Associate General Counsel, Legal

Vera Institute of Justice • Brooklyn, NY

6d • $115,000 - $118,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

About the team: Vera's Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its administrative departments, initiatives, and projects, and to its Board of Trustees. With a creative and problem-solving orientation, the team advises staff of Vera and Vera Action, an affiliated 501(c)(4) organization, on federal, state, and local requirements and works to develop structures and processes that support compliance without compromising strategy. The Associate General Counsel will report to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and will work with the entire Legal Department team (consisting of the CLO, the Deputy General Counsel (DGC), the Associate Director for Legal Operations, and the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow) to keep pace with the work of an ambitious, mission-oriented organization. About the role: As an experienced attorney, the Associate General Counsel will be expected to assist the CLO and DGC in larger projects, both through coordinating projects and through creation and execution of legal elements of long-term projects. Accordingly, applicants for this role should be comfortable coordinating processes across teams, particularly from a “second chair” perspective. The Associate General Counsel’s portfolio will also include drafting and review of contracts, review of assignments by the fellow and interns, and management of certain projects with a lesser degree of supervision. This position will be based in Vera’s New York office, in Industry City, Brooklyn. Expertise in 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) compliance, lobbying laws across jurisdictions, and labor relations will be particularly useful.

Requirements

• J.D. or LL.M. from an ABA-accredited U.S. law school.
• Admission to New York State bar
• Five or more years of relevant experience (whether at another not-for-profit, a law firm, or elsewhere).
• Must have a strong interest in the operations of nonprofit organizations and a broad-based curiosity about potentially unfamiliar legal matters coupled with the ability to master new topics independently, as the Institute is known for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach.
• Vera’s Legal team works to automate as many of its processes as possible, so this person must be adept with technology and welcome the creative challenge of improving operations.
• Excellent writing skills are required. This person must have sufficient command of the written word to draft documents that are professional yet accessible, and sufficient command of legal ideas not to fall back on legalese.
• This person must have the ability to manage relationships across the organization and with outside parties diplomatically, including when enforcing a rule or managing expectations.
• Technical knowledge helpful for this role: Microsoft Office General facility with online databases

Nice To Haves

• An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy.
• Experience in political law or employer-side labor law a plus.
• Three or more years’ experience specifically in an in-house or other transactional environment.

Responsibilities

• Legal Advice and Research Provide legal advice on arising matters, including researching legal and regulatory issues, advising initiatives and programs on arising matters, and ensuring compliance with legal requirements for nonprofits. This includes, without limitation: Overseeing arising departmental projects as assigned by the CLO, and seconding CLO on other projects and standing portfolio matters (assisting with project management, action items, etc.); and Having command of major laws and regulations governing legislative advocacy and 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) governance, answering questions as they arise, and developing guidance as needed
• Legal Agreements Draft, review, and negotiate agreements of various kinds: grants, service contracts, licenses, independent contractor agreements, master service agreements, memoranda of understanding, and any others that may arise. This includes supporting agreement reviews by other members of the department.
• Other duties as assigned Other duties as arising and assigned, including assisting in reviewing, developing, and training others on organizational and departmental policies, systems, and procedures.

Benefits

• generous paid time off
• a comprehensive health insurance plan
• student loan repayment benefits
• professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work
• employer-funded retirement plan
• flexible time

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees