Deputy Director, Legal

About the Organization 

Founded in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a leading non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. NILC’s mission is grounded in the belief that everyone living in the U.S. regardless of race, gender/gender identity, immigration status, or economic status — should have equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full human potential. Together, NILC and the affiliated NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF), a 501(c)4 organization, work to advocate more directly for federal immigration reform policies. NILC is committed to advancing its mission — which intersects race, immigration status, and class — through racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation. 

NILC is at an exciting moment in its organizational trajectory, supporting our five-year strategic framework and scaling the organization and its work through influencing systems, policy advocacy at the federal and state levels, engaging in movement and power building, and narrative and culture strategies in addition to continuous improvements to our operational model. We are looking for entrepreneurial, results-driven, relationship builders who are committed to NILC’s mission and values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty.

About the Position 

The Deputy Director, Legal leads and collaborates with NILC’s Legal and other Advocacy Department staff in a matrix workgroup environment to advance programmatic work based on NILC’s strategic framework. The Deputy Director, Legal is an experienced civil litigator and legal advocate who successfully leads litigation teams of Staff and Senior Staff Attorneys, Paralegals, and administrative staff in the identification, development, and conduct of impact litigation and legal advocacy in coordination with NILC’s other core strategies of policy analysis, movement power building, strategic communications, and narrative change. The Deputy Director, Legal is responsible for a mix of substantive and strategic work, supervision and management. They will operationalize strategy and work to maximize the team's efficiency, productivity, and performance. The Deputy Director plays a critical role in the execution of NILC’s legal & litigation work, and they support NILC’s Legal Department as a people manager who oversees and supervises members of the Legal team managing, developing, and advising within the workgroup matrix structure. The Deputy Director, Legal is responsible for training and developing employees, collaborating with other members of the workgroups to provide regular, ongoing feedback and coaching, and supporting the ongoing creation and stewardship of NILC’s organizational culture. This role helps to support members of the Legal team to do their best work and support NILC’s mission.  

This role is not a member of the bargaining unit. 

The Deputy Director, Legal will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key areas: 

Specific Position Responsibilities 

Litigation and Legal Strategy

· Support the Legal Director in the development and execution of litigation and legal advocacy strategies, providing guidance and support to workgroups and teams driving the work, in a way that integrates narrative change, movement power building, and campaign strategies, together with litigation and legal advocacy strategies.

· Collaborate with the Policy Department and other Advocacy Departments to develop and execute NILC’s law and policy, movement power building, and narrative change work to ensure maximum impact.

· Lead litigation teams of Staff and Senior Staff Attorneys, Paralegals, and administrative staff in the development and conduct of impact litigation on a range of issues. Support staff to, and, as needed, prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs; conduct discovery; present oral arguments; and handle appeals. As needed, assume greater case responsibilities depending on the evolving needs of the case team. 

· Strategically, creatively, and boldly oversee and advance plaintiff-driven, community-grounded impact litigation in combination with NILC’s other core strategies of policy advocacy, communications, and movement building to advance NILC’s vision and mission.

· Identify potential new cases and play a role in developing those cases or working with others in the department to do so.  

· Serve as a legal and litigation expert in coalitions with external partners and in coalitions.

· Advance NILC’s administrative and legislative advocacy by providing legal analysis and technical assistance to colleagues in NILC’s other departments; government officials and staff; the media; and advocates, organizers, and attorneys nationwide.  

· Represent NILC in media about relevant legal work and litigation in coordination with Strategic Communications department. 

Management, Leadership, and Supervision

· In collaboration with the Legal Director and Legal Management team, participate in leadership and management of the Legal Department, including project management, skills development, and team support.

· Supervise, support, and mentor Staff Attorneys, Senior Staff Attorneys, and NILC Legal Fellows in the performance of their job duties, including the development of both litigation skills and professional skills.

· Supervise, support, and mentor Staff Attorneys, Senior Staff Attorneys, and NILC Legal Fellows in the identification, development, and litigation of complex civil cases in federal and state courts. 

· Lead and build effective case teams that incorporate and leverage the skills and contributions of all team members and that promotes a team-oriented approach. 

· Collaborate with staff across the organization via Programmatic workgroups to support ongoing programmatic work, including serving in a leadership role in one or more workgroups as needed.  

· Proactively report to leadership about programmatic developments, administrative needs and broader institutional concerns, opportunities, and needs, while identifying and collaborating on constructive solutions.

· Work with legal team staff on responding to requests for assistance, case development, and provision of legal representation. 

· Collaborate with the other Advocacy Directors and Deputy Directors to create and maintain employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations, and paid time off, telecommuting, cover for absenteeism, and overtime scheduling. 

