Chief Legal Officer

Position Summary Reporting to the President & CEO and as a key member of the SPLC executive team, the Chief Legal Officer will be a thought partner and collaborative visionary responsible for shaping, leading and managing a strategic, innovative litigation docket at the federal, state, and regional level. Effectively managing a large and experienced legal team – and collaborating across issues, areas, and departments - the CLO will direct and implement the organization’s impact legal and litigation strategy at a time when the work of the SPLC has never been more vital. The successful candidate will have a history of deeply credible and meaningful legal leadership experience in the civil rights space, with leadership in litigation and advocacy. Key Responsibilities Provide strategic thought partnership on legal objectives, strategies and priorities to the President and CEO, the Executive Team, the Board, the Legal Department’s leadership team, and other members of the organization. Participate in organization-wide strategic planning, including leading the development and expansion of new strategies, resources, and policy work. Demonstrate change leadership, shaping, guiding and managing the SPLC’s litigation strategy while supervising the effective and impactful operations of the Legal Department, including: Managing and supporting the litigation strategies across the various practice groups. Ensuring the Legal Department provides the highest quality legal representation in support of and consistent with the organization’s mission, strategic framework, and values. Developing and overseeing any needed structural changes in the Department, including areas of practice, new projects, and the size and locations of the legal staff. Reviewing financial reports and developing and overseeing the annual department budgets in compliance with the SPLC’s administrative and financial management policies and practices. Recruiting, hiring, coaching, developing, mentoring, training, and motivating a team of highly skilled and collaborative litigation professionals, including attorneys and non‑attorney professionals. Working with the organization’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to assess outcomes and impact of the Legal Department. Actively participate in work to promote justice and equity, and incorporate a DEIA lens on the Legal Department’s internal and external work. Serve as an enterprise leader, bringing an organization‑wide perspective to legal strategy and decision‑making, and ensuring alignment of litigation priorities with the organization’s broader strategic, policy, and communications objectives. Build relationships and reinforce existing partnerships internally and externally, to further organizational objectives and maximize impact, including other human rights and social justice organizations, stakeholders and supporters, and outside pro bono counsel. The Leader This leadership position requires an accomplished attorney with a distinguished professional record in pursuing justice and strengthening civil rights. The successful candidate will exhibit a longstanding passion for, and commitment to, the work of the organization and for contributing in a meaningful way to its strategy, long‑term goals, and impact. Candidates must be able to see the big picture in determining and driving a unified litigation strategy consistent with, and in support of, SPLC’s mission, vision, and values. They will bring empathy and vision to lead, inspire and manage a large, experienced and complex legal team, along with experience and understanding of leadership in a geographically dispersed, multi‑racial, multi‑generational setting, fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. In addition to exceptional legal expertise and excellent leadership and management skills, the Chief Legal Officer must be a practical problem solver with strong organizational skills and business acumen. They will thrive in a fast‑paced, dynamic, innovative, collaborative and high‑energy environment. Balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, they will be a trusted and approachable advisor, cultivating strong, collaborative relationships across allprograms , operations and other leadership functions to advance the organizaation’s evolving agenda and impact. With strong communication and relationship‑building skills, the Chief Legal Officer will also serve as a compelling external spokesperson and partner to other justice‑seeking organizations and stakeholders across the nation. Key qualifications and professional experiences of the Chief Legal Officer will include JD from an accredited national law school and admission to any state bar in the United States. A minimum of 15 years of experience actively litigating and managing a broad range of large, complex federal and state litigation. Strong preference will be given to those with— Foundational litigation training through experience gained in government, a private law firm or an in‑house legal department; Substantial social justice/civil rights litigation experience; and/or Leadership experience in a non‑profit legal organization; Experience working in a unionized environment is a plus. Significant managerial and leadership experience, guiding and developing a high‑performing legal team, including direct supervision of litigators. Highly strategic mindset and approach to litigation in the context of a broader oragnizational strategy; communicating and coordinating a unified vision across teams, seeking opportunity for novel theories, anticipating future cases, advocacy & practice areas. Demonstrated organizational acumen (looking beyond the legal team) with the ability to recognize the broader consequences of a course of action and its impact on the organization and the communities it serves. Location Montgomery, AL, Atlanta, GA or Washington, DC. #J-18808-Ljbffr