Legal Director

Justice at Work is a Boston-based legal nonprofit founded in 2011 to support workers in low-wage jobs in exercising collective power. Justice at Work envisions all people realizing their voice and power on the job to ensure fair pay, safety, and dignity. To work toward that vision, we strengthen organizing by providing labor and employment legal services, training, and strategic guidance to workers’ organizations.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Justice at Work is seeking a dynamic candidate to partner with our Executive Director and current team to oversee our legal services, training, and strategic guidance in support of organizing by workers in low-paying jobs. The successful candidate will be:

• Experienced with or directly knowledgeable about the challenges and opportunities facing workers in low-paying and precarious jobs, especially immigrants and workers of color, including Black and Indigenous workers;
• A skilled bilingual communicator (we currently work closely with worker organizations whose members speak Spanish, Portuguese, Mayan K’iche, Cape Verdean Creole, and Haitian Creole);
• Committed to social, racial, and economic justice and to Justice at Work’s mission;
• Experienced with worker centers and/or other community-based organizations that support workers in low-paying jobs;
• Well-versed in employment and labor law, especially in relation to workers in low-paying jobs, including labor-based immigration relief;
• Practiced in representing workers at government agencies and in court, and with enough experience/vision to imagine and pursue creative enforcement and/or litigation strategies;
• Competent in supervising other legal staff, including lawyers, paralegals, and law students;
• Adept at facilitating meetings and trainings, often with a variety of stakeholders, interests, languages, cultures, etc., both externally and internally, including facilitator-rotating team meetings, such as our Dignity for All Committee, aimed at building our team’s capacity to deepen our support of Black and Indigenous worker organizing;
• Able to work collaboratively with colleagues, take initiative, and work independently to meet multiple deadlines;
• Comfortable with and effective at creating new connections with immigrant workers, organizers, legal advocates, and other allies;
• Committed to regularly working weekday evenings and Saturdays and traveling across Eastern MA, RI, and Eastern CT region (access to a vehicle is preferred and a valid driver’s license is required–all mileage reimbursed);
• Licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, able to waive into the jurisdiction, or willing to sit for the next Massachusetts’ bar.

RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Meeting regularly with the Executive Director and the Director of Strategic Partnerships to strategize and plan our programmatic work.
• Overseeing the performance of our legal work and joining our programmatic staff in providing the following:
• Training worker center members and staff on workplace-related laws.
• Conducting legal intakes of worker grievances and providing advice, referral, and/or representation for those workers.
• Drafting, filing, and litigating complaints at government agencies and in court.
• Researching employment, labor, and immigration law.
• Counseling groups of workers and their organizations as they engage in actions to improve conditions at specific workplaces or across industries.
• Performing policy advocacy with government labor agencies and legislative bodies on behalf of, and in coalition with, worker centers and their allies.
• Attending meetings with worker centers, legal allies, and/or relevant regional and national coalitions as necessary, including attending Zoom calls and conferences;
• Developing and maintaining a collaborative network of legal resources. This network includes government, academic, private, and legal aid organizations, all focused on supporting worker centers.
• Supporting the recruitment and supervision of our programmatic staff, including our staff attorney, legal fellows, and law students.
• Performing all programmatic work with a commitment to Justice at Work’s fundraising and reporting needs, including:
• recording data on all programmatic work;
• capturing feedback and testimonials from stakeholders;
• attending meetings with supporters (foundations, individual donors, law firms, etc.);
• supporting development staff’s drafting of reports and applications to funders;
• assisting with Justice at Work fundraising events.

This position will report to the Executive Director.

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS:

The base salary range for this position is $85,000 to $125,000, commensurate with experience. Justice at Work also offers a generous benefits package that includes:

• a 401K retirement plan (up to 4% employer match);
• health insurance (80% employer paid), effective upon hiring;
• dental, vision, and life insurance (100% employer-paid);
• flexible spending accounts for health-related, child care, commuter, and parking costs;
• paid vacation, wellness, personal time, comp time, and parental leave;
• hybrid scheduling (expectation of two days per week in the office);
• ten paid holidays and an end-of-the-year one-week shutdown;
• cell phone stipend;
• $1,500 per year for professional development;
• paid 12-week sabbatical after seven years of service.

TO APPLY:

Interested individuals should submit a resume and letter of interest, highlighting relevant experience, via email to , Attention: Thomas Smith. This position will remain open until filled.

*Justice at Work is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse staff reflective of the communities it serves in order to better accomplish our mission. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.*

The Peggy Browning Fund and its Board of Directors mourns the passing of Tom Conway, International President of the United Steelworkers.

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