· Provide insights to workgroups, Advocacy  Directors, and other Advocacy staff and leaders to understand individual employee’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals to better assign work tasks and projects. 

· Assist managing the quarterly Board reporting process.

· In conjunction with LMT, develop, track, and revise the Departmental budget; and, in conjunction with VP Law & Policy - Legal, set the agendas for the weekly LMT and Legal Department meetings. 

· Partner with and support the Development and/or Finance Departments as requested to support NILC grant applications, grant reporting, and grants administration.

· May be a part of or lead a larger cross functional/departmental projects using the MOCHA framework/methodology 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

· Supports the recruitment, interviewing, and hiring of staff and oversees staff onboarding & training. 

· Oversees the daily workflow of direct reports.

· Acts as a coach and mentor including providing constructive and timely feedback to foster a collaborative environment that develops strengths, improves weaknesses, and encourages creative and constructive problem-solving.

· Actively manages direct and indirect reports using applicable performance management software including documenting regular check-ins, goal progress, and any other relevant information in the system for performance and coaching purposes. 

· Handles discipline and performance issues in accordance with organizational policy.

· Directly manages employees with possibility for additional staff.

· Manages outside consultants, third party administrators, and vendors.

Shared Organization Responsibilities 

· Champions NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income by demonstrating a commitment to human rights, and racial, economic, and social justice. 

· Attends and actively participates in NILC meetings at the organization, department, project, and individual level.

· Develops relationships and supports NILC and IJF colleagues across all teams, recognizing that each individual brings a unique background and perspective to the work and assuming good intent from each other. 

· Follows through on commitments acting with a clear sense of ownership individually and collectively by taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures, establishing clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results, and designing feedback loops into work. 

· Learns quickly when facing new situations by experimenting to find fresh solutions, taking on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, and extracting lessons learned from failures and mistakes. 

· Acts with integrity by following through on commitments, being direct and truthful, keeping confidences, and showing consistency between words and actions. 

· Commits to centering NILC’s values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty in all decisions and actions. 

In recognition of the fluidity of the work and ecosystem that NILC operates in, other duties may be assigned depending on organizational need.

What We’re Looking for in This Role 

· Commitment to NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income and a demonstrated commitment to human rights, racial, economic and social justice, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice for all.  

· Collaborative, proactive, and action oriented working style with a strong service mentality promoting mutual accountability and inspiriting trust and confidence from colleagues, other NILC team members, and NILC leaders alike.  

· Demonstrates sound judgment in decision-making, high integrity, and utmost respect for confidentiality.  

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills: ability to read, analyze, and interpret as well as draft documents such as reports, correspondence, and presentations for various audiences.   

· Self-starter with a strong ability to move daily tasks forward in alignment with NILC’s broader organizational needs and goals.  

· Recognizes each team member's unique background and perspective to achieve team goals in a positive and motivating working environment.  

· Develops team through coaching, feedback, exposure and stretch assignments.

· An inclusive management style that places deep value on diverse perspectives and emphasizes the development and growth of team members and encourages learning and continued improvement.

Qualifications Required 

· JD degree and active member in good standing of a State Bar Association required.

· 8+ years of litigation experience, at least 6 of which must be complex federal civil litigation, and 4+ years of people management experience. 

· Demonstrated experience in the investigation, development, and litigation of impact cases.

· Demonstrated success leading case teams.

· Demonstrated success supervising or mentoring other attorneys, fellows, and/or interns.

· Proficiency with in-office and virtual environments and software such as MS Office, internet research, and virtual collaboration tools. 

Preferred Qualifications:

· Expertise in civil rights or anti-discrimination law, federal class action litigation, or another substantive area of law that impacts immigrants with low-income strongly preferred.

· Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Caribbean, and Arab communities preferred. Fluency in more than one language desirable.

At NILC, we know that talented people may have different backgrounds or experiences, and if your education and experience doesn’t exactly align with the above that’s okay! NILC believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. NILC’s goal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization. We encourage you to apply and let us know in your cover letter why you are qualified and the right fit for this role and NILC.  

Location & Travel:  

NILC's office is located in Washington, D.C.. For this role, up to 30% of overnight interstate travel may be required; generally, travel is quarterly to the NILC Washington, D.C. office or another location within the US for 3-5 nights. 

Remote work locations are as follows: (Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin).  To be considered, applicants must live in one of the work locations.   

Compensation & Benefits: 

NILC’s compensation and benefits philosophy is to provide a competitive offering in the nonprofit sector and ensure equity across the organization.  The salary range for this role is $111,800 - $139,800.  

Physical Demands: 

· Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods 

· Communicating with others to exchange information. 

· Repeating motions, like typing or answering a phone, that may include the wrists, hands?and/or fingers.