Prison Fellowship | General Counsel

Job Description

Job Description

A bout the Organization

 

Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest Christian nonprofit equipping the Church to serve currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families, and to advocate for justice and human dignity. Prison Fellowship and its church partners encounter Jesus with those behind bars, breaking cycles of crime and prayerfully anticipating a revival of justice, mercy, and hope in our culture.

Prison Fellowship's mission is to encounter Jesus with those impacted by incarceration. Its vision is to see a revival of the Church inside and outside prison that brings justice, mercy, and hope to our culture.

 

The ministry is founded on the conviction that all people are created in God's image and that no life is beyond God's reach. Prison Fellowship believes a restorative approach to incarceration can make communities safer and healthier and can replace cycles of crime with cycles of renewal.

 

The Opportunity

 

Prison Fellowship seeks a General Counsel who can pair rigorous legal judgment with practical, mission-aligned counsel. Reporting to the EVP, Administration and Partnerships, this leader will advise the President & CEO, executive leadership, and key stakeholders on organizational, regulatory, governance, employment, contractual, and operational matters.

 

The opportunity calls for a hands-on legal executive who can identify and mitigate risk while helping the ministry advance strategic objectives. The General Counsel will guide complex decisions, strengthen legal and compliance practices, oversee contract management, and lead a small legal team serving the organization.

 

What Success Requires

 

• Trusted counsel to executive leadership, the Board, business managers, and ministry teams.
• Practical advice that protects the ministry while enabling responsible action and growth.
• A service-oriented legal function with strong controls, clear priorities, and responsive support.
• Deep alignment with Prison Fellowship's mission, Statement of Faith, values, and Christian ministry environment.

 

Position Summary

 

The General Counsel serves as Prison Fellowship's principal legal advisor, providing strategic, practical, and mission-aligned counsel across the organization. The role analyzes complex legal issues, drafts and negotiates key legal documents, presents recommendations to leadership, and helps ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

 

This leader provides hands-on counsel to all levels of the ministry, with particular responsibility for contracts, corporate governance, employment law, lobbying laws, ethics, litigation, child protection, nonprofit compliance, and organizational risk.

 

The General Counsel also manages the legal function, directly supervising and developing the Paralegal and overseeing legal workflows, contract review, legal research, document management, and support services.

 

Reporting & Team

 

Reports to the EVP, Administration and Partnerships.

 

Direct reports: Paralegal.

 

Works with executive leadership, the President and CEO, the Board of Directors, Human Resources, business managers, internal stakeholders, and outside counsel.

 

Faith Commitment

 

As a Christian organization, Prison Fellowship believes in the full authority of the Bible as God's inspired Word and the tenets of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Employees are expected to uphold and align their beliefs and conduct with these biblical principles in their work and daily lives.

 

The General Counsel is classified as a ministerial role and contributes to the advancement of Prison Fellowship's religious beliefs, mission, and principles.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Review and manage contracts, grants, planned-giving estate gifts and charitable gift annuities, sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, and memoranda of understanding; maintain organized storage for pending and executed legal agreements.

 

Proactively identify legal risks, develop mitigation strategies, and counsel internal stakeholders on contracts, corporate governance, lobbying laws, ethics, litigation, employment law, child protection, and regulatory compliance.

 

Advise Human Resources and business leaders on employee complaints, conflicts of interest, leave and accommodations, wage-and-hour matters, employee benefits, and related compliance requirements.

 

Monitor federal and state legal and regulatory developments and help develop employment-law and regulatory-compliance policies, practices, and initiatives.

 

Direct and manage outside counsel as needed, including intellectual property and trademark, employment practices, and nonprofit compliance matters.

 

Contribute to Board, employee, donor, and volunteer policies, processes, procedures, records, and standards on legal topics including intellectual property, transactions, software and technology, charitable registration, and licensing.

 

Ensure appropriate liability protection and waivers for activities involving volunteers, featured speakers, and staff.

 

Identify strategic opportunities involving criminal justice initiatives, religious freedom, amicus briefs, and proactive policy development; provide Board-level support as directed.

