The Legal Director is responsible for the strategy and leadership of legal services and programs provided by the organization. This person will assist the CEO to achieve established goals and execute the mission of MLFA.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following reflects the essential duties for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job at any time. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations.
- Supervise and support the criminal, civil, and immigration legal divisions of the organization
- Advise on complex client cases and collaborate with attorneys to best support our clients
- Serve as an ambassador and represent the organization positively in the community
- Oversee the development and implementation of ethical and professional legal practices, procedures, and systems
- Identify, communicate, and escalate issues to the CEO and Board of Directors in a timely manner
- Partner with the CEO and executive team in developing and managing the annual budget and strategic planning
- Assist with the recruitment and training of new staff
- Monitor employee performance; provide coaching and performance feedback as needed
- Develop, monitor, and report on key development and performance metrics
- Plan and conduct regular staff meetings
- Support the CEO with operational tasks as requested
- Ensure work duties are being performed in accordance with safety and security policies and applicable state and federal regulations
- Represent MLFA’s mission and values on a daily basis
CORE COMPETANCIES
- Leadership – Act as a role model for employees; self-motivated with a “can do” attitude and a team player
- Employee Management – Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job
- Instruction – Ability to teach others how to do something
- Time Management – Managing one’s own time and the time of others
- Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and choosing the most appropriate one
- Mathematical Reasoning – The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem
- Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action
- Service Orientation – Actively looking for ways to help people
- Communication- Clearly and respectfully communicate with others in order to disseminate information.
- Management of Material Resources- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, spaces, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do
- Persuasion – Persuading others to change their minds or behavior
- Problem Sensitivity – The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem
- Troubleshooting – Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it
- Prioritization – Must be able to adjust to changing priorities and complete multiple projects despite interruptions
EXPERIENCE – EDUCATION
- JD degree from an accredited university
- Ability to become a member of the State Bar of Texas
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive legal experience serving underrepresented populations
- Specialization in immigration, civil, and or criminal law litigation
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in nonprofit management preferred
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Indoor office setting with occasional outdoor exposure
- Frequent use of computer, keyboard, and mouse
- Moderate noise levels
- Occasional travel (less than 20% of the time)
Ready to be our next Legal Director? Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.