The Western Center on Law & Poverty (Western Center) invites applications and nominations for their next Executive Director. Through the lens of economic and racial justice, Western Center litigates, educates, and advocates in courts, cities, counties, the State Capital, and the public arena to secure just housing, health care, economy, and legal systems for Californians with low incomes. Throughout all this work, Western Center works to leverage their partnerships, passion, and expertise to transform systems, end poverty, and create a socially just world for today and generations to come.
Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Sacramento and Oakland, Western Center is California’s largest legal services support center. Western Center’s talented and dedicated staff of 34 are a truly statewide presence and the “go-to” team amplifying the marginalized voices of low-income Californians across a range of issues and contexts. The Center has an annual budget of just over $7.5 million and is supported by an endowment of approximately $5 million.
Organizational North Star
Western Center on Law & Poverty seeks to eliminate poverty and advance racial and economic justice by dismantling and transforming systems so all communities in California can thrive.
-WCLP Strategic Plan 2023-2025
The next Executive Director will build on the achievements of outgoing Executive Director Crystal Crawford, who deepened Western Center’s commitment to centering racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in its strategic litigation, administrative advocacy, and policy advocacy work. From advocating against state budget cuts that disproportionately impacted California’s most vulnerable populations, or defending the property rights of the unhoused, Western Center’s long-standing reputation as a trustworthy, reliable partner who represents the interests and voices of low-income Californians has been further enhanced during Crawford’s tenure. The next Executive Director is well-positioned to build and refine organizational strategy that increases this impact through Western Center’s sixth decade and beyond.