Position: Legal Help Desk Director
Department: Legal
Office: Los Angeles, CA
Type: Hybrid (periodically in-office to onboard new staff and for other on-site needs)
Report To: Deputy Legal Director for Legal Management & Operations
Salary: Annual salary range of $100,000 - $120,000
Travel: Approximately 10% (conferences, meetings, and other events)
FLSA Status: Full-Time/Exempt
Who We Are
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal has regional offices in or near Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ community and all people living with HIV requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not the only obstacle to achieving full legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. In light of this reality, we prioritize awareness and proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects.
Legal Help Desk Director
The Legal Help Desk at Lambda Legal is responsible for responding to requests for information and legal assistance as well as education, engagement, outreach, and cross-department collaboration. Reporting to the Deputy Legal Director for Legal Management & Operations, while working in partnership with the Deputy Legal Directors for Policy and Litigation as needed, the Legal Help Desk Director will manage and oversee the operations of the Legal Help Desk team. This person will be responsible for leading, supervising, and supporting the Help Desk team, which handles a high volume of requests for legal information and assistance by phone, online inquiries, emails, and letters, and for elevating novel legal situations and issues for larger discussion within the Legal department. This is an exciting opportunity to support the Help Desk's transitions to new technologies and systems that will enable Lambda Legal to meet its objectives, while also supporting professional development and equitable management of Help Desk Attorneys and Paraprofessionals supporting the team.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Professional Development
- Recruit, develop, supervise, and retain a diverse Legal Help Desk team.
- Lead the team by managing workflow, identifying training needs, and professional development opportunities; articulate vision and priorities; identify efficiencies for carrying out core functions of the Help Desk; and drive problem solving as needed.
- Promote a team-oriented culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), continuous professional growth, and job satisfaction.
- Serve as a model and culture carrier, modeling inclusive communication, leadership, and collaboration.
- Inform the selection, deployment, and refinement of technology platforms and support to monitor, promote, and align resource allocation, staffing, and changing needs for those contacting the Help Desk.
Legal Inquiries
- Receive, investigate, document, and respond to a high volume of requests for legal assistance received through multiple channels (e.g., phone, online inquiries, emails, and letters).
- Assess entries in internal Help Desk database(s) for both internal and external reporting purposes.
- Review and, where appropriate, escalate legal requests and trends to Lambda Legal colleagues, and work cooperatively to assist in preparing for litigation, policy work, and public education.
- Collaborate with other Help Desk staff to continuously improve overall impact and effectiveness of the Help Desk (e.g., sharing and incorporating best practices and identifying opportunities for improvement).
Collaboration & Outreach
- Develop and evolve Help Desk resources, in collaboration with other departments, including fact sheets and database materials in accessible formats.
- Share Lambda Legal’s organizational expertise, including presenting at legal and other professional conferences and seminars, and providing other forms of public education.
- Engage other LGBTQ+ and HIV organizations on intake and legal assistance best practices.
Qualifications
Successful candidates will welcome the opportunity to work in a racially- and gender-diverse environment and to contribute to a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Working at Lambda Legal requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the breadth of the communities that Lambda Legal serves.
Skills and competencies include:
- J.D. degree required
- License to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and, if not a member of the CA bar, willingness to sit for the California Bar
- 10+ years of experience working in a legal setting, preferably focused on social justice
- 5+ years of exceptional team leadership with demonstrated success managing and leading teams
- Familiarity with the requirements of working in a multi-state legal practice, and experience ensuring compliance with legal and ethical obligations
- Ability to build relationships and work effectively with diverse cross-functional teams
- Ability to translate complex legal issues into comprehensible language for non-lawyers
- Comfortable working under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment
- Strong interpersonal skills and exceptional communication skills, both written and spoken, with an ability to provide active listening and empathetic service
- Ability to navigate a wide variety of stakeholders and juggle competing priorities and interests
- Experience working with historically marginalized communities is desirable
- Ability to speak Spanish or other commonly encountered language other than English is desirable
Benefits
Benefits include Short and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Medical Insurance (Telemedicine included), Dental Insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program – all at no cost for the employee-only premium. Employees have the opportunity to obtain additional coverage for themselves or their families including Vision Insurance at a low cost. There is also the option to enroll in a pre-tax Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care Account, and Commuter Transit Account. Lambda Legal offers a 403(b)-Retirement Plan with a 2% contribution and up to a 4% match from Lambda Legal. Paid time off includes the opportunity to accrue up to 15 days of vacation, 3 personal and 12 sick. Lambda Legal observes 10 holidays per year and is supportive of observance of religious holidays.
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Read more about Lambda Legal's work on their blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education or life or work experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.
Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, and individuals living with HIV are encouraged to apply.