The Opportunity
ALC seeks an experienced social justice attorney to join its executive team. This is a unique opportunity to guide and expand movement lawyering at an anchor civil rights organization. The Legal Director will play a key role in our community lawyering model of direct legal services and community engagement that feeds into policy advocacy and impact litigation. The Legal Director will provide strategic vision, expertise, and leadership in the delivery of high-quality, client-centered legal services and impact litigation.
In partnership with organizational leaders, the Legal Director will oversee the development of legal strategies that are complementary to and integrated into our broader work to achieve advocacy goals across our six issue areas: Community Safety, Immigrant Rights, Workers’ Rights, Housing Rights, National Security and Civil Rights, and Voting Rights. The Legal Director will forecast key trends in the law that may impact our work and has the ability to assess the broader legal landscape. As a member of the Executive Team, the Legal Director will establish organizational goals and guide the allocation of resources for legal work.
In addition, the Legal Director will play a critical oversight role in strengthening ALC’s infrastructure to sustain robust legal services and impact litigation. Working with ALC’s operations team, the Director will oversee legal management and support systems and protocols. The ideal candidate has significant experience managing attorneys and legal staff, expertise in issues impacting low-income Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, including Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities, and is committed to community lawyering principles and building leadership and power with and for impacted communities.
Candidates should bring a leadership style grounded in principles of equity and inclusion and be able to partner with ALC’s leadership and staff to build connectivity and cohesion across the organization. The Legal Director is a member of ALC’s executive team and reports to the Executive Director.
The Organization
ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of API communities, including Arab and Middle Eastern communities. Since 1972, ALC has ensured access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color. Current program areas include Community Safety, Housing Rights, Immigrant Rights, National Security & Civil Rights, Workers’ Rights, and Voting Rights.
Responsibilities
All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay area.
The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this posting.
Qualifications