Legal Director

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Position description

The Global Justice Center (GJC) is a feminist human rights organization started by the legendary reproductive rights advocate Janet Benshoof in 2005. The organization uses international law to advance gender equality, focused on two main areas: advancing reproductive autonomy as an international human right and ensuring justice for mass atrocities involving sexual and gender-based crimes.

The organization is known for its ability to develop novel legal arguments to advance gender equality and its strong partnerships with local and international civil society organizations. GJC’s legal team develops creative and authoritative feminist legal analyses as the basis for establishing progressive legal precedents and strategic advocacy to achieve normative and systemic change.

GJC comprises a small, but mighty team of 10 professionals, most of whom are lawyers. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage lawyers of all backgrounds to apply. GJC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any other protected category.

Job Summary

GJC is hiring a Legal Director to lead the organization’s development and implementation of legal theories and strategies to use international law to advance gender equality. The ideal candidate will be a senior lawyer with demonstrated experience with feminist legal theory, gender analysis, policy advocacy, international human rights and international criminal law, and pioneering progressive legal interpretations. The ideal candidate will also be a collaborative leader with years of experience managing teams and coalitions that have successfully driven progressive legal change.

The position is full-time and based in New York City, with periodic international and domestic travel (~10%-15%). GJC can sponsor visas for individuals outside the United States who are willing to relocate. If you are interested in the role and have questions regarding being based in NYC, GJC is happy to discuss relevant aspects.

Reports To

Executive Director

Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

Develop, lead, and execute GJC’s legal and programmatic strategies and serve as an institutional thought leader.

• Lead GJC’s creative and innovative legal work on a wide range of issues involving international public, humanitarian, criminal, and human rights law.
• Scope new areas to push for progressive legal interpretations to advance gender equality.
• Monitor relevant legal, policy, and feminist movement developments to identify opportunities to carry out advocacy to advance objectives.
• Respond to and anticipate relevant news events or developments.
• Serve as an institutional and external thought leader on feminist legal strategies related to gender and international public, humanitarian, human rights, and criminal law.
• Develop annual and multi-year program strategies, in collaboration with the Executive Director, relevant staff and partners, including grassroots and local actors.

Supervise and support the production of publications, briefs and other documents.

• Supervise and conduct legal research and analysis, particular in new or emerging areas.
• Oversee, edit, and draft GJC work product, including briefs, reports, submissions to UN bodies, press releases, op-eds, talking points, and advocacy papers.

Represent GJC with external stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders, including UN actors, government and intergovernmental representatives, civil society members, legal experts, and justice practitioners.
• Represent GJC in the press, on social media, and other popular news and information channels. Work with the Communications Director to integrate communications and programmatic goals.
• Support coalition advocacy, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including collaborating with partner organizations to effectuate joint advocacy campaigns, providing input and analysis on draft reports, resolutions, and other outputs or products, and promoting/representing GJC’s work at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.

Serve on GJC’s senior leadership team.

• Coordinate department resources and capacity.
• Manage the legal team, including performance management, and professional development.
• Promote an inclusive and positive work environment, including by soliciting varied view points and prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion across conceptualization and implementation of programmatic work and engagement with partners.

Qualifications

• A degree in law and admittance with good standing to a Bar from any country.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience working in gender and international law, particularly criminal, humanitarian, and human rights law, and in feminist legal theory and gender analysis.
• Experience developing innovative feminist legal analysis to advance gender equality, ideally regarding reproductive autonomy and atrocities involving sexual and gender-based crimes.
• Expert writing and editing skills, including those necessary to review legal briefs, opinions, UN submissions, and related policy and advocacy documents.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to explain and advocate for complex or nuanced gender and/or human rights-based issues and positions.
• Experience as an organization spokesperson for press, social media, and other mass media.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategy and operationalize a vision, lead teams and ensure team members are supported.
• Sound negotiation skills, political astuteness and comfort in creating and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Knowledge of contemporary international relations and of the UN system, in particular relating to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and international justice.
• Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.

Salary

$105,000 – $125,000 annually

Benefits

• ≥90% employer contributions toward health, dental, and vision insurance premiums for Employee-Only Plans; ≥75% employer contributions toward health, dental, and vision insurance premiums for Employee + Spouse or Family Plans
• 100% employer contribution toward $10,000 life insurance policy
• 3% employer 401(k) contributions, after one year of employment (no employee matching contribution required)
• 37-hour, flexible, hybrid workweek
• Unlimited paid medical/sick, personal, vacation, and bereavement leave
• 16 weeks paid parental leave, after one year of employment
• Paid family leave
• H-1B visa sponsorship

Application instructions

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