Deputy Legal Director, Voting Rights Details

Deputy Legal Director, Voting Rights

Southern Poverty Law Center - Atlanta, GA

Employment Type : Full-Time

Summary:
Launched in 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Voting Rights Practice Group (VRPG) works across the Deep South in collaboration with community partners and organizers to engage and mobilize voters, restore voting rights to returning citizens, pursue electoral policy reforms, and bring litigation to challenge unconstitutional and discriminatory voting practices. The Voting Rights Practice Group's efforts center on expanding access to the ballot; promoting fair redistricting and defending against racial gerrymandering and vote dilution; election administration; and community outreach and engagement.
The practice group's current work includes a lawsuit on behalf of voter engagement organizations and individual plaintiffs challenging multiple provisions of SB 202, Georgia's sweeping voter disenfranchisement law which threatens to disenfranchise Georgia voters, specifically voters of color; a lawsuit brought on behalf of voting rights organizations and individual voters challenging Alabama's state legislative maps as racial gerrymanders in violation of the U.S. Constitution; a complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of Alabama's absentee voting program under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and ongoing litigation challenging aspects of Mississippi's and Alabama's felony disenfranchisement laws. The practice group recently submitted reports to Congress in support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act detailing current and historical voting rights violations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The practice group also engages in public education, election protection, and other legal advocacy work across the Deep South. The practice group will expand upon that work by continuing advocacy around statewide and local redistricting, protecting and expanding access to the ballot, and advocating for progressive state and federal policy reform alongside our colleagues in the SPLC Policy Department.
The Deputy Legal Director (DLD) is responsible for the vision, strategic planning, leadership, and management of the Voting Rights practice area. This includes developing and overseeing litigation and managing the case docket; creating and launching new initiatives; managing the voting rights team to achieve litigation and advocacy campaign goals; reporting on progress toward goals to SPLC's Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and staff; anticipating and acting on opportunities for growth in SPLC's voting rights work; and modeling SPLC's values of an inclusive, anti-racist and respectful workplace and encouraging the same from staff.
The DLD reports to the CLO. This is a full-time position requiring substantial work hours and frequent travel. The DLD is a member of the Legal Department's Legal Leadership Team and works closely with the directors and staff of SPLC's other departments.
Primary Job Functions:

• Develop the vision for the practice area and corresponding strategies;
• Set priorities and oversee the investigation and litigation of cases in consultation with Legal Department leaders;
• Create annual departmental work plans and budgets, set annual goals, and track and monitor performance of staff towards achieving goals;
• Participate where appropriate on relevant task forces and coalitions;
• Collaborate extensively across departments within SPLC to ensure effective implementation of SPLCs impact area goals;
• Represent VRPG on relevant task forces and coalitions;
• Work closely with SPLC's Policy Department staff and the SPLC's Communications and other departments in helping to advance the organization's policy objectives;
• Engage in public speaking and articulate the SPLC's policies and programs to the public and the media on voting rights issues;
• Manage a team of approximately a dozen staff, providing mentoring and coaching to support the work;
• Hire, train, establish and monitor staff performance and development goals, assign duties and conduct performance reviews; and
• Other duties assigned.

Qualifications:
Education and Related Work Experience:

• Juris doctorate degree and a minimum of seven years of litigation experience;
• Member of bar, preferably in one of SPLC's five target states (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana);
• At least five years of management experience, with a successful track record as a unifying team builder with a collegial, collaborative management style and a demonstrated commitment to the value and power of teams; and
• Substantial experience developing, leading, and executing multi-faceted advocacy campaigns.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proven ability to engage effectively in strategic planning and to set priorities, goals, and develop work plans;
• Ability to think broadly and conceptually;
• A strong track record as a successful relationship builder who is able to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues and external partners;
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities in a high-energy, fast-paced work environment;
• Creativity, vision and a demonstrated willingness to take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences, including elected officials, attorneys, advocates, impacted communities, supporters, community partners, coalition partners, the media, and the public;
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights issues and the mission and goals of the SPLC;
• Demonstrated commitment to ideals of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an anti-racist work culture and to anti-racist principles and learning.

Demonstrated commitment to or experience in voting rights, civic engagement, campaign work, organizing, or election law is preferred, but not required.
Other Special Considerations:
This job is performed under general office conditions and is not subject to any strenuous physical demands or dangerous conditions. Due to COVID-19, our offices are currently closed, and staff is working remotely. The Deputy Legal Director, Voting Rights will have the opportunity to remain remote, as long as they work within a state where SPLC has an office (LA, GA, AL, MS). We are not asking newly hired employees to relocate while the offices are closed.
Disclaimer:
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. These statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.
An Equal-Opportunity Employer with a Commitment to Diversity
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and as an organization committed to diversity and the perspective of all voices, we consider applicants equally of race, gender, gender identity, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, political affiliation, national origin, or prior record of arrest or conviction.

Job Type: Full-time