Legal Director

Center for Disability & Elder Law

Legal Director

The Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) provides free legal services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. CDEL’s clients, individuals often marginalized by age, disability and poverty, may have difficulty accessing the legal system. CDEL strives to provide access to the legal system to assist our clients in asserting their legal rights and live better lives.

CDEL is seeking a Legal Director to join its leadership team. This individual will play a central role in shaping and overseeing the delivery of high-quality legal services. The Legal Director will supervise staff attorneys, interns, and pro bono volunteers, lead legal program development, provide direct legal services, and collaborate with the Executive Director on strategic initiatives.

This is a hybrid position, combining remote and in-office work.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Supervision:
  • Lead, support, and supervise supervising attorneys and senior attorneys.
  • In conjunction with supervising attorneys, supervise and mentor staff attorneys and serve as a key resource for the legal team.
  • Oversee attorney performance, development, training, and retention.

• Legal Oversight & Strategy:
  • Monitor and disseminate developments in relevant legal practice areas.
  • Provide internal legal counsel on employment law, contracts, and organizational compliance.
  • Partner with the Executive Director on legal strategy and organizational priorities.

• Pro Bono Coordination:
  • Collaborate with the Pro Bono Coordinator to manage and expand pro bono partnerships.
  • Identify, place and monitor cases with pro bono attorneys and law firms.
  • Maintain and nurture strong relationships with law firms, corporate legal departments and bar associations.

• Intern & Volunteer Engagement:
  • Recruit, train and supervise law students, paralegals and undergraduate interns, together with other CDEL attorneys and staff.
  • Maintain and nurture partnerships with law schools and universities.

• Operations & Community Engagement:
  • Oversee case management systems and ensure efficient service delivery.
  • Represent CDEL within the legal aid community, including on committees and task forces.
  • Support the Executive Director and Development Director in managing funder and community relationships.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois.
• Minimum of 10 years of legal practice experience; background in estate planning, housing, consumer law, and adult guardianship preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience supervising attorneys and managing legal programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to community-based legal services and pro bono collaboration.
• Direct client service experience required.
• Strong alignment with CDEL’s mission and dedication to serving Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends as needed.

Required Skills

• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to manage multiple attorneys, stakeholders and projects across different practice areas.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Skilled public speaker, comfortable presenting to a range of stakeholders.
• Creative problem-solver with a solutions-focused mindset.
• Adaptable, detail-oriented and enthusiastic about working in a team-oriented, mission-driven environment.
• Culturally competent and comfortable working with diverse and marginalized populations.

Salary and Benefits

Salary range:$100,000 - $125,000 depending on experience. Full-time position. CDEL offers a comprehensive benefits package including health/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, short term and long term disability insurance. CDEL also has a generous personal time off policy.

About the organization

The Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) is a dynamic 501(c)(3) legal aid organization dedicated to empowering low-income older adults and persons with disabilities in Chicago and Cook County through pro bono legal assistance. Founded by the Chicago Bar Association in 1982, CDEL serves more than 3,000 clients annually, delivering access to justice and improving lives.

With a talented in-house team and a network of hundreds of volunteer attorneys, students, and paralegals, CDEL focuses on resolving legal challenges in four key practice areas: end-of-life planning, adult guardianship, housing, and consumer issues. Through innovative programs and passionate advocacy, CDEL ensures that legal solutions are within reach for thousands of individuals every year, enabling them to lead their lives with dignity and security.

CDEL is an equal opportunity employer. We are a welcoming community that engages, encourages, and empowers those who are members of underrepresented communities. We are a dedicated advocate for our clients who hold many diverse identities and experiences, across race, color, sex, age, religion, class, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge, source of income, housing status, and gender identity. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized and underrepresented communities to apply for this position. We also encourage you to read our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement available on our website.

Position is open immediately and will be closed when filled. Applications received by July 7, 2025 will be given preference.