Senior State Law and Legislative Counsel

Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a national association of over 140 organizations representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJ’s Bolder Advocacy program builds progressive power by providing nonprofit advocates with the training, technical assistance, and resources they need to comply with the federal and state laws associated with nonprofit advocacy. Bolder Advocacy is the nation’s leading resource for foundations and nonprofits who want to engage more actively and knowledgeably in the policymaking process. Bolder Advocacy’s legal experts help organizations move from cautious to courageous across lobbying, election-related activity, ballot measures, grantmaking, and other efforts necessary to change the world. Under AFJ’s new strategic plan, Bolder Advocacy is prioritizing grassroots power-building by focusing its efforts on designing new resources for grassroots groups and connecting with organizations working in community to advance positive policy change. AFJ is headquartered in Washington, DC, with remote staff in Texas, California, New York, and elsewhere. For more information about Alliance for Justice, please visit www.afj.org.

Job Purpose

The Senior State Law & Legislative Counsel, as a part of AFJ’s Bolder Advocacy team, will provide training, technical assistance, write plain language legal guides, and engage in a variety of other communications with nonprofit and foundation staff, board members, and volunteers to help them understand their rights and abilities to advocate, lobby, engage in election-related activities, and fund advocacy. They will lead the management and development of AFJ’s state law resources, including the Practical Guidance Series. They will also engage in legislative and executive branch advocacy to protect the rights and abilities of nonprofits to pursue policy change and boost civic engagement.

This position can be based in AFJ’s Washington, DC office, or the Senior Counsel can work remotely if located in another state. We welcome applications from qualified attorneys based in all 50 states and DC. Regardless of where the employee is based, they will be expected to regularly participate in and travel to in-person workshops and other work-related events. This position reports to the Bolder Advocacy Program Director.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Master and stay up to date on federal tax and election law for tax-exempt organizations.
• Master and stay up to date on state lobbying disclosure, ballot measure, and campaign finance law in the Senior Counsel’s state or jurisdiction.
• Master and stay up to date on local lobbying disclosure ordinances and other local advocacy laws in Senior Counsel’s state or jurisdiction.
• Manage State Practical Guidance series and relevant state law resources, including tracking and monitoring changes to state-level lobby, election, and campaign finance laws in all 50 states and DC. Ensuring that BA’s state law resources are updated regularly to accurately reflect changes to the law, and identifying local counsel in all 50 states, who can serve as experts when complex state-law questions arise.
• Effectively convey the relevant federal, state, and local laws to a non-legal audience.
• Provide technical assistance to nonprofits, AFJ member organizations, and foundations on federal exempt organizations tax and election law, as well as relevant state and local law that impacts advocacy organizations.
• Regularly plan, conduct, and travel to provide nonprofit organizations with training on the laws impacting advocacy organizations. Senior Counsel is also expected to plan and conduct these trainings virtually.
• Lead policy advocacy efforts, including lobbying, to protect the rights of nonprofits to engage in advocacy and other subjects as relevant opportunities arise. This could include the drafting of briefs, talking points, explainer memos, regulatory comments, statutory language, or amicus briefs. It could also involve testifying in front of legislative committees, directly communicating with federal and state legislators and other public officials and working with Communications and Outreach & Membership teams to build support to advance BA’s policy goals.
• Write thought leadership pieces such as articles, op-eds, or blog posts that address current issues affecting nonprofit advocacy and foster discussion or attention around BA’s core issues.
• Write relevant technical assistance guides, blog posts, factsheets, articles, op-eds, and regulatory comments.
• Develop new written legal resources and training curriculum to meet the needs of the nonprofit advocacy community. Train and mentor other BA team members on difficult and complex legal questions and the progressive nonprofit advocacy and advocacy funding landscape.
• Regularly represent the organization at conferences and other gatherings of nonprofits and foundations. Seek out opportunities to present at conferences.
• Proactively network and build relationships with nonprofits and foundations representing AFJ’s priority constituencies and issue areas.
• Regularly attend AFJ member meetings and serve as a point of contact for members when questions arise regarding state laws that apply to nonprofit advocacy. Work with AFJ Outreach and Membership team to update members about new BA resources that could assist them in their work.
• Identify training and resource needs of members and proactively work to outline and draft new guides, factsheets, blogs, and other legal resources as necessary.
• On occasion, develop customized training programs and provide complex training that combines multiple topics and deviates from standard BA training content.
• Learn how to use BA’s Advocacy Capacity Tools and develop an understanding of advocacy evaluation best practices. Conduct training on these tools and advocacy evaluation best practices as needed.

