General Counsel & Board Secretary

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as General Counsel, providing legal counsel across the organization and serving as Secretary to CDT's Board of Directors. The General Counsel will advise CDT's leadership and staff on the legal issues facing a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization, help ensure sound governance and regulatory compliance, and take on special projects at the direction of the CEO.

The successful candidate will be a skilled attorney with experience in nonprofit governance and operations, who is passionate about supporting a fast-growing organization working to protect people’s rights and democracy in the digital age.

This position reports to the CEO and serves as an integral member of the executive team. The General Counsel will work closely with CDT’s Board of Directors, Director of Finance & Operations, various policy team directors, the leadership of CDT’s Europe office, and staff across the organization.

About CDT

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good, while protecting against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office, in Brussels, since 2014.

CDT works to protect people's rights across a range of technology uses and applications, with a focus on AI policy and governance, personal privacy, online expression and access to information, government surveillance, elections & democracy, civic technology, and education. We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union, advocate for companies to adopt best practices, represent the public interest in multistakeholder processes and standards bodies, file amicus briefs in court, conduct original research, and work closely with civil society partners and the press to help the public have a voice in how technology shapes our lives and futures. Read more at

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this position include:

Legal Counsel & Compliance

• Serve as CDT's principal in-house legal advisor, providing counsel to the CEO, senior leadership, and staff on the range of legal issues facing the organization.

• Manage CDT’s compliance with nonprofit tax law, IRC 501(c)(3) requirements, federal and state lobbying laws, and charitable solicitation registration requirements, overseeing applicable registration and reporting obligations.

• Manage CDT’s compliance with grant terms and conditions, including federal grant requirements where applicable and standard foundation grant agreement provisions.

• Review and advise on contracts, grant agreements, vendor agreements, and other organizational agreements.

• Advise HR and the leadership team on labor, employment and regulatory compliance, including employee relations, performance management, accommodations, compensation, visa sponsorship, and multistate compliance.

• Oversee whistleblower and conflict-of-interest policies, including coordinating internal reviews.

• Administer CDT’s confidentiality policy, including overseeing compliance with NDAs entered into by the organization with various partners.

• Serve as CDT’s internal privacy lead, ensuring CDT’s data practices (such as the collection and management of donor information) meet applicable privacy laws and reflect the data protection values for which CDT advocates.

• Manage trademark protection and licensing of CDT’s name, logo, and published materials (including open licensing of research products), and support Communications and policy staff in assessing publication-related risks in work product and legal filings.

• Advise on organizational risk management, insurance, and organizational records retention policy.

• Support CDT's litigation matters (typically amicus briefs and FOIA requests) in coordination with relevant policy staff and outside counsel.

• Manage relationships with outside counsel, including leading CDT’s Collaborating Attorneys Network of individuals and law firms who provide pro bono support to CDT.

Board Secretary

• Serve as CDT’s Board Secretary, maintaining official corporate records, bylaws, and policies.

• Prepare and distribute board meeting agendas, materials, and minutes, and ensure timely follow-up on board actions.

• Advise the Board and CEO on governance best practices, fiduciary duties, and board composition and structure.

• Ensure CDT's governance practices, filings, and corporate formalities (including annual Form 990 governance disclosures) remain in good standing with relevant state and federal authorities.

Special Projects

• Lead or support special projects and cross-organizational initiatives as assigned by the CEO.

• Partner with the Director of Finance & Operations and other senior staff on organizational planning and operational matters that raise legal or governance questions.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• A deep commitment to CDT’s mission and values

• A J.D. and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar (D.C. bar membership, or eligibility to obtain it, preferred)

• At least 8 years of legal experience, including substantial experience advising nonprofit organizations

• Experience with nonprofit governance, board relations, and corporate secretarial functions

• Working knowledge of federal and state lobbying and advocacy compliance laws

• Experience with nonprofit grant compliance, including federal grant requirements and foundation grant agreements

• Experience handling employment and HR-related legal matters, including worker classification and multistate employment issues

• Familiarity with data protection and privacy law (e.g., GDPR, U.S. state privacy laws) and a demonstrated interest in applying privacy-protective practices internally

• Familiarity with intellectual property matters, including trademark protection and open licensing of published materials

• Excellent judgment, discretion, and the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers

• An energetic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative working style

Compensation and Location

The compensation for this position ranges from $165,000-$190,000. Compensation is determined on a tiered pay scale based on years of experience and the responsibilities of the role. Candidates may request guidance on where they would fall within the salary range prior to their first interview, or any time thereafter.

CDT provides a generous benefits package that includes 100% covered health care, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, life insurance, short-term & long-term disability insurance, a 403(b) retirement account (CDT contributes up to 6% of your salary following a year of employment), 13 company holidays, closed for the period between Christmas and New Years, paid vacation (15 days per year, increased with tenure), sick days, and parental leave.

This position is based in CDT’s Washington, D.C. office, which operates on a hybrid schedule with three days in-office per week (generally Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday). A different hybrid schedule may be considered in exceptional cases, and is available if needed as a disability accommodation.

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