Litigation Director
Location: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Birmingham, Washington DC (remote work possible. Bar membership in California, New York, and/or Illinois preferred. Bar membership in the U.S. required)
Position: Litigation Director
Department: Legal Program
Position Type: Full-time exempt
Reports to: Executive Director or Deputy Executive Director
Salary Range: $120,000-$140,000, depending on experience and location
Deadline to apply: Until Filled
Projected start date: January 15, 2025
Who we are ─ About Jobs to Move America:
At this critical time for lower-income, frontline communities and people of color, Jobs to Move America (JMA) is uniquely positioned to advance a powerful agenda to improve U.S. manufacturing jobs and expand access to training for historically underrepresented groups. We are a national and multi-regional strategic policy center that works to transform public spending and corporate behavior using a comprehensive approach rooted in racial and economic justice and community organizing; we also seek to advance our goals through crafting policy and taking on governments and corporations through strategic litigation. We seek to advance a fair and prosperous economy with good jobs and healthier communities for all. To learn more, visit our website: www.jobstomoveamerica.org
About the position:
The Litigation Director co-leads JMA’s Legal Program with JMA’s General Counsel. The Litigation Director leads and coordinates all JMA’s activities related to potential and existing litigation where JMA is a plaintiff, providing legal guidance and direction for staff and outside counsel preparing for or working on litigation matters. The role focuses on labor and employment, open records, and procurement laws to build worker power and drive progressive reform. The Litigation Director will coordinate with JMA’s General Counsel, along with Campaign Directors, on litigation and pre-litigation matters related to JMA’s campaigns to fight for public records, fair and open procurement, worker rights, and fair competition to propel JMA’s vision of public goods for the most public good. The Litigation Director also grows our capacity by supporting program team members and teams to help them build an understanding of how litigation can be a tool to push JMA’s vision forward.
What You’ll Do ─ Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
● Coordinate with outside counsel, General Counsel, and National and Regional Directors in developing and managing potential and actual litigation to challenge corporations receiving public funds and government entities awarding such funds to follow and enforce federal, state, and local laws around contracting, labor, environmental policy, and public records. This will include working with JMA teams and outside counsel to prepare cases for filing, interviewing potential witnesses, and gathering evidence. It may also involve developing legal theories and litigation plans, writing and/or editing legal briefs, and discovery work. The Litigation Director will work with JMA teams and outside counsel to ensure the highest standards are met in developing relevant evidence and legal theories to support JMA’s litigation.
● Build relationships with multiple outside attorneys and firms to support JMA’s litigation work. This will include developing relationships with outside legal and academic experts to testify and write supporting briefs for JMA litigation.
● Contribute to JMA’s organizational development, for example, assisting with fundraising, providing peer evaluations, facilitating internal training, and participating in JMA staff committees (not to exceed 20% of the time).
● Build relationships and engage stakeholders in supporting our litigation work, particularly legal staff and counsel from public offices, unions, coalition partners, legal publications, and funders interested in or supporting JMA’s litigation work.
● Work with JMA’s legal, national, and regional teams to initiate the development of new alliances with legal.
● As a management team member, contribute to strategic planning, cross-team collaboration, and the development of organization-wide policies and systems.
● Develop and manage a staff team of fellows, interns, and eventually staff (depending on funding availability) from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, holding them accountable to achieving programmatic goals and providing opportunities for professional development.
● Hire, supervise, and collaborate with Outside Counsel and contract experts and as appropriate.
About you ─ Required Qualifications:
At least 10 years prior litigation experience, including at least some expertise litigating matters related to workers, public contracting, FOIA, or government and administrative law. Trial experience is a plus but not required. Court clerkships and government work count for this purpose.
Bar membership in California, New York, Illinois, or another state.
Strong understanding of relevant laws: well-developed knowledge of labor and employment, open records, procurement, and corporate law and policy.
Strong legal research and writing skills, basic persuasive, analytical, and explanatory writing ability; able to translate the law for lay audiences.
Adept communicator: Can integrate legal issues into communications in an understandable manner and tailor messages to communicate JMA’s litigation work clearly and persuasively to the public and inspire people/organizations/unions (especially lawyers from those groups) to support our work. Clear and concise internal and external written and verbal communication. Project a compelling vision.
Strong relationship building; easily connects with legal and non-legal stakeholders; maintains relationships within
JMA programs and with outside counsel and external partners.
Flexibility: Ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities; adapts quickly as things change. Good at multitasking and juggling competing priorities at once.
Enthusiastic team player: Models best practices collaboration with other JMA teams.
Creates opportunities for team members to succeed: Works to support and empower team members to achieve goals, expand skills, and build strong relationships with other JMAers and outside stakeholders. Invest in growth and leadership of staff across disciplines.
Ability to build and sustain authentic and productive working relationships with colleagues across race and other group identities, including JMA employees as well as external partners.
Ability to continually assess and thoughtfully develop the leadership of team members through regular 1:1s, setting of annual SMARTIE goals (strategic, measurable, ambitious, realistic, time-bound, inclusive, and equitable) and benchmarks and yearly performance evaluations.
Demonstrated self-awareness, empathy, and social skills in work and interpersonal interactions.
Ability to participate in a culture of feedback with a commitment to continually strengthening the practice of “courageous conversations,” including:
communicating clearly and directly with colleagues
being proactive in resolving conflicts and misunderstandings, especially across differences
consistently strengthening ability and practice in giving and receiving both positive and constructive feedback to support each other’s learning and personal growth
Demonstrated ability to work independently, solve problems, and overcome obstacles to get the work done.
Ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and meet deadlines while maintaining a positive attitude.
Familiarity with GoogleSuite.
Helpful, but not required:
Trial experience is a plus.
Bi-lingual Spanish is a plus.
Other Physical Requirements:
Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards
Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
Must be able to communicate clearly on telephone with reasonable accommodations
What Else You Should Know ─ Compensation/Benefits:
Salary Range: $120,000-$140,000, depending on location and experience
Employer pays 100 percent of medical, dental, and vision premium covering full family.
Generous PTO: 20 days paid vacation (after 2 year; 12 to start), 12 sick days, 10 federal holidays, 12 personal days per year, 2 floating holidays, 2 weeks paid vacation at the end of the year.
Guaranteed annual salary increases
JMA contributes 5% of the employee’s salary towards their 401k plan after 6 months of employment.
Training and professional development opportunities are available upon completion of the probationary period.
A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices.
JMA is a unionized workplace. This position is a management position and not part of the bargaining unit.
Covid-19 work from home monthly $100/mo stipend.
Cell phone reimbursement.
Qualifying Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer.
Work from the home office set up provided if needed.
How to Apply:
Complete this application form and upload a cover letter, resume, and three work references. Only applications submitted via this process and/or meet the minimum requirements will be considered. No phone calls, please. Candidates who advance in the process will be asked to complete a pre-employment exercise.
JMA Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement
We are an EEO/affirmative action employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or disability. We work to ensure fair treatment of applicants and employees and actively enforce zero-tolerance policies against discrimination and sexual harassment. Those who identify as persons of color, women, veterans, or formerly incarcerated persons, and/or have had experience working with one or more of those groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
JMA Diversity and Inclusion Statement
JMA believes that diverse, engaged, and motivated employees are essential to achieving our goals of economic, racial, and social justice. JMA believes that each employee's voice is valuable and that when all employees contribute ideas to the organization’s operation, it enhances the success of the organization overall.
In order to assist us in achieving our goals as a diverse and inclusive workforce, we ask optional self-identification questions in the job application.