, but State Bar of California membership preferred; if not licensed in California, must be prepared to join the California Bar if selected; 
• Significant management and mentorship experience in the non-profit and legal services sector, including budgeting and grant compliance;
• Significant leadership experience and vision for—as well as demonstrated commitment to—advancing justice, including by working in coalition with external partners and community stakeholders preferred;
• Experience with state and/or federal litigation preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in the communities Public Counsel serves;
• Experience and comfort working with clients living in poverty, including clients experiencing addiction or mental health issues; 
• Demonstrated experience with and commitment to trauma-informed legal advocacy; 
• Ability to work cooperatively across teams, levels, and functions within the organization and to navigate difficult conversations and address conflict effectively;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a preference for experience communicating with the press;
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and interpersonal, management, and organizational skills; 
• Collaborative, transparent, flexible, and compassionate management style; and
• High levels of emotional intelligence and cultural competency, including being curious, self-aware, cognizant of bias, empathetic, patient, and willing to listen, and having a growth and open mindset.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/exempt
• Salary range is $185,000 – $200,000 and commensurate with abilities and experience
• Non-bargaining

Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Medical coverage with an option for 100% employer-paid employee and dependent child(ren)’s premiums; buy-up options are available for other HMO and PPO coverage 
• Dental and vision coverage 
• Option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans

Generous paid time off (per year):

• 15 accrued vacation days that increase to 20 days after 3 years of employment
• 12 accrued sick days that may be used for physical and mental health needs
• 2 personal observance days 
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 one-week office closures (during the summer and winter)
• Up to 60 hours of compensatory time per calendar year (for exempt staff only)

Additional benefits:

• 37.5 hour work week for all full-time employees
• 403(b) retirement plan with an elective employee contribution, and after a year of employment a discretionary employer contribution 
• Free on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement 
• $45 per pay period for employees who use non-English language skills to perform work duties
• Up to 6 months of parental leave 
• Organizational and team wellness activities to build team cohesion and camaraderie
• Professional development support and opportunities

HOW TO APPLY

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

We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply no later than December 15, 2024.

Please submit two PDFs, one containing your cover letter and resume and the other containing your writing sample (no longer than 25 pages).

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. All employees with Public Counsel are required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. Some positions require additional in-office days. 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.