Director, Legal Ops & Legal Systems Innovation

Earthjustice is the nation's leading environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, preserve magnificent places and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. We are here because the Earth needs a good lawyer.

Driven by a passion for justice, inclusion, partnership, and excellence, our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.

The Director, Legal Ops & Legal Systems Innovation (“Director”) is responsible for overseeing the design and operation of effective legal technology and administrative systems to support Earthjustice’s various legal programs. The position works closely with Information Technology (“IT”) leadership to develop and implement the General Counsel’s (“GC’s”) and legal teams’ legal technology strategy.

The Director acts as an innovative leader, can get things done, continually improves processes, and stays up to date on legal technology and legal innovation opportunities to help support IT’s work towards overall systems improvement. The Director may attend relevant industry conferences and travel to meet with teams as necessary and appropriate from time-to-time.

This position is also responsible for supporting GC staff in compliance and risk management responsibilities. This position is supervisory, overseeing a team of skilled professionals, and reports to the General Counsel.

The Director, Legal Ops & Legal Systems Innovation is expected to work a full-time (37.5 hours/week) schedule and may work hybrid or remote. For hybrid arrangements, the preferred location is San Francisco, CA or Washington, D.C.; however, other Earthjustice office locations will be considered.

What You’ll Do

Management (15%)

• Collaborate with organizational leadership to align operational strategies for program teams with organizational goals and improve legal systems innovation to support Earthjustice legal programs, to enhance efficiency of workflows and to strengthen compliance.

• Oversee the team’s budgeting, administrative, and people management function; provide assistance with strategy and operational processes within the General Counsel’s Office; and develop and implement internal guidelines, templates and workflows that meet organizational policies and standards;
Manage vendor relationships and external service providers.

• Uphold Earthjustice’s mission and values by fostering a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment, providing clear direction and prompt feedback, and promoting a culture of learning for all team members.

Strategic Planning & Budgeting (20%)

• Develop and execute the department’s strategic operational plan and conduct data analysis to inform decision-making and identify cost‑saving opportunities.

• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics for the team and regarding the team’s systems.

• Develop annual budgets and supervise team spend and resource allocation. Manage the budget for and recommend legal technology software and tools in consultation with key stakeholders.

Conflicts, Ethical Walls, and Organization Wide Timekeeping Compliance (30%)

• Oversee the conflict‑of‑interest identification and clearance process and implement and maintain ethical wall protocols to ensure compliance with professional responsibility requirements in coordination with the Deputy General Counsel.

• Collaborate with IT to oversee the transition of responsibility for system maintenance and backend administrative support for Legal Ops’ software. Ensure that this shared model promotes data quality, supports efficient workflows, ensures adherence to ethics rules and regulatory requirements, and includes the development of policies and procedures that protect privileged and confidential information.

• In conjunction with GC staff, manage legal staff involved in legal risk mitigation, including, without limitation, the conflicts checks and resolution process for new matters and staff, including identifying opportunities to improve processes and…