Deputy General Counsel

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The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system. LDF continues to make an impact in the area of public service and was recognized by Fast Company as one of its 2023 Brands That Matter under its public service category.

LDF seeks an experienced Deputy General Counsel to partner with the Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel to operate an effective and efficient in-house legal department. The Deputy General Counsel must be a highly effective attorney with the legal skills, judgement, and customer-service orientation to help support teams and staff at LDF to deliver on our mission and goals. The Deputy General Counsel will be principally responsible for day-to-day legal department activities, including but not limited to legal research, advice and guidance; contract review and management; and managing the operations of the General Counsel’s office as set forth below. This role requires a dynamic approach to address the range of issues involved.

The Deputy General Counsel reports to the Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel.

LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office a minimum of two days per week, unless otherwise indicated.

Responsibilities:

High-quality legal advice and guidance

• Serve as a legal advisor to senior management and teams across LDF
• Conduct legal research and analysis to support decision-making and the resolution of business issues
• Provide legal advice and guidance in areas such as employment law, non-profit law, corporate governance, real property, business transactions, state regulations, intellectual property, and others
• Collaborate with the Risk & Compliance team on risk management and provide legal advice and research on multi-state compliance, lobbying and political activity restrictions, charitable solicitation, and insurance needs
• Support responses to claims, lawsuits, subpoenas, and similar actions involving LDF when needed, protecting the legal interests of LDF in judicial and administrative proceedings
• Assist in drafting and developing policies and procedures, including the personnel manual, employee policies, and volunteer policies
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda, correspondence, and legal documents
• Represent LDF on organizational issues before federal and state administrative agencies when needed
• Review estates and bequests and follow up on issues regarding same, including compliance with NYPMIFA and related laws
• Consult on employment matters including union negotiations and grievances, employee dispute resolution, employee disciplinary matters, investigations, and terminations
• Support the operation of LDF’s ethics, whistleblower, and conflict of interest policies
• Support with respect to practice-of-law and legal ethics issues as needed

Contract oversight

• Negotiate, draft, and review contracts of all types, including but not limited to vendor agreements, consulting agreements, grant agreements, leases, and license agreements, protecting LDF’s interests and advancing its mission
• Collaborate with the Operations team to continually improve use of the contract management system and completeness of LDF’s contracting records
• Develop and update template contracts aligned to business needs
• Develop and update contracting playbooks and processes

General Counsel’s Office Operations

• Strengthen internal processes to advance effectiveness, efficiency, and internal client service
• Supervise outside legal counsel, ensuring cost-effective representation
• Proactively monitor legal trends to identify areas of risk
• Assist with document retention protocols
• Develop and update legal operations playbooks and processes
• Develop and monitor departmental goals and metrics
• Maintain familiarity with civil rights litigation in areas of race and social justice to provide effective support aligned with LDF’s mission

Additional duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• At least ten (10) years of experience practicing law, with a strong preference for prior in-house or nonprofit organization experience
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF
• Substantial experience reviewing and negotiating contracts
• Experience in non-profit governance and tax-exempt organization law
• Experience in one or more of the following areas of law (and a willingness to learn areas in which you have less experience): labor and employment, regulatory compliance, charitable giving, tax, torts, privacy, data management, and intellectual property
• Experience managing relationships with other attorneys
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently
• A commitment to the highest standards of professional conduct and the ability to exercise exceptional judgment, integrity, and ethics
• Ability to operate with discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to translate legal risks and requirements into practical, mission-aligned business strategies and risk assessments
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet internal and external deadlines, use good time management and organizational skills, and prioritize among competing tasks
• Admitted to the bar in the jurisdiction (New York or D.C.) where the candidate is applying.

The total salary range for this position (a minimum of 10 years post-law school graduation), inclusive of compensation for additional administrative responsibilities, starts at and will be commensurate with experience:

New York: $184,000

Washington, DC: $177,000

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment, and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package. To learn more, click the following link: 2026 Benefits Overview.