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.

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.

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.