Position Title: Movement Lawyer/Lead, Legal Impact Network
Reports to: Director, Legal Impact Network
Location: Chicago, IL, preferred but not required
The Shriver Center on Poverty Law fights for racial and economic justice. We litigate, shape local policy, and train and convene multi-state networks of lawyers, community leaders, and activists to advance opportunity for all — not just the few. Over nearly 60 years, we have secured hundreds of law and policy victories with and for people experiencing economic instability in Illinois and across the country.
Our country is rife with laws and policies that systematically disadvantage certain groups while advantaging others based on their race, gender, and other facets of their identities. We believe laws and policies — and the institutions that apply them — should be designed to support people. Together, we’re turning this ideal into reality.
We are building a future where all people, families, and future generations have equal dignity, respect, and power under the law. Join the fight at povertylaw.org.
Position Overview: The Shriver Center on Poverty Law is seeking a Movement Lawyer/Lead to join the Legal Impact Network (LIN) team to address poverty and advance racial justice nationally and regionally. LIN is a network of 38 state-based advocacy organizations that collectively address poverty and racism through multi-strategy systemic advocacy, including impact litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, and more. By fostering the growth of the Legal Impact Network, our small but mighty team of movement lawyers and advocates spread the Shriver Center’s impact across the country.
The Shriver Center convenes and organizes LIN members to advance efforts around movement and power building to eradicate racism and poverty in the United States. Key issue areas include increasing access to public benefits, child welfare reform, housing and homelessness, and health care. LIN also provides a platform to share strategies and expertise while engaging in collaborative advocacy around common threats and opportunities. The network’s community and systems-driven advocacy is undertaken with an explicit racial justice and intersectional lens.
The Movement Lawyer/Lead will also work with advocates at the Shriver Center on Illinois-focused advocacy that can inform and benefit from efforts in other states.
Essential Job Functions:
• Support development, implementation, and evaluation of LIN team strategy and direction.
• Collaborate with LIN staff and membership to identify and implement legal, advocacy, and organizing strategies that build collective power to advance shared goals.
• Support efforts to include more legal services providers, people with lived experience of systemic oppression, grassroots leaders, frontline workers, and systems leaders to build further momentum in the LIN network.
• Use quantitative and qualitative research methods to develop recommendations on LIN priorities and paths forward.
• Draft legal and advocacy papers (e.g., white papers, amicus briefs) as directed.
• Support LIN membership and Shriver Center staff in leading and facilitating LIN committees and workgroups.
• Support cross-team collaborations with Shriver Center staff to support, amplify, and scale Illinois efforts to address poverty and advance racial justice.
• Travel to conferences, convenings, and advocacy sites as needed.
• Supervise and support volunteers and legal interns on projects as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.
Salary/Benefits: This full-time exempt position offers a competitive annual salary ranging from $75,470 to $94,337 and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, generous paid leave, flexible work schedules, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, and a 401(k) plan.
Opening/Closing Date: Open immediately; closed when filled.
• Juris doctorate preferred but not required.
• Experience with and demonstrated commitment to advocating on issues of poverty and racial justice in partnership with impacted communities.
• Qualified candidates should have experience with one or more of the following:
o National or regional policy and advocacy campaigns;
o Legal efforts that support social movements or impact litigation; or
o Grassroots or community organizing.
• Excellent research, analysis, and writing skills.
• Background in working directly with people impacted by systemic oppression and centering their perspectives.
• Comfort and experience convening and collaborating with a diverse array of stakeholders, including attorneys, policymakers, grassroots advocates, and people experiencing systemic oppression.
• A deep understanding of how to build collective power and advance systemic solutions through organizing, legal strategy, and advocacy on the local, regional, and national level.
• Experience preferred in any one of LIN’s issue priorities, including those listed above in the position overview (e.g., advancing access to public benefits, child welfare reform, housing and homelessness, and health care).
• Self-direction and motivation, creativity in problem solving, and ability to work collaboratively and independently.
• History of developing and leading new and existing collaborative projects.
• Ability to travel for work-related meetings and conferences as needed (approximately 15%).
• Preference given to candidates with lived experience of systemic oppression.
Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and references to Ramina Davidson, Director of the Legal Impact Network, at [email protected] and [email protected].
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