Justice at Work is a Boston-based legal nonprofit founded in 2011 to support workers in low-wage jobs in exercising collective power. Justice at Work envisions all people realizing their voice and power on the job to ensure fair pay, safety, and dignity. To work toward that vision, we strengthen organizing by providing labor and employment legal services, training, and strategic guidance to workers’ organizations.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Justice at Work is seeking a dynamic candidate to partner with the Executive Director to oversee our legal programming. The successful candidate will be:
1. Directly knowledgeable of the challenges and opportunities facing immigrants and other people of color, including Black and Indigenous workers, in low-paying jobs.
2. A strong bilingual communicator. (We currently work closely with worker organizations whose members speak Spanish, Portuguese, Mayan K’iche, Cape Verdean Creole, and Haitian Creole.)
3. Committed to social, racial, and economic justice and to Justice at Work’s mission.
4. Experienced with worker centers and/or other community-based organizations that support workers in low-paying jobs.
5. Versed in representing workers at government agencies and in court on employment and labor matters, and with enough experience/vision to imagine and pursue creative enforcement and/or litigation strategies.
6. Competent supervising other legal staff, including lawyers, paralegals, and law students.
7. Able to lead meetings, both externally with ally organizations and internally, including facilitator-rotating team meetings, such as our Dignity for All Committee, aimed at building our team’s capacity to deepen our support of Black and Indigenous worker organizing.
8. Licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, able to waive into the jurisdiction, or willing to sit for the next Massachusetts’ bar.
RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:
Overseeing Legal Services, Training, and Strategic Legal Counsel for Worker Center Organizers and Members (75%)
1. Meeting with the Executive Director to strategize and plan our programmatic work.
2. Partnering with the Executive Director to oversee the performance of our legal work and joining our programmatic staff in providing the following:
a. Legal intakes of worker grievances, and advice,
referral and/or representation for those workers.
b. Drafting, filing and litigating complaints with government agencies and in
court.
c. Researching employment, labor and immigration law.
d. Counseling groups of workers and their organizations engaged in actions to
improve conditions at specific workplaces or across industries.
e. Performing policy advocacy with government labor agencies and legislative
bodies on behalf of, and in coalition with, worker centers and their allies.
f. Training worker center members and staff on workplace-related laws,
including occasional evenings and Saturdays.
Overseeing Programmatic Administration and Supporting Development (25%)
1. Strategizing development of and helping to maintain a network of government, private and legal aid legal resources to support worker centers.
2. Supporting the recruitment and supervision of our programmatic staff, as well as legal fellows and law students.
3. Engaging with staff and partners to determine how to maximize impact through data reporting and helping to ensure programmatic info is complete.
4. Supporting legal program fundraising and development, including targeted grant writing and reporting as well as meetings with foundations and individual and organizational donors.
Position will report to the Executive Director.
COMPENSATION and BENEFITS:
The base salary range for this position is $70,000 to $90,000, commensurate with experience. Justice at Work also offers a generous benefits package that includes a retirement plan (up to 4% employer match; health insurance (80% employer paid); paid vacation, sick, personal time, and parental leave; some flexibility in scheduling; and a paid sabbatical after seven years of service.
TO APPLY
Interested individuals should submit a resume and letter of interest, highlighting relevant experience, via email to [email protected], Attention: Thomas Smith. This position will remain open until filled.
Justice at Work is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring staff reflective of the communities we support. Women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, people of color, and people who speak English as a second language are encouraged to apply.
