Wanted: Legal Director

Unchained At Last, the survivor-led nonprofit at the helm of the national movement to end forced and child marriage in the United States, seeks a Legal Director to establish a new legal department.

WARNING: Apply for this position only if you want a deeply meaningful, adventure-filled job that makes all your friends jealous.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Legal Director makes sure women, girls, LGBTQ individuals and others get the crucial, free legal representation they need to avoid, escape from and rebuild after forced and child marriage. Reporting to the Executive Director, with mentorship from an experienced family attorney and an experienced immigration attorney, and with extensive training on forced and child marriage, the Legal Director:

• Represents New Jersey-based survivors of forced and child marriage in family court proceedings, immigration proceedings and ancillary civil legal matters (~75% of time);
• Coordinates Unchained’s volunteer legal team and arranges pro bono legal representation for clients across the U.S. (~20% of time);
• Manages a paralegal; and
• Develops protocols and best practices for the nascent legal department.

QUALIFICATIONS

You might be a good fit for this position if you:

• Are admitted to the New Jersey State Bar;
• Have at least four years of family law experience;
• Are endlessly compassionate, patient and nonjudgmental;
• Are detail oriented, highly organized and adept at working independently; and
• Feel passionately about Unchained’s mission.

BONUS QUALIFICATIONS

The following criteria are not required but do get you extra points. Make sure to mention in your application if you:

• Have immigration law experience;
• Are fluent in Arabic, Hindi and/or Urdu; and/or
• Are admitted also to the New York State Bar.

NOTE: An internal study at HP found women applied for a promotion only if they met 100 percent of the qualifications, while men applied if they met 60 percent. Regardless of your gender, if you are excited about this job, GO FOR IT — even if you do not meet 100 percent of the qualifications.

SALARY/BENEFITS

The compensation package for this position includes:

• Salary of $112,000;
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match;
• High-quality health insurance;
• Dental insurance;
• Vision insurance;
• Life insurance;
• Long-term disability insurance;
• Flexible Spending Account so you can pay certain health and commuter costs pre-tax;
• Remote work;
• Generous paid time off, including parental leave;
• Solid work-life balance (the workday ends at 5:00 p.m. — and earlier on Fridays — except in emergencies);
• Monthly art therapy sessions with the Unchained team; and
• United Nations grounds pass.

LOCATION

Remote. In-person work is limited to court appearances, some client meetings, monthly art therapy sessions with the team and occasional events.

ABOUT UNCHAINED

A lifetime of rape, forced parenthood, financial dependence and domestic servitude. This is the reality for individuals in the United States whose lives are ripped apart by forced marriage.

Unchained is the only organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, often life-saving legal and social services and emotional support — always for free — to individuals in the U.S. who are resisting or escaping forced marriage. Unchained also is the only organization dedicated to promoting social, policy and legal change to end forced and child marriage in the U.S. The organization started and now leads a growing national movement to end child marriage in every U.S. state and at the federal level.

A day at Unchained is rarely dull. Members of the small but feisty Unchained team travel all across the U.S. to testify at legislative hearings and to Chain-In, in bridal gowns and chains, to protest forced and child marriage. In just the last few years, team members ate dinner with Chelsea Clinton, watched multiple Broadway shows and appeared on Apple TV’s Gutsy series.

Unchained prioritizes self-care and team building. The virtual office closes early every Friday and every day during the last week of the year and closes for all federal holidays and for a week every summer – in addition to a generous paid-time-off package. The Unchained team holds monthly art therapy sessions and semi-annual staff retreats that sometimes involve wearing pajamas to the office and always involve eating too much guacamole.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this position, submit your application and resume HERE. You will receive a confirmation email letting you know your application was received.

An Unchained team member will reach out if you seem to be a good fit for the open position. You will then have the chance to advance through Unchained’s multi-step interview process, which typically takes a few weeks.

Apply here

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION

If you really want this position, these tips might help:

• How are you perfect for this role? Make that clear in your application, rather than assuming it is obvious from your resume.
• Does your resume have gaps or anything that might cause confusion? Best to explain those in your application.
• Have you reviewed the Unchained website? You will impress your interviewers if you are deeply familiar with the organization.
• Not sure whether to send a “thank you” after an interview? The answer is always yes. The Unchained team appreciates appreciation.