 

Supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate the Paralegal; establish priorities, assign work, and oversee legal operations workflows.

 

Education & Experience

 

Required Education & Licensure

 

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.

 

Licensed attorney in good standing with at least one state bar, with the ability to obtain a general counsel certificate within relevant jurisdiction(s).

 

Professional Experience

 

At least eight years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant work in contract negotiation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

 

Experience serving as in-house counsel or advising senior executives on complex legal and organizational matters.

 

Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing legal professionals or legal support staff.

 

Experience interacting with executive leadership, boards of directors, and external stakeholders.

 

Experience managing a legal department budget.

 

Nonprofit management experience, ideally in a faith-based environment; experience with nonprofit, ministry, faith-based, or other mission-driven organizations is preferred.

 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

 

Comprehensive knowledge of laws affecting nonprofit organizations, with strong grounding in contract law, corporate governance, employment law, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

 

Exceptional legal research, analysis, problem-solving, judgment, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.

 

Ability to provide practical, business-oriented advice that advances organizational objectives while appropriately managing risk.

 

Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-legal audiences.

 

Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential and sensitive information; strong organization and attention to detail across multiple priorities.

 

Demonstrated leadership in team management, coaching, delegation, and employee development, with the ability to build collaborative relationships at every level.

 

Experience developing legal and compliance frameworks that enable growth while protecting mission, reputation, and resources.

 

Commitment to Prison Fellowship's mission, Statement of Faith, values, and Christian ministry environment.

 

Preferred Knowledge

 

Laws affecting Christian ministries; charitable solicitation, nonprofit tax compliance, and exempt-organization requirements.

 

Intellectual property, trademark, copyright, licensing, privacy, and donor or constituent data protection.

 

Multi-state compliance, contract-management software, nonprofit-board governance, and issues affecting correctional ministry, criminal justice reform, advocacy, incarcerated people, and their families.

 

Work & Travel

 

This position is fully remote.

 

Travel is required approximately 6–10% of the time.

 

Employees who travel for Prison Fellowship business must consent to annual motor-vehicle-record checks and maintain the minimum auto-liability insurance required by policy.

 

The position requires occasional operation of a motor vehicle and may involve medium work, including lifting and moving objects up to 50 pounds.

 

The role requires prison access and interaction with incarcerated people. The employee must meet requirements imposed by states, departments of corrections, Prison Fellowship, or other entities, which may include background checks and pre-employment drug screening.

 

Prison work may involve an intense and confining environment, video surveillance, rigid security and clearance procedures, and compliance with correctional-site rules and regulations.

 

Salary & Benefits

 

Compensation for the General Counsel includes a competitive salary ($155,000 - $185,000) commensurate with experience and an excellent package of employee benefits which includes medical, dental, vision, retirement, professional development, leave and holidays.

 

Join Our Team

 

Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement of interest to Ryan Rasmussen, Recruiter at View email address on us.fitly.work.

 

Important Note

 

This announcement summarizes the role for candidate outreach. Prison Fellowship retains the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities, and the job description may change at any time.

 

Ministerial Exception

 

As an organization with a religious mission and purpose, Prison Fellowship Ministries recognizes and maintains the right to select and employ individuals who perform ministerial functions and contribute to the advancement of our religious beliefs and principles. Accordingly, certain positions within the organization may be classified as ministerial roles, and individuals occupying these positions may be expected to perform duties that are integral to the religious mission of the organization. It is understood that individuals occupying ministerial roles may be required to adhere to specific religious beliefs, practices, and codes of conduct to fulfill the spiritual and ministerial objectives of the organization. Consequently, the selection and retention of individuals for these ministerial positions will be based on considerations related to their ability to fulfill the spiritual and ministerial objectives of the organization. By applying for a position with Prison Fellowship Ministries, candidates acknowledge and agree to the ministerial nature of certain roles within the organization and understand that employment decisions related to these positions will be made under the organization's religious beliefs and mission.