Executive Director

Legal Aid Society of Mid New York Inc•City of Utica, NY

6h•$175,000 - $200,000

About The Position

The Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. seeks an outstanding strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its next Executive Director. The Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc.(LASMNY) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public interest law firm founded 74 years ago to provide free legal services to low-income individuals and families in the Mohawk Valley and Central New York. LASMNY is funded by the Legal Services Corporation along with other federal, state, local and private grants, and has offices in Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, Watertown, Oswego, and Oneonta. We provide services in a range of areas of urgent legal need, including older adults, disability law, housing, and agricultural workers. LASMNY's mission is to provide free legal assistance to low-income individuals in thirteen upstate counties facing civil legal problems that impact the basic needs of life. Through legal advice, emergency legal services, extended legal representation and community legal education, we help low-income people stabilize their finances, protect themselves and their children from domestic violence, obtain access to healthcare and education, stay housed, and increase household income. We also focus on specific vulnerable populations with our services, such as senior citizens, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, people with disabilities, refugees and immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and agricultural workers. The Executive Director has the opportunity to lead our exceptional staff of over 70 people, including our experienced managers and senior leaders. In 2024, we closed 5,768 cases, benefitting 11,817 individual clients and members of their families. We have grown significantly over the years – our current budget is approximately $15 million/year – giving us a solid foundation to meet the needs of our client populations. This position is an excellent opportunity for a leader, team-builder, connector, and communicator who is passionate about the delivery of justice to marginalized communities. Each year, LASMNY provides free civil legal services to over 11,000 individuals and families in Central New York who cannot afford to hire an attorney. We provide high-quality and innovative legal representation, advice, and community education to countless community members to help with some of life’s greatest challenges: from violence within a family, to a threat to stable living with disabilities. LASMNY knows that one legal problem can quickly impact other aspects of a client’s life, and our advocates apply a collaborative approach to provide holistic services. Because the need for free legal services outstrips our capacity, we also provide plain-language materials to explain common legal problems to those in our community with unmet legal needs. For example, during the period from April 2024 to March 2025, LASMNY provided almost 8,000 educational materials to community members. While the bulk of our work consists of individual client representation, LASMNY is also committed to innovating the traditional legal services model to expand our reach. For example, LASMNY staff and LASMNY pro bono volunteer attorneys operate legal clinics where they present on the divorce process and the forms to help people fill out themselves. Such innovations help accommodate both LASMNY’s limited capacity to provide full representation and the outsized need in our community for legal assistance in family matters. LASMNY also prioritizes collaboration with other nonprofits to facilitate access to our services. We work closely with other providers of legal services in Central New York. We are governed by a Board of Directors that includes lawyers working in our geographic service area, people who are eligible for LASMNY’s services, and other community members. For more information about LASMNY, visit: www.LASMNY.org [https://www.lasmny.org/]

Requirements

Experience as an effective organizational leader or senior manager with direct supervisory and program management responsibilities.
Deep understanding of and vision for the delivery of legal services to clients in need.
Demonstrated passionate commitment to equal justice for all, and experience protecting and advancing the rights of marginalized and disadvantaged populations.
An established record of organizational leadership, resource development, and personnel management.
A demonstrated commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Experience and willingness to lead an organization with unionized staff.
Skill in building and supporting teams and collaborations, gathering input and feedback, and making and communicating decisions.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience with public speaking to diverse audiences, and communicating effectively with staff across an organization.
Ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders including bar associations, judiciary, social services agencies, funders, and community groups and their leaders, and a commitment to elevating the voices of client communities.
Ability to manage wide-ranging responsibilities and to direct others in managing their responsibilities in a demanding environment.
Experience working with a finance team and Board to oversee and manage a large organizational budget.
Experience in developing and maintaining government and private revenue streams, including federal, state, and local grants, as well as building and leading fundraising efforts.
Ability to work effectively with a volunteer Board of Directors.

Nice To Haves

Membership in the New York Bar and/or other legal experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Ensure and oversee the delivery of high-quality legal services to eligible clients through our staff’s legal representation and counsel, facilitation of community legal clinics, outreach and engagement with client groups and community providers.
Ensure the continued development and targeting of our work to meet the legal needs of specific populations as identified through regular needs assessments, outcome measurement, and evaluation.
Provide agency-wide leadership, supporting our staff in centering our mission in all our work, and collaborating closely with the management team.
Oversee LASMNY’s fund development and actively engage volunteers, Board members, event committees, community partners, and funders.
Ensure development and effective deployment of an annual fundraising plan.
Serve, along with the Board President, as a primary spokesperson for the organization.
Ensure and support a strong process to maintain and develop diverse funding sources.
Ensure compelling and detailed reporting and compliance to maintain strong relationships with funders.
Support and guide the Board of Directors and its Committees.
Ensure the development and implementation of corporate compliance and operational procedures in accordance with Board policy, applicable laws, regulations, and contractual obligations.
Assist the Board in developing and implementing strategic positioning and actions, in accordance with our Strategic Plan.
Develop annual organizational goals and reporting to the Board and its leadership in progress towards those goals.
Select, support and supervise senior leadership and management.
Lead the management team, including setting team goals and supporting the team in its coordination, communication, and work towards its goals.
Ensure effective organizational talent acquisition, onboarding, and professional development both directly and through senior leadership and management.
Promote a positive, respectful, equitable and safe workplace environment for staff and clients that attracts, retains, and motivates top quality/diverse people.
Ensure the development and maintenance of forward-facing organizational policies.
Continue development of a collaborative working relationship with LASMNY’s union staff, including negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Ensure organizational resilience including leadership development and succession plans.
Supervise LASMNY’s Finance Director and ensure that the day-to-day fiscal affairs of the organization, including accounting and cash management, are managed with the highest integrity with respect to fiduciary responsibilities, regulations, and Board policy.
Oversee the development of the organization’s annual budget and ensure regular tracking and reporting of fiscal performance against budget.
Ensure that LASMNY continues to develop and deploy an internal culture and external services that elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Provide and ensure adequate and ongoing resources for DEI activities and training.