Job Description

Job DescriptionJob Description Job title AFJ Law Program Director Reports to Vice President of Strategy FLSA Status Exempt Position
Job purpose
Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a association of over 140 organizations representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJs programs comprise three core pillars:

• Our Bolder Advocacy program builds progressive power by providing nonprofit advocates with the training, technical assistance, and resources they need to comply with the federal and state laws associated with nonprofit advocacy. Bolder Advocacy is the nations leading resource for foundations and nonprofits who want to engage more actively and knowledgeably in the policymaking process.
• Our Justice Program works to ensurethatour state and federal courts protect our democracy and our core rights and values, preserve human rights, and provide access to justice for all. We research federal judicial nominees, educate the public and elected leaders about them, and advocate for demographically and professionally diverse nominees, who will protect our rights.
• Our Outreach & Membership team deepens and expands the engagement of AFJs core constituencies, including supporting our member organizations with Bolder Advocacy, judicial nominations, and capacity building resources to advance their missions. We also educate and mobilize members, partners, and advocates with the tools and AFJ resources they need to advocate for courts that protect the rights of all us and defend nonprofits role in protecting our democracy.

AFJ is proud to launch AFJ Law, a new program to deepen our support of nonprofits advocacy, strengthen the progressive movements ability to advocate within the bounds of IRS restrictions on tax-exempt organizations, and ensure compliance to keep their organizations safe. Building on the success of Bolder Advocacy, AFJ Law will go beyond providing technical assistance to providing legal advice on clients activities. While AFJ Laws scope will be solidified by the Program Director in consultation with the VP of Strategy and organizational leadership, legal services are likely to include providing legal opinions on lobbying and elections questions; compliance checks for organizations internal and external documents, plans and communications; review and support developing staff and board policies; and/or review and support of 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) grant, cost-sharing, and firewall policies. By offering critical guidance on the most challenging advocacy rules and regulations, AFJ Law will empower nonprofits to be both bold and secure in their advocacy as they fight to advance their missions, protect their communities, and transform our democracy.

The AFJ Law Program Director is responsible for the overall strategy, management, and direction of the program. They are an experienced leader with a vision for how AFJ Law can establish itself as a trusted provider of and meet the progressive nonprofit sectors needs for compliance legal services. They have deep, firsthand knowledge of the rules of advocacy with an eagerness to continually learn; experience providing nonprofit legal services; demonstrated staff and operational management skills; and the ability to represent the organization with nonprofits of a range of sizes and scopes, coalitions, events, media, and funder audiences. This is an exciting opportunity to build a program from the ground up to meet the needs of the movement as protecting and bolstering nonprofit advocacy has never been more important.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and direct AFJ Law to build progressive nonprofits power by providing legal services pertaining to 501(c)(3) compliance and risk management strategies related to federal and state advocacy laws;
• Represent clients in limited scope representations; review, research, interpret, and prepare written opinions on relevant legal issues;
• Work with the Vice President of Strategy, VP of Operations/Chief of Staff, and finance and administration staff to design AFJ Laws structure, operational systems, and new organizational infrastructure to support AFJs expansion as a legal service provider;
• Work with VP of Strategy and other organization leadership to identify priorities for AFJ Laws client base, such as geographic, issue area, and size/scope of nonprofits to prioritize;
• Identify staffing and consulting needs; manage (including hiring, supervision, discipline, and firing) staff and vendors;
• Work with Bolder Advocacy staff to ensure advice/guidance provided by both programs is in line, and identify frequently asked Technical Assistance questions to inform the scope of potential AFJ Law services;
• Stay up to date with and advise nonprofits on laws applicable to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations, including tax code, election, campaign finance, and lobbying disclosure;
• Provide timely research and advice when novel or complex questions related to tax code, election, lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and other nonprofit laws arise;
• Work with the Communications team to develop messaging and promotion resources to increase visibility of AFJ Law;
• Oversee the development of AFJ Law program goals, future scope of legal services for program growth, and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in coordination with the VP of Strategy and organization leadership and report progress to stakeholders such as the Board of Directors as necessary;
• Partner with the Development team to raise funds for AFJ Law, meeting with donors and funders and ensuring existing grant deliverables are met;
• Work with organization leadership and finance team to develop and monitor AFJ Laws budget, ensure maximum resource utilization, and long-term growth of the program;
• Establish and maintain relationships with a diverse group of partners, nonprofit legal service organizations, and networks of nonprofit tax and elections law attorneys, representing AFJ Law as an established player in the sectors response to attacks on nonprofits;
• Work with AFJs General Counsel to develop internal policies to ensure adherence to legal requirements and best practices for legal service providers;
• Develop policies related to managing conflicts of interest and other ethical concerns related to client representation;
• Develop standard operating procedures for client intake, scope of service, retention, and termination;
• Maintain legal expertise in state lobby and campaign finance law for any jurisdictions where Program Director maintains an active law license; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• J.D., an active law license in one or more U.S. jurisdictions, and a minimum of 15 years of experience in legal policy or advocacy work, at least 8 of which must have been spent specializing in nonprofit advocacy, lobbying, and/or campaign finance law;
• Experience providing legal services and legal representation to nonprofit clients; drafting legal memos, motions, or similar documents; managing client relationships; and utilizing organizational systems required to do so;
• 5+ years' experience in management, with demonstrated commitment to inspiring a team and the professional development of staff;
• Mastery of federal nonprofit advocacy laws (i.e. tax code lobbying limits for public charities, 501(c)(3) nonpartisan advocacy, 501(c)(4) primary vs. secondary purpose activities, etc.), plus knowledge of state laws in jurisdiction(s) where you maintain an active law license;
• Experience in program development, including ability to develop multi-year strategic program plans and implement new priorities;
• Familiarity with the progressive nonprofit landscape, state of nonprofit advocacy laws, and regulatory climate pertaining to nonprofit advocacy and tax status;
• Experience with, and working knowledge of contract review, negotiation, drafting and contract process management experience.
• Ability to respond quickly to questions and issues with succinct and practical advice and to provide legal counsel geared to the goals and values of nonprofits.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to understand complex legal concepts and offer succinct explanations and counsel to colleagues and partners.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience and comfort in engaging diverse audiences and external stakeholders including high level audiences such as boards and funders;
• Innovative, with demonstrated experience driving big picture ideas from conception to implementation;
• Experience developing and managing organizational department budgets; and
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice causes.

Compensation and Benefits:

The starting salary range for this position is $145,000 - $150,000.AFJ also offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program including:

Health Full employer-paid medical, dental, vision benefits, as well as an employee assistance program for physical and mental well-being.

Other Insurance Employer-paid life and insurance.

Savings Save for retirement with an employer matching 401K plan. Save on out-of-pocket medical and childcare expenses with a flexible spending account.

Annual Leave We have a generous paid time off policy.

Sick Leave 10 days per year.

Bereavement Leave Employees are granted 3 days of bereavement for the deaths of immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.).

Family Leave We provide up to 16 weeks of parental leave and a range of paid and unpaid family leave programs that allow our employees to bond with a]]> <

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, Immediate start, Flexible hours,

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