🚀 Deputy Legal Director

Overview

CASA & CASA IN ACTION SYNOPSIS: CASA’s mission is to create a more just society by building power and improving the quality of life in working class communities, with emphasis on Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA operates with a sister organization, CASA in Action, a separate 501(c)(4) nonprofit. CASA and CASA in Action share a common goal of supporting immigrants and low‑income people in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and are separate entities with their own boards. A set of employees, including the person filling this position, shares their time between the two organizations; this does not affect salary or benefits.

DEPARTMENT SYNOPSIS: The immigrant community is under attack, and CASA’s legal department works to defend against abuses and injustices. The department operates under the principle that justice is the goal and law is a means. We pursue creative strategies, value broad, transformative solutions in partnership with community leaders, CASA staff, other organizations, and key partners. We value rest as essential for creativity and stamina. Our legal department currently operates on a hybrid model with three days on site.

Position Summary

CASA’s Deputy Legal Director will join a national organization protecting immigrant communities against xenophobic and white supremacist policies and practices. In partnership with the Legal Director, the Deputy Legal Director will lead local, regional, and national efforts to support and defend CASA’s community through litigation, advocacy, and direct legal services. The Deputy Legal Director will be a talented leader on CASA’s management team, supervising attorneys, senior attorneys, staff attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants; and representing the legal team in interdepartmental spaces and in advocacy efforts led by CASA’s Organizing and Advocacy Departments. The ideal candidate will have significant litigation, direct legal services, and management experience, preferably in a non‑profit setting working with immigrant, Black, Brown, Afro‑Descendant, and/or Indigenous communities.

Essential Responsibilities

• Strategize, develop, and implement goals, structures, and parameters for CASA’s impact litigation efforts
• Identify impact litigation opportunities that protect and advance the rights of Black, Brown, Afro-Descendant, Immigrant, and Indigenous communities
• Lead cases independently or co‑counsel with supervising attorneys, staff attorneys, and external attorney partners as necessary
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with external partners, including pro bono attorneys and litigation partners
• Oversee the development and implementation of social justice campaigns in coordination with Community Organizing and Advocacy departments
• Provide oversight and management of significant aspects of the legal department in coordination with the Legal Director
• Serve as a member of the Legal Managers Team, participating in department decision‑making on behalf of the Legal Director
• Oversee and mentor supervising attorneys, staff attorneys, pro bono attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants working in direct services, litigation, and campaigns in immigration, employment, housing and civil rights
• Represent CASA in local, regional, and national spaces, including coalitions, media, and public events
• Participate in departmental and organizational planning, including workplans and professional development plans; evaluate and provide feedback
• Conduct program and personnel evaluations for the Legal Department as required
• Collaborate with the Legal Director, supervising attorneys, and Development and Finance Departments to prepare reports to funders and stakeholders
• Assist with fundraising to grow and maintain the Legal Department and CASA organizationally
• Support the development and expansion of CASA’s membership base
• Facilitate connection of new CASA members with the Community Organizing Department and other CASA services
• Monitor data collection and regularly analyze metrics to inform program improvements and performance
• Other duties as assigned by the Legal Director

Education/Certification/Licensure

• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) with a minimum of 5 years legal experience (litigation experience strongly preferred)
• Admitted to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (Maryland preferred; D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Georgia also acceptable)
• Valid U.S. Driver’s License and a reliable vehicle

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bilingual/multilingual; English required, Spanish preferred; French a plus
• 5+ years of relevant litigation experience, including work with a law school clinic, internships, or related activities
• Commitment to Racial Justice, Equity & Inclusion (RJEI) principles in all work
• Creative, movement‑oriented lawyer committed to social change and community organizing
• Strong commitment to civil rights, especially workers’, tenants’, and immigrants’ rights
• Well‑organized with the ability to work independently and manage multiple projects
• Experience supervising staff
• Experience with legal case management systems; proficiency in Microsoft Office; Salesforce is a plus
• Excellent oral and written communication, including in legal advocacy and public communication
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills
• Ability to travel for trainings, litigation, speaking engagements, and other needs

Benefits

Who is eligible? All full-time and part-time permanent positions working 20 hours or more per week.

What We Offer:

• Generous paid time off including annual leave starting at three weeks per year (proportional accrual), two weeks sick leave, three days personal leave, and compensatory leave for exempt employees
• Twelve (12) paid holidays per calendar year
• Excellent Benefits Package including employer‑paid health, dental, and vision insurance (CASA pays 100% of the employee premium up to the HMO plan, 55% for spouses, 65% for children, and 60% for family)
• Basic life and AD&D
• Long- and Short-Term Disability
• Professional Development : reimbursement up to $2,000 for relevant coursework
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Additional voluntary benefits : FSA including Dependent Care; 401(k) with 2% employer match; Accident, Critical Indemnity, Hospital insurance
• Allowances : Mileage reimbursements for driving on CASA business; Cell phone stipend for business use

Physical Requirements

The physical demands are representative of those required to perform essential functions. Reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities.

Regularly required to sit, lift, carry, reach, push or pull objects; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl; handle, feel or grasp

Occasionally stand or walk; rarely lift up to 25 pounds. Vision: close, distance, and adjustable focus.

Work Environment

Reasonable accommodations may be made for disabilities. The work environment is usually moderate in noise. The role may involve exposure to varying conditions; the description reflects typical expectations.

ADA: CASA will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

OSHA: This role does not involve handling human fluids, biological agents, laboratory chemicals, or exposure to hazardous materials.

EEO statement: CASA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, mental or physical disability, ancestry, marital status, or national origin.

Note: This job description will be reviewed periodically; duties and responsibilities may change with business needs. Essential and marginal functions are subject to modification. CASA has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy requiring COVID‑19 booster vaccination for all employees and eligible positions, with accommodations as applicable.