The Lone Star Justice Alliance (LSJA) is seeking an experienced attorney with litigation experience to direct its growing legal staff. The perfect candidate is a change-maker who is interested in leading the field of criminal and juvenile justice reform in Texas and will be highly motivated, hard-working, and embrace LSJA’s mission and program goals enthusiastically. With experience in trauma-informed lawyering and crafting client-centered narratives, the Legal Director will hold responsibility for the following:

• Developing the legal and policy strategies for the JustSentening Department by implementing LSJA’s mission, accomplishing LSJA’s goals and adhering to LSJA’s values;
• Supervising a team of 3-5 attorneys and 10-12 legal interns;
• Conducting intakes, providing legal advice and support, making strong referrals, and taking on cases for representation as appropriate;
• Advising, counselling, and representing child clients with legal matters;
• Conducting depositions, producing interrogatories, and generally engaging in contested discovery matters;
• Staying up to date on state and federal laws and policies pertaining to criminal and juvenile justice, the school-to-prison pipeline, and collateral consequences in the criminal justice system;
• Maintaining organized client files, case notes, and database systems for caseload as determined with the Chief Executive Officer;
• Supporting PR, development, communications, and storytelling projects as needed;
• Preparing written reports on matters of national and statewide importance to reform efforts;
• Supporting the development team by contributing to grant applications and reports, newsletters, website updates, and action alerts and by cultivating individual donors;
• Conducting administrative tasks as needed.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Strong research and writing skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and an abiding commitment to social justice are essential for this position.

The attitude of a team player. The Director will be supervising a dynamic group of people that make up the legal team. LSJA’s team is growing, and the Director will be instrumental in that growth. The Director needs to be an outstanding legal technician, and an excellent leader and supervisor. LSJA is a strong believer in the team approach and the LSJA office is a team environment. The Director must enjoy mentoring and teaching to succeed in this role.

LSJA believes that high energy and enthusiasm for the work (and life in general) is needed for success in this role. The Director will need to be able to work fast and change gears quickly. They must be able to think on their feet and make smart decisions. The Director must be willing to go the extra mile to get the job done right the first time. In LSJA’s practice getting it done right the first time for clients is very important and everyone works with this goal in mind.

The Director must, must, must have emotional intelligence and empathy. They must have compassion for LSJA’s staff, clients, and for humankind. The Director cannot be someone who does not take criticism well or cannot deal well with people. Some of LSJA’s clients have bad days, can be royal pains, and do not always make good life choices. Clients are dealing with a complex and confusing legal system – on top of everything they encounter in their daily lives. Sometimes they take it out on their lawyer. If you do not think that you are up to the challenge of helping sometimes difficult clients, this is not the job for you.

To put it simply, LSJA wants a Director to do good work and lead LSJA’s team to rally around the clients to help solve their legal problems. LSJA wants people who want to fight for human rights, the rights of children, and opportunities for all.

Qualifications

• Passion for social justice, criminal justice, and community-oriented work required;
• J.D. degree required; licensed attorney, active and in good standing, in Texas – or able to become licensed quickly;
• At  least  8 years of experience representing clients in criminal and/or civil legal matters;
• At least 3 years experience supervising attorneys, developing legal strategy and leading teams;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Trauma-informed training preferred;
• Proactive communicator with strong problem-solving skills;
• Ability to develop creative solutions, speak up regularly with new ideas, thoughts, concerns, and incorporate feedback and direction;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously pursue creative and collaborative legal services and strategies;
• Excellent time management; ability to produce high quality work on tight deadlines;
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative;
• Demonstrated level of cultural competency relating to victims;
• Enthusiasm for working at a new organization;
• Excellent professional judgment;
• Ability to hit the ground working, multi-task, and work independently.

Compensation & Benefits

This is an in-person position, with office available in Dallas, Austin, or potentially Houston (preference Austin). Salary range for this position is $90,000-$110,000.

