Director, Litigation

About the Organization

Founded in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is the leading advocacy organization in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. NILC’s mission is grounded in the belief that everyone living in the U.S. regardless of race, gender/gender identity, immigration status, or economic status — should have equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full human potential.

NILC is committed to advancing its mission — which intersects race, immigration status, class and democracy defense — through a racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation.

We are looking for entrepreneurial, results-driven, relationship builders who are committed to NILC’s mission and values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty.

The Director, Litigation (the Director) is a subject matter expert that leads and executes the Legal Department’s litigation work  a vital part of NILC’s day-to-day work, the Director is responsible for leading NILC’s litigation efforts in protecting the rights of low-income immigrant communities. The Director is an experienced civil litigator and legal advocate who successfully leads litigation teams in the identification, development, and conduct of impact litigation and legal advocacy in coordination with NILC’s other core strategies of policy analysis, movement power building, strategic communications, and narrative change.

The Litigation Director supports the Executive Vice President, Advocacy, the Vice President, Litigation and Legal Strategy and other Directors across the Advocacy team to set the overall litigation strategy. They are responsible for a mix of substantive and strategic work, supervision, and departmental operations by operationalizing strategy and work to maximize the team’s efficiency, productivity, litigation skills, and performance. The Director works in close coordination with counterparts in the Policy, Strategy and Partnerships, Strategic Communications, and Development teams, NILC’s Immigrant Justice Fund (501(c)4), and other local and national partners to advance NILC’s goals via litigation within the strategic framework.

The Direction, Litigation will lead the execution of a robust litigation strategy for immigrant justice that is people- and community-centered and grounded in intersectional rights and needs of low-income immigrants in the United States.

This role is not a member of the Bargaining Unit
.

The Litigation Director will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key areas:

• Collaborates with the Vice President, Litigation and Legal Strategy in the development and execution of strategic litigation strategies, providing guidance and support to team members driving the work in a way that integrates litigation, narrative change, movement power building, and campaign strategies together with litigation strategies.
• In collaboration with the VP, Litigation and Legal Strategy, the Director, Legal Strategy, and the Deputy Legal Director(s), oversee the implementation of a robust impact litigation and legal advocacy strategy in support of broader immigrants’ rights movement strategies; develop legal theories and cases; leads teams litigating cases.
• Leads litigation teams in preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs; conducts discovery; present oral arguments; conduct trial and handle appeals. As needed, assume greater case responsibilities depending on the evolving needs of the case team.
• Collaborate with counterparts in the Policy, Strategy and Partnerships, Strategic Communications, and Development teams to effectively leverage the resources and talents across the organization.
• May serve as a spokesperson with the media, testify before Congress or other policy making bodies based on area of expertise, and present at…