Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel, General Counsel Program

Founded in 2017, the Lawyering Project is a legal advocacy organization that blends traditional impact litigation with movement lawyering to promote reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States. Laws that undermine reproductive health, rights, and justice deprive people of moral agency, rob us of control over our bodies, and compound other forms of oppression like racism, sexism, and poverty.??Our mission is to?eliminate?these laws and the harmful impacts they have on people?s lives.??We are especially focused on laws that limit the availability or affordability of abortion care; contribute to disparities in reproductive health outcomes; embody gender-based stereotypes; or discriminate against people based on their reproductive decisions. We envision a society with laws that enable each of us to make decisions about intensely personal matters like sex, pregnancy, family, and healthcare based on our own beliefs and values, and ensure that we all have access to safe pregnancy care, safe abortion care, and safe communities for our families. The Lawyering Project has?three legal programs: Litigation, Access & Innovation, and Pro Bono Initiatives.??Our Litigation Program?leverages?the courts to?eliminate?barriers to reproductive health services and promote equity in access to care. Our Access & Innovation Program provides legal advice and technical?assistance?to healthcare providers, researchers, abortion funds, and?others who?make?access to?vital healthcare?possible.?Our Pro Bono Initiatives Program?cultivates strategic relationships with members of the private bar and legal academy?and?operates the Abortion Defense Network,?a collaborative effort by nonprofit organizations, private law firms, and government officials aimed at ensuring everyone threatened with liability for providing or supporting abortion care in post-Roe?America has access to high-quality, values-aligned lawyers.??For further information, visit?https://lawyeringproject.org?and?https://abortiondefensenetwork.org. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court?s decision in?Dobbs v. Jackson Women?s Health Organization, which overturned nearly fifty years of precedent recognizing abortion access as a fundamental right, the Lawyering Project is committed to supporting all people seeking to obtain, provide, or?support?abortion?care?while navigating new obstacles and legal risks.??We?have?seized?on?this disruption of precedent as an opportunity to reshape reproductive?rights?jurisprudence, situating it on a stronger and more progressive foundation.??And we will continue to work closely with our partners in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement?and allied movements?to?realize our vision for a more just and?equitable?future.

POSITION SUMMARY In 2023, the Lawyering Project launched the General Counsel Program.?Housed in our Access & Innovation Program,?the General Counsel Program?provides general counsel services to?(1)?reproductive?healthcare providers,?and (2)?abortion funds, practical support organizations, and other grassroots organizations working to support abortion access.?In the current legal landscape, where many states have banned or severely restricted abortion access, these?latter?groups play a huge role in helping people obtain abortion care across state lines.?They need legal support to help them meet the evolving needs of abortion patients, but many lack the resources to hire in-house or outside counsel. Our General Counsel Program offers?reproductive?healthcare?providers and?these?organizations the kind of legal advice that an in-house counsel would typically provide.?This includes guidance on?corporate governance, nonprofit compliance,?employment law,?contracts, grants,?data privacy and security, and?lobbying. We are seeking an?attorney with comprehensive?experience?working with or for?tax-exempt?organizations to?provide legal advice and technical?assistance?to the program?s clients. The?Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel, General Counsel Program?(title dependent on relevant experience)?is an?exempt position.?Exempt employees are expected to?work?the time?needed?to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide?tax-exempt?organizations and abortion care providers with legal advice?on?corporate?and operational matters, including,?but not limited to,?corporate formation, corporate governance,?nonprofit compliance,?federal and multi-state?employment law,?contracts, grants, data privacy and security,?and?lobbying;
• Conduct legal research, analysis, and writing;
• Stay?up to date?on developments in relevant areas of the law;
• Maintain effective working relationships with clients;?and
• Perform other duties as assigned.??

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct intake interviews with prospective clients;
• Represent the Lawyering Project at conferences, convenings, and speaking engagements:
• For the Senior Counsel role,?supervise Legal Counsel, Legal Fellows, and interns, as needed;?and
• Cultivate an organizational culture that aligns with the Lawyering Project?s core values.

Requirements The?Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel,?General Counsel Program?must have:?

• A J.D. or equivalent degree;
• An active license to practice law?and member in good standing?in a U.S.?jurisdiction;
• At least?five?(5)?years of experience serving?as?general counsel?or?associate/assistant general counsel?for a tax-exempt?organization,?or?a?comparable role, advising?tax-exempt?clients on a?broad?array of legal matters;
• Significant experience?advising on multistate employment law matters?is a plus;
• A commitment to advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice;?and
• The?ability to?perform all job duties?and responsibilities?identified?above; analyze complex legal issues and write about them succinctly;?meet?deadlines;?work well under pressure;?demonstrate?attention to detail;?communicate effectively to diverse audiences;?and?exercise sound judgment in a rapidly evolving legal environment.

For the Senior Counsel role, the following qualifications are preferred:

• At least two (2) years of experience supervising attorneys.?

KNOWLEDGE,?SKILLS,?AND ABILITIES In addition to the Qualifications set forth above, the?Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel, General Counsel Program, must?have:

• Knowledge of federal and state laws governing tax-exempt organizations, corporations,?multi-state employment, and data privacy and security;?and
• Skill in legal research and drafting contracts, policies, and other legal documents for?clients.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS The?Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel,?General Counsel Program?reports to?the?Director,?General Counsel Program?and works closely with other staff members, clients,?pro bono?counsel, and allied organizations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS Must be able to travel domestically on an airplane?3-5?times per year.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS The application must include the following materials to be considered:

• Resume
• Cover Letter: In a section of your cover letter containing no more than 200 words, please describe the perspectives and experiences that you would bring to the Lawyering Project that are important to you and/or relevant to our work.

Benefits The Lawyering Project has fixed salary scales?based on job responsibilities, education, and experience.??For example,?the current salary for a Legal Counsel, General Counsel Program?with?5-6 years of relevant work experience is $133,242;?the?current salary for a Senior Counsel, General Counsel Program with?7-8?years of relevant work experience is $152,549.?A copy of these?scales?is available to view here.

The Lawyering Project offers a robust benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer sponsored health insurance plans (medical, dental and vision)
• Disability and AD&D Life Insurance
• Health Spending Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health, dependent care and transportation
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with up to 4% employer match
• Paid vacation, holiday and sick days
• Paid parental, family and medical leave
• $2500 annual professional development stipend and reimbursement for state bar membership fees

REMOTE WORK ENVIRONMENT This is a full-time position that?sometimes?requires work during evenings and weekends.??This position may be based anywhere within the United States.?The?Legal Counsel/Senior Counsel, General Counsel?Program?has the?option?to work from home or from?office space?provided?by the Lawyering Project.

EEO NOTE The Lawyering Project?is an ?at-will? and equal opportunity employer.??At the Lawyering Project, we believe that a team with varied perspectives and experiences will best enable our organization to thrive and achieve its mission.?We are committed to building and?maintaining?an inclusive work environment that values individual differences.?We welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences, identities, and backgrounds to apply. We will not discriminate against applicants?based on?race,?color, ethnicity, national origin,?religion, sex,?gender (including gender identity or expression),?sexual orientation,?pregnancy,?age, disability,?medical condition,?marital status, veteran status, or any other classification protected by?any?federal, state, or local law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to pregnant people and individuals with disabilities, including in the?hiring?process.??If you need?a?reasonable?accommodation to?participate?in the application or interview process, please send an email with the subject line ?Reasonable Accommodation Request??to?jobs@lawyeringproject.org.