Deputy Director

MID-MINNESOTA LEGAL ASSISTANCE•Minneapolis, MN

30d•$88,817 - $126,041

About The Position

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) is seeking a strategic, systems-oriented senior leader to oversee the quality, consistency, impact, and effectiveness of legal services throughout the organization. The Deputy Director – Legal Services supports Managing Attorneys and Supervising Attorneys, strengthens supervision practices, ensures high-quality legal advocacy, and advances operational systems that enable staff to serve clients effectively. The role coordinates legal services across practice areas and locations so that services are efficient and impactful in light of limited resources and high demand. The position is based in either the Minneapolis or St. Cloud office, requires regular office hours in both offices, and involves frequent travel to MMLA locations statewide. It provides organization-wide oversight across legal units and practice areas while preserving autonomy and independent judgment for staff in offices, programs, units, and clinics to determine appropriate services for their communities within organization-wide priorities and coordinated delivery. The role makes budget, staffing, and resource-allocation recommendations to support community-based legal services in urban and rural areas. Working closely with the Deputy Director – Litigation, the Deputy Director – Legal Services guides decisions about what services are provided, to which clients and communities, and where and how they are delivered. As a member of the executive leadership team, the role advises and collaborates with the Executive Director on strategic direction, organizational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. In the Executive Director’s absence, the Deputy Director acts as MMLA’s primary external representative. Leadership development and succession planning are central aspects of the position.

Requirements

Licensed to practice law in Minnesota or able to obtain a Minnesota license.
At least 5–6 years of leadership or supervisory experience.
Demonstrated experience managing or overseeing legal programs or teams.
Experience with budgeting, grants, or organizational operations.
Dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles.
Deep knowledge of civil legal services and public interest law.
Understanding of supervision systems, program management, and organizational leadership.
Knowledge of legal ethics, compliance, and funding requirements.
Strong executive-level leadership and decision-making skills, including the ability to manage and influence through multiple leadership levels.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and conflict-resolution skills.
Strong organizational and systems-thinking capabilities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
Ability to oversee complex organization-wide operations, align multiple units and leaders around shared goals, and lead in a unionized, policy-driven environment.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution, manage ambiguity, and drive organizational change.
Experience managing organizational change and building consensus across stakeholder groups.
Commitment to MMLA’s mission, racial justice values, and serving low-income communities.
Ability to travel frequently between statewide locations.
Collaborative, transparent, and equity-centered leadership style, with a high level of integrity, judgment, and accountability.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing multiple legal units or practice areas.
Experience working in a unionized environment.
Experience in legal services, nonprofit, or public interest law.
Experience with organizational strategy, restructuring, or system-wide initiatives.
Experience developing supervisors or senior leaders.

Responsibilities

Oversee legal services delivery across all practice areas and geographic locations, ensuring consistency, quality, impact, and alignment with MMLA’s mission, racial justice values, and funding requirements.
Identify gaps, trends, improvement opportunities, and areas for collaboration across practice areas.
Support MMLA’s commitment to community-based legal services through budget, staffing, and resource-allocation recommendations for urban and rural communities.
Directly supervise Managing Attorneys and/or Supervising Attorneys responsible for legal practice areas.
Promote consistent supervision practices, including regular check-ins, performance evaluations, and feedback.
Support Managing Attorneys in their roles as program leaders, supervisors, and operational managers, and build leadership capacity at all supervisory levels.
Partner with HR and leadership on personnel practices for legal staff and guide supervisors on collective bargaining agreement compliance, evaluations, discipline, workload practices, grievances, performance management, and workplace concerns.
Ensure fair, consistent, and well-documented personnel management practices across the organization.
Oversee and improve systems supporting legal work, including caseload standards, case management, workflows, case assignments, timekeeping, and compliance practices.
Work with Managing Attorneys, Supervising Attorneys, finance, grants, and operations teams to improve systems and processes that help staff meet client needs efficiently and ethically.
Advise the Executive Director and serve on the Management Committee; participate in organizational planning, restructuring, and strategic initiatives.
Identify long-term needs related to staffing, program structure, and service delivery models, and develop responsive organizational systems.
Support communication and alignment across units, reduce silos, and preserve local staff autonomy and participation within organization-wide priorities.
Partner with finance and grant leadership to align resources across units, support budget planning, and ensure program structures meet funding requirements and sustainability goals.
Serve as a key decision-maker affecting organization-wide legal services delivery and make recommendations on budget, staffing, and resource allocation.
Represent MMLA in professional, community, and legal networks; strengthen relationships with courts, agencies, and legal partners.
Support MMLA’s visibility and credibility, including with public and policymaking bodies, and collaborate on external communications strategies and activities.
Participate in leadership development and executive-level decision-making, build understanding of organizational operations, governance, and strategy, and support executive leadership continuity planning.
Travel frequently among statewide locations, including St. Cloud, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Willmar.