Litigation Director
The Position
The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) works to amplify youth power, dismantle racism and other structural inequities, and build just policies, practices, and culture in support of young people. Our efforts advance justice through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every young person thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.
Legal Advocacy Team
NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team engages in impact litigation across all the issues on which NCYL works. The team brings systemic litigation in federal and state courts to improve systems that serve children and youth, often in collaboration with other public interest law firms and with support from pro bono partners. A description of our current cases can be found here: https://youthlaw.org/legal-advocacy-impact-litigation.
Position
Through strategy development and leadership, the Litigation Director will oversee NCYL’s litigation agenda to transform the systems that impact the well-being of children, youth, and communities. This a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about strategically using litigation across multiple issue areas and jurisdictions to advance rights for young people in deep coordination with other forms of advocacy including policy, community power-building, and grassroots advocacy.
This position is supervised by the Executive Director.
Essential Functions
Strategize to advance impact litigation across multiple issue areas and to advance young people’s access to the courts to secure their rights.
Develop, file, and pursue new impact litigation in partnership with team directors and NCYL’s Executive Director.
Create objectives, policies, and procedures for the Legal Advocacy Team.
In partnership with other team directors, help manage NCYL’s litigation caseload and case staffing.
Ensure appropriate supervision and professional development of staff on the Legal Advocacy team.
Coordinate with co-counsel on litigation. Ensure NCYL’s cases generate attorney’s fees as appropriate.
Oversee adherence to NCYL’s litigation policies and practices, including those for timekeeping, conflict checks, and case approval.
Create a positive and collaborative team and work environment.
Together with NCYL’s Executive Director and development team, lead fundraising efforts for NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team.
Coordinate with NCYL’s development and communications teams as needed.
Required Qualifications
JD Degree.
Admitted, or eligible to be admitted, to practice law in the US.
Minimum of 15 years of litigation experience.
Minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience.
Other Qualifications
Demonstrated understanding of and experience in children’s rights and civil rights litigation on different issues involving a variety of public systems.
Experience developing and leading systemic reform litigation across multiple issue areas, including identifying systemic issues in need of reform, creating litigation strategy, designing remedies, achieving systems change and monitoring implementation of remedies.
Ability to generate and litigate multiple, new, complex cases with significant impact.
Demonstrated experience litigating in multiple jurisdictions/forums.
Commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Ability to use a racial justice lens.
Ability to lead a team successfully and create a positive and collaborative work environment.
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. This position requires the ability to work remotely and may require travel.
Salary, Benefits and Location
This is a full-time, exempt position with a competitive annual salary of $202,675.00. A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, or Washington, DC metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area.
NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurances, generous vacation and sick benefits, paid family leave, flexible spending account, commuter benefits, employer contribution to a retirement plan, paid sabbatical, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
NCYL is registered to do business in the following 13 locations: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Wisconsin. If a candidate is hired but lives in a state where NCYL is not currently registered to do business, their start date may need to be delayed until registration can be completed in the new state. This process may take as much as three months to complete.
It is anticipated but not guaranteed that NCYL’s remote work approach will be in place through 2026. If this policy is revoked prior to 2026, staff will be given at least one year's notice before being recalled to a NCYL office.
All positions at NCYL are at-will and paid for by grants and donations, thus employment with NCYL will be contingent upon continued receipt of funding. Nothing in the statement changes the at-will employment relationship.
How to Apply
Submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to apply. Your writing sample submission should be relevant to legal strategy and litigation and one that was not edited by anyone else. The writing sample should be 5-10 pages. No phone calls or emails, please.
Applicants who meet the above criteria with lived experiences within any of our practice areas, including Black, Indigenous, or other people of color, are strongly encouraged to apply.
It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, reproductive health decision-making, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law.
About the Team
NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team engages in impact litigation across all the issues on which NCYL works. The team brings systemic litigation in federal and state courts to improve systems that serve children and youth, often in collaboration with other public interest law firms and with support from pro bono partners. A description of our current cases can be found here: https://youthlaw.org/legal-advocacy-impact-litigation.