Advocacy Director – GBLS

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Accessible Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

GBLS provides free legal services and representation to clients in the greater Boston area who cannot afford private legal representation. Leveraging over 122 years of experience, and with a staff of 160 people, GBLS’s mission is to achieve social and racial justice through legal advocacy.

The Director of Advocacy is a member of the senior management team, reporting directly to the Executive Director, and is responsible for leading, inspiring, and promoting excellence in pursuit of our mission to combat injustice, strengthen communities and protect human dignity through legal representation and advocacy. The Director of Advocacy brings strategic vision and management experience to our work to break down barriers to equity caused by poverty, racism, sex discrimination, disability, and other circumstances that systemically impair access to essential resources and opportunity. The Director of Advocacy carries out these responsibilities through close collaboration with our Managing Attorneys, and by serving as an expert, supportive counsel, and resource to our advocates.  Toward this end, the Director of Advocacy is engaged in access to justice community-wide activities that promote our advocacy goals and is a visible leader within the Commonwealth’s progressive advocacy community.

 

Key Duties:

  • Develops advocacy structures and programs to respond to emerging client community needs and the needs of all GBLS advocates.
  • The Director of Advocacy plays a critical leadership role in advancing our racial justice commitments and our work to center race equity in advocacy determinations, support staff’s anti-racist growth and development, and is committed to identify, and work with our DEI Director to address GBLS’ shortcomings and challenges in advancing our commitments to being an anti-racist and anti-poverty organization.

 

Advocacy Direction:

  • Provide dynamic, motivational leadership for high quality, impactful, and innovative legal representation and advocacy to our highly committed advocates, and communicates GBLS’ advocacy objectives and successes to encourage and enhance public support for our work and mission.
  • Promotes the effective use of organizational resources to advance GBLS’ mission and advocacy objectives
  • As a member of the senior management team, coordinates and implements advocacy related policies and protocols, on regulatory and compliance issues, and develops effective systems for management and support of advocates to ensure program-wide collaboration on systemic advocacy efforts.
  • Ensure that GBLS’ systemic advocacy is aligned to achieve strategic goals.
  • Partner with advocates to determine the best strategies and tools for given goals (i.e. administrative advocacy, class action lawsuit, legislative campaign).
  • Participate in GBLS leadership and senior management teams to address program wide policy issues.

 

Major Systemic Advocacy Projects:

  • Supports, and oversees advocacy staff engaged in Major Advocacy Projects including, supporting systemic and individual advocacy, identifying professional development opportunities for advocates, promoting client-centered practices, identifying and responding to emerging client community legal needs, and coordinating systemic advocacy including legislative, and administrative advocacy.
  • Oversee , coordinate and support GBLS staff engaged in legislative activities
  • Oversee the legal aspects of pro bono partnerships on major litigation.

 

Advocate Support:

  • Works with the leadership team to address and enhance advocacy related professional development systems and provide opportunities to develop advocacy leaders,
  • Facilitates coordination and collaboration of client intake and service systems among all units and specialized projects to strengthen our law firm culture to meet client access, legal representation needs, and advocacy objectives.
  • Apply anti-bias practices to ensure that all advocates have access to learning opportunities.
  • Be available to assist advocates with urgent or complex ethics issues.

 

Qualifications: 

  • Must be licensed to practice law in Massachusetts or be eligible for admission at the time of hiring.
  • A minimum of 10 years of experience in legal services or similar advocacy organizations with a demonstrated ability to work across multiple substantive areas of law.
  • Must have significant experience in litigation, particularly in complex civil cases in state and federal court, both at the trial and appellate levels.
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor and supervise others in a collaborative manner.
  • Strong leadership skills and a leadership style that encourages professional growth in others.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills and in interest in developing policies.
  • Strong commitment to poverty law issues.
  • Demonstrated success in providing culturally competent and accessible services to diverse client groups.

 

Salary & Benefits: 

  • Starting annual salary is $100,000 or higher depending on experience.
  • GBLS offers a generous benefits package, retirement contribution, and generous PTO leave.

 

How to apply:

  • Candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume, and brief writing sample to the Human Resources Team via email at jobs@gbls.org. Please refer to job code: ADVOCACY when applying for this position.
  • Deadline to apply is February 28, 2023 or until position is filled; applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 

GBLS values diversity and encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds.