Earthjustice Careers

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 LegalOps’ 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 systems to mitigate legal risk.

Matter Management, Intelligence, and System Management (30%)

• Oversee the gathering, maintenance, and interpretation of matter intelligence to support reporting needs for the SVPs of Operations and Program, VPs of Litigation and the President, as well as the Finance, Development, and Communications teams.
• Manage and assist with optimizing matter intake, assignment and time tracking processes and oversee timekeeping systems to ensure accurate time capture.
• Oversee day-to-day operations and adoption of Contract Management System, including evaluating potential platforms and process improvements with GC Team.
• Partner with IT and Program to identify, evaluate, and adopt tools, including legal artificial intelligence tools, that will support the organization’s legal practice and compliance.
• Support the development of processes and workflows to ensure such deployments are done in a compliant manner and are periodically evaluated to ensure they meet ongoing program needs and satisfy applicable compliance requirements.

Ongoing Learning (5%)

• Stay current on emerging legal technologies and innovation trends.
• Actively pursue professional development and promote a culture of learning by building skills and sharing knowledge.
• Maintain current knowledge of law firm administrative and technology best practices.

Please note that the percentage breakdowns and duties described above capture the general nature and level of work for this role. Other duties may be assigned as needed/as part of the job requirements.

What You'll Bring

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive legal operations experience, with at least 2 years in a management role within a legal department or law firm.
• Strong leadership, communication, and management skills.
• Tech-savvy and well-versed in legal enterprise software, tools, and applications, with strong knowledge of matter management and intelligence systems (e.g., Intapp, Foundation), ethical walls, conflicts, and time entry, as well as experience deploying AI-based legal tool and ensuring that legal technology solutions align with global compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, FDA, EMA) and company policies.
• Demonstrated ability to use change management practices to facilitate transitions related to technology, processes, and people.
• Understanding of legal operations and litigation processes within law firms.
• Superb project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet tight deadlines, with a demonstrated ability to adapt to change, organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks — sometimes under pressure and facing unexpected challenges — with excellent results.
• Deep understanding of legal ethics, conflicts management and professional responsibility
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and tracking budgets.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal in-person communication skills, sound judgment in dealing with people and situations, and ability to maintain discretion and handle confidential information appropriately.
• Contributes to recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
• Commitment to Earthjustice’s values of Justice, Excellence, Inclusion, and Partnership.

Physical Requirements

This role may require the ability to:

• Sit for extended periods with occasional standing and walking
• Type, file, and/or handle common office equipment
• Lift and carry materials
• Read documents, conduct computer work, and document review

We offer a competitive salary and excellent, comprehensive benefits. We also offer a casual and congenial work environment.

Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by working location and are commensurate with the experience required.

The annual salary range for this role in San Francisco, CA is $177,800 – $197,500.
The annual salary range in Washington, D.C. is $168,900 - $187,700.
Remote location annual salary range will depend on specific location ($151,100 - $197,500).

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following materials via Jobvite. Applications submitted by January 12th, 2025 will be given priority, and applications received after the priority deadline may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Resume.
• Cover letter.

Information about our hiring process and tips for success can be found at https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/hiring-process. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application.

Please Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for personnel so classified.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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