LSJA offers a comprehensive employee benefits program, including:

• Option to enroll in a 100% employer paid premium, major medical policy as well as, 100% employer paid dental/vision/ life insurance policy;
• Employer-paid long term disability insurance and group life insurance;
• Option to enroll in a 401k retirement program;
• Generous time off, including 10 holiday days, 10 days personal leave, and 10 days vacation within the first year and 15 days thereafter. LSJA also supports a company-wide sabbatical program, which provides an additional 30 days leave every five years of employment.

Contact

Amber Gomes of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials – cover letter and resume – by filling out the Talent Profile or email Amber directly at agomes@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Please note that your cover letter should specifically address these three questions: (1) What does justice reform mean to you? You should be detailed in your response, but don’t go over two paragraphs. (2) Why do you think you would be a good fit for this nonprofit. (3) Finally, in brief, what is your favorite children’s book and why?

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Lone Star Justice Association is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply.

The Transition Coach will be a part of a multidisciplinary program that serves justice-involved emerging adults (ages 18-24) Dallas, TX. The Transition Coach will help plan, guide, and support JustCareers participants through the workforce program and assist them in accessing education, employment, and stabilization services. They will work compassionately to help remove barriers that historically cause justice-involved emerging adults to be left out of the workforce. The Transition Coach will coordinate and provide support that is consistent, thoughtful, effective, equitable, and participant-centered. The Transition Coach will develop relationships with HR team and front-line supervisors within employer operations to provide support in meeting the needs of the participants, maintaining open and honest communication, and facilitating conflict resolution.  

RESPONSIBILTIES: 

• Maintain caseloads of approximately 20-25 participants enrolled in an intensive earn and learn workforce program. Maintain daily contact with participants and weekly contact with employers. 
• Conduct in-depth needs assessments and develop, in partnership with participants, a strengths-based/solution focused individual care plan that identifies short and long-term goals as well as needed resources to achieve goals 
• Monitor class and work attendance, performance, participation, and any instructor/employer concerns and feedback on a regular basis. Address student and other collaborative team member concerns in a timely manner.  
• Provide consistent support, including resource referral and interventions, to participants to ensure programmatic success.  
• Maintain complete and accurate records of all clients through LSJA database systems and other required client tracking systems.  
• Engage in team meetings to provide relevant updated on caseloads and student trends.  

SKILLS/ABILITIES: 

• Ability to integrate principles of Trauma Informed Care and Trust Based Relationships into service delivery approach with clients 
• Ability to clearly express ideas to individuals and groups in oral discussions and written communications  
• Superb organizational and interpersonal skills (i.e. customer service, relationship, and team building)  
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate and empathize with individuals of diverse backgrounds  
• Effective time management is essential along with the ability to stay on task and reach deadlines  
• Business analytics, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills  
• Proficient in MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint  
• Crisis Intervention Skills 
• Strong and independent decision making  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

This rewarding case management position is part of a collaborative team that includes community college professionals, employers, and other team members. This position requires high capacity, strong boundaries, exceptional organization skills, and excellent de-escalation skills.  

Other requirements include: 

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related human services field – 4+ years of directly applicable experience may be substituted for education requirements at the discretion of LSJA 
• At least 2 years providing case management to emerging adults aged 18-24 
• Experience working with justice-involved youth and case management providers  
• Experience working in under-resourced community 
• Computer Literacy skills (MS Office, Database entry, case notes, etc.) 
• Must have access to reliable transportation  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or similar field 
• Professional Licensure issued in field (e.g. LMSW, LPS, CRC, etc.)  
• Bi-lingual (Spanish)  
• Prior experience in workforce development environment 

POSITION PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

Sitting, Standing, Lifting, etc. Transition Coach may be mobile throughout most the day. While on the construction job site, this position may require walking or standing for long periods of time to meet with participants or employers. The hands are regularly used to write, and type.  Weights of up to 5 pounds occur (i.e. laptop computer, carrying case or backpack for equipment and files.) Requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities.  