• As needed, advise on or conduct AFJ Action (AFJ’s 501(c)(4) affiliate) activities such as grassroots lobbying to support policies defending nonprofit advocacy, developing state law resources related to 501(c)(4) organizations, and/or supporting internal compliance for AFJ Action state-based advocacy and elections activities.

• Collaborate with staff from other AFJ programs to deliver appropriate program content, program activities, and special events.
• Manage grants and contracts to ensure that deliverables are met and relationships with funders are maintained. Take a lead role in discussions with funders. Support BA leadership in proposing grant and contract deliverables and participate in drafting of grant proposals and contract scopes of work. Oversee implementation of BA grants and contracts, and draft grant reports in coordination with AFJ Development team.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Law degree, bar membership in at least one state, and at least ten years of legal experience or legal advocacy working with (or for) nonprofit organizations (or 3 years as a Bolder Advocacy Counsel). Legal advocacy includes experience providing legal training, legal technical assistance, or other similar experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice causes.
• Solid understanding of nonprofit organization operations and familiarity with the progressive nonprofit sector and nonprofit advocacy, especially grassroots advocacy campaigns, GOTV work, other election-related activities, community organizing, and/or legislative advocacy.
• Strong desire to participate in proactive outreach, networking, and communications (e.g. social media, podcasting, blog writing, public presentations, and attendance at coalition/ partner meetings).
• Experience conducting training programs and making public-speaking appearances.
• Experience working with coalitions and community organizing groups.
• Demonstrated ability to network and build relationships with nonprofits, particularly those engaged in grassroots advocacy or advocacy related to one (or more) of AFJ’s priority issue areas: Criminal Justice, Democracy & Voting Rights, Environmental Justice, Gender & Reproductive Justice, Health & Disability Rights, Labor & Economic Justice, LGBTQ & People with HIV, Racial Justice / Civil Rights / Immigration.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, with a demonstrated ability to write quickly and clearly in plain English.
• Extensive experience drafting and editing legal resources (i.e. legal guides, motions, briefs, or other similar materials).
• Mastery of federal nonprofit advocacy laws (i.e. tax code lobbying limits for public charities, 501(c)(3) nonpartisan advocacy, 501(c)(4) primary vs. secondary purpose activities, etc.)
• Willingness and ability to engage in policy advocacy that impacts the rights of nonprofits and foundations who want to (or already engage in) advocacy.
• Demonstrated thought leadership about nonprofit advocacy via the publication of legal documents and explainers, articles, or similar publications.
• Demonstrated ability to provide appropriate and reliable advice to affiliated organizations and / or coalitions of organizations with members who have differing tax-exempt designations.
• Ability to actively monitor emerging trends and legislation that may impact nonprofit advocacy and to make recommendations on how nonprofits should respond and adapt as needed.

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience developing, leading, or participating in nonprofit advocacy campaigns at the local, state, or federal levels.
• Experience handling federal or state compliance for a nonprofit advocacy organization.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in a relevant non-English language, including the ability to write clearly and quickly in that language in a professional setting.
• Ability to draft technical assistance guides, blog posts, and factsheets into a relevant non-English language or to supervise the translation of such documents.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so. On occasion, they will also be required to travel by train, airplane, or other mode of transportation to and from work-related events. Ability to work long hours when needed. All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their positions. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position. Some occasional evening and weekend hours may be required.

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. AFJ’s non-management staff members are unionized under the Baltimore

Compensation

This is a union position covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, CWA Local 32035, which includes salary minimums based on job position category. The Senior Counsel position is in Group 6 and has a starting salary range of $125,000 to 131,000. The Collective Bargaining Agreement is available here.

AFJ offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program.

Health
We offer medical, dental, vision benefits, as well as an employee assistance program for physical and mental well-being.

Savings
Save for retirement with our employer matching 401K plan.

Time
We have a generous paid time off policy.

Family
We provide up to 16 weeks of parental leave and a range of paid and unpaid family leave programs that allow our employees to bond with and care for children and other dependents.

Other

Flexible spending account, dependent care, life and disability insurance, as well as commuter benefits.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Job Location

Remote: if Senior Counsel resides outside of the Washington, DC region.

DC-based Senior Counsel is required to work in the office 1+ day/week.

Racial Equity

Our employees share our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture.

Disclaimer

This description is intended to provide an overview of this position and is not all-inclusive. The incumbent in this position will be expected to perform other duties as required. Responsibilities may change over time. This description is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.

Equal Employment Opportunity

 Alliance for Justice provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

 This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.