Counsel

The American Psychological Association (APA), a large non-profit organization seeks a practical, collaborative lawyer with 3-5 years’ experience to serve as in-house Counsel providing day-to-day legal support for division and program legal support, general and federal contract review, “start-up”-related business legal support, public and private fundraising/development, conflicts of interest, and litigation support. Experience in election law, lobbying rules, and tax-exemption compliance a plus. This role works closely with the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and Associate General Counsel and Office of General Counsel paralegals and administrative staff. This lawyer also works closely with APA staff at most levels of the organization, APA elected and appointed leaders, Divisions, APA governance bodies, outside counsel, and external parties to provide timely, strategic, and accurate in-house corporate counsel and risk management advice.

Salary range ($107,000-$149,000)

Note: The APA operates on a 37.5-hour work week with one-hour lunch breaks each day. APA’s salaries are based on several considerations, including years of relevant experience, budgetary parameters, level of education, and previous staff and/or governance experience at APA.

Education And Experience Required

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school. Active member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar, or a bar eligible for waiver into D.C. Three to five years of progressive legal experience in one or more of the preferred practice areas: non-profit, association, governance, contracts lifecycle management, and grants (including governmental—federal and other public entities--and private), corporate compliance, and litigation support. Familiarity with election law, tax-exempt organization law, and general legal counseling preferred.
• Strong generalist instincts, sound judgment, and the ability to spot and address legal issues involving multiple subjects under deadline. Comfortable learning new areas of law quickly as business needs arise.
• Exceptional analytic and critical thinking skills. Strong interpersonal, negotiating, and collaborative skills. Clear, concise communicator, both written and verbal, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical guidance to organizational stakeholders, executive leadership, Board members, governance bodies, and volunteer leaders.
• Thrive in a small, fast-paced general counsel’s office. Experience working with staff and volunteers on legal guidance, project planning, compliance, risk assessment, operational approvals, and issue escalation.

Computer Skills Required

General fluency with Microsoft Office, remote meeting programs such as Teams and Zoom, contract management systems, project management tools, APA-approved AI tools, and other business, workflow, and collaboration software. Technical ability to adapt quickly to new systems and to use technology to organize intake, track matters, summarize issues, prioritize projects, and manage legal workflows.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a day-to-day legal resource for APA divisions and business units, providing guidance, compliance support, first-line review, and risk management strategies on operational matters. Triages incoming legal questions to the appropriate OGC workflow and helps internal clients understand compliance requirements, decision points, and when to escalate.
• Manages the contract lifecycle for assigned APA matters, including review, drafting, and occasionally negotiation. Contract types include program agreements, vendor and consulting engagements, service agreements, event contracts, NDAs, data agreements, and other operational agreements.
• Partners with assigned APA revenue-generating team(s) to identify legal and business risks, recommend revisions, drive timely contract review. Provides ongoing program counsel and operational approval. Collaborates with OGC colleagues on governance “internal law” compliance and risk management, including conflicts of interest.
• Provides legal support for government contracts, government grants, and private grants, including review of funding agreements, grant terms, compliance obligations, flow-down requirements, reporting obligations, certifications, and operational risks. Works with APA staff to flag legal issues in APA staff grant and contract administration and to support compliance.
• Provides litigation support, including internal fact development, document collection coordination, discovery support, initial review and potential management of incoming third-party and regular subpoenas, preservation and information-gathering support, and liaison work with outside counsel. Coordinates with OGC colleagues, APA staff, and outside counsel to support handling appropriate internal communication.
• Serves as first point of contact within OGC for APA staff, Divisions, programs, elected and appointed leaders, and governance participants on division legal matters.
• Experience preferred for candidates with familiarity with federal exempt-organization law for Section 501(c)(3) and Section 501(c)(6) organizations and political action committees applicable to APA compliance obligations.
• Collaborates across APA—staff, governance bodies and leaders, and outside professional organizations-- on projects within assigned practice areas. Represents OGC on internal APA committees and work groups. Coordinates with outside counsel on assigned matters, including litigation, subpoenas, grants, and contracts. Supports fellow OGC lawyers on special projects and cross-functional legal priorities as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

About APA:

The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 146,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.

APA offers a generous employee benefits program, including Remote Work/Flexible Scheduling; a 401(k) option with employer match of up to 4%; medical, dental, and vision insurance options and an outpatient mental health benefit; paid personal/vacation time plus 12 paid holidays; Family/Medical Leave; tuition assistance; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); short- and long-term disability insurance; and more.

Job Location: Remote: APA jobs may be considered for remote work eligibility as defined in APA’s Flexible Work Policy and are subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates must apply online through APA’s applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.

The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.