HOW TO APPLY:
To apply please send a letter of interest and a resume to Chief Mission Officer, rhampton@lsja.org. In the Subject line, type ‘Transition Coach–Last Name’
  
In your cover letter, answer the following questions: (1) What does justice reform mean to you? You should be detailed in your response, but don’t go over two paragraphs. (2) Why do you think you would be a good fit for this nonprofit.
  

Thank you for taking the time to read this entire ad, if you decide to apply and follow instructions, we look forward to following up with you. 
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Applications will be considered on a rolling basis but must be received no later than June 20, 2024. LSJA has a strong commitment to diversity and especially encourages people historically underrepresented in the practice of law to apply. 
 
We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. 
 

LSJA represents a number of individuals currently serving life or other extreme sentences for offenses that occurred during their youth. We are presently seeking interns to assist with factual and record investigation in these matters. Current law students are encouraged to apply. Intern responsibilities are likely to include record collection and review, interviewing of the client’s social network, correspondence with the client, drafting of memorandum and declarations, and potentially correspondence and collaboration with expert witnesses. Interns will be involved in strategic decision-making concerning the framing of litigation and will have access and input regarding any court filings and proceedings. The position is unpaid but there is a possibility of future employment. 

Duties: 

• Client record collection (juvenile, child protective services, school, criminal, other) and review; 
• Client and fact witness interviewing and memo writing; 
• Regular client correspondence; 
• Participation in strategic case discussions and decision-making. 

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice; 
• Strong organizational skills; 
• Strong interpersonal skills (experience interviewing is a plus); 
• Strong writing and communication skills. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke

LSJA seeks interns to work on representing survivors of sex trafficking and intimate partner violence in clemency applications. This project will capitalize on the 2020 application established by Governor Abbott as a result of LSJA’s advocacy. The project entails identifying potential applicants and pro bono partners to submit a high volume of meritorious applications, as well as follow-up data collection and reporting to raise awareness about underlying issues. Interns will assist in all aspects of the project, from correspondence and review of records for potential applicants, to communication with pro bono organizations and practitioners, to preparation and review of application materials, to data collection/review and drafting of report sections. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new initiative that stands to bring hope and redemption to a large number of people. Current law students may apply. The position is unpaid, but future employment is a possibility. 

Duties: 

• Drafting and review of correspondence materials; 

• Record collection and review; 
• Participation in strategic conferences with partners; 
• Communication with coalition and pro bono partners; 
• Data collection/review; 
• Possible report drafting; 
• Client file maintenance (Clio). 

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest work; 
• Background in issues pertaining to sex trafficking, domestic violence, or other forms of trauma a plus; 
• Strong interpersonal skills; 
• Strong organizational and communication skills; 
• Ability to coordinate multiple aspects of a complex project involving many and varied personnel; 
• Ability to review and compile data/familiarity with statistical analysis. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke

LSJA is seeking interns to assist the organization in conducting impact litigation. Interns will help to file lawsuits intended to change the laws and policies that affect incarcerated youth in Texas. Interns will conduct legal research, draft briefs, and speak with clients. Goals include (1) improving the conditions of confinement for children, (2) lowering the number of children in confinement, (3) moving children in confinement closer to home, and more. This is an exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new initiative that stands to bring hope to a large number of people. Current law students may apply. The position is unpaid, but future employment is a possibility. 

Duties: 

• Research on incarcerate settings and civil rights violations; 
• Data collection/review; 
• Possible report and document drafting; 
• File maintenance (Clio). 

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest work; 
• Background in issues pertaining to civil rights in incarcerate settings; 
• Strong interpersonal skills; 
• Strong organizational and communication skills; 
• Ability to coordinate multiple aspects of a complex project involving many and varied personnel; 
• Ability to review and compile data/familiarity with statistical analysis. 

Please submit cover letter and CV to internships@lsja.org 

Supervisor: Elizabeth Henneke