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Job Announcement: Director of Litigation

Employment

DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice (LCCR) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1968 to marshal the resources of the legal community to address discrimination throughout Massachusetts. For four decades, LCCR has worked to safeguard the civil, social, and economic rights of our constituencies. We handle impact litigation as well as legal actions on behalf of individuals. We also engage in community economic development, community education, and policy advocacy. From our role in desegregating Boston’s public schools and public housing projects to our ongoing efforts to combat police misconduct and voter disenfranchisement, we have a rich history and we are expanding our work to make it even more diverse, inclusive, visible, and impactful.

JOB OVERVIEW

LCCR seeks a Director of Litigation to actively develop and manage litigation. The Director of Litigation supervises LCCR’s staff attorneys, and works closely with LCCR’s Member Firms on litigation matters. The Director of Litigation supports strategic policy advocacy, community outreach, and communication efforts to ensure LCCR’s visibility across diverse communities and social justice movements.

SUMMARY OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (% of time spent)

1. Case Development (50%)

Develop and maintain own significant caseload of civil rights litigation in federal and state court. Work closely with LCCR’s staff attorneys to ensure development of a consistent pipeline of new litigation and economic justice matters that will be co-counseled with Member Firms.

2. Leadership and Supervision (40%)

Provide leadership, guidance, strategic direction, and day-to-day supervision for LCCR’s staff and work across all programmatic areas. Serve as a resource for attorneys at Member Firms on LCCR’s cases.

3. Policy Advocacy, Community Outreach and Organizational Visibility (10%)

Ensure that community meetings, community outreach, policy advocacy, and legislative advocacy are strategically aligned with the development of impact litigation and policy reform in targeted areas. Support the leveraging of policy advocacy and community outreach to ensure that LCCR remains highly visible across diverse communities and social justice movements.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Case Development:

  • Develop and maintain own significant litigation caseload in state and federal court.
  • Ensure incremental quarterly increase of new cases filed in state and federal court.
  • Manage all aspects of LCCR’s litigation docket and programmatic work:
    • Manage and strengthen LCCR’s intake and case vetting protocols.
    • Monitor attorney work. Oversee litigation, including all aspects of legal research, discovery, depositions, motion practice, brief writing, trial work, appellate work, and amicus briefing.
    • Review pleadings, briefs, letters, presentations, and other attorney work product.
    • Ensure that attorneys are seeking attorneys’ fees.
    • In connection with LCCR’s Belin Economic Justice Project, ensure incremental quarterly increase of small minority business participation in LCCR’s programs.

Leadership and Supervision:

  • Provide leadership, direction, and day-to-day supervision to attorneys on all aspects of work, including civil litigation and economic justice programming.
  • Conduct bi-weekly supervision meetings with each attorney to assess work, and to provide direction and feedback.
  • Create a tool/vehicle to track work and prepare monthly/quarterly reports for LCCR’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
  • Ensure that attorneys are well trained in substantive areas of the law and legal practice using LCCR and external resources, including those available through Member Firms.
  • Ensure that all internal and external activities are aligned with LCCR’s policies, procedures, and protocols.

Policy Advocacy, Community Outreach, and Organizational Visibility:

  • Represent LCCR in meetings with stakeholder and constituent groups, public conferences, and in other outreach efforts that are strategically and concretely aligned with the development of complex litigation and policy advocacy.
  • Participate in traditional media appearances (TV and radio); social media activities; and other communication efforts, including drafting press releases and newsletters.
  • Support fundraising efforts, including the identification and cultivation of new funding sources (i.e., foundation grants and new Member Firms).

PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS

1. SUCCESSFULLY FILING AND LITIGATING CASES:

The Director of Litigation will be evaluated based on the ability to develop and maintain own significant litigation caseload in state and federal court.

An essential benchmark will be the incremental quarterly increase of new cases filed in state and federal court. Additionally, the Director of Litigation will be evaluated on the capacity to produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

In connection with the Belin Economic Justice Project, an essential benchmark will be the incremental quarterly increase of small minority business participation in LCCR’s programs.

2. SUCCESSFULLY SUPERVISING AND LEADING STAFF:

The Director of Litigation will be evaluated based on the ability to provide leadership, supervision, direction, and guidance to staff, particularly as they develop and litigate cases.

3. SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTING POLICY ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO ADVANCE LCCR’S MISSION AND ENHANCE LCCR’S VISIBILITY:

The Director of Litigation will be evaluated based on the ability to successfully support policy advocacy and community outreach efforts that are strategically and concretely aligned with complex litigation and policy reform. Additionally, the Director of Litigation will be evaluated on the capacity to expand strategic relationships that achieve LCCR’s mission.

4. SUCCESSFULLY FULFILLING MANAGEMENT DUTIES:

The Director of Litigation will be evaluated on the ability to meaningfully support and strengthen LCCR’s litigation protocols, office policies, office management, social media, communications, and fundraising efforts.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have:

  • At least seven (7) years of post-JD experience, and be an active member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing.
  • Significant, wide-ranging litigation experience and expertise. While not required, some litigation experience in civil rights matters is preferred.
  • The ability to work effectively and collaboratively as part of senior management.
  • Strong legal editing, writing and analytical skills.
  • Organizational and management skills that will assist in the development and implementation of procedures and guidelines to facilitate the effective development and oversight of cases.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted until August 16, 2015. Applicants must submit a short cover letter (highlighting relevant experience and salary requirements); a resume; a description of significant state and federal cases litigated, including your role in them; and a writing sample/brief (not to exceed 10 pages). Please submit your application via email to litigationdirector@lawyerscom.org with all the relevant materials.