Director of Litigation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Founded in 1983, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) is the nation’s largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) legal and civil rights organization, and a critical leader and advocate working on behalf of the AAPI community in Southern California. We serve more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year through direct legal services, impact litigation, policy and advocacy, community engagement, and demographic research. Rooted in the legacy of our immigrant forebears and fueled by modern advocacy, our mission is to protect and strengthen the rights and dignity of AAPI communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged. Our vision is for an inclusive, equitable world for all in which AAPI’s are empowered and thrive.

AJSOCAL is seeking an experienced and innovative leader with deep knowledge and experience and a passion for protecting and strengthening the rights and dignity of AAPI communities to serve as our Director of Litigation (Director). The Director will work closely with the CEO, Vice President of Programs, other leadership and program directors, and the Board of Directors to establish a unifying, actionable, and leveraged litigation strategy to protect and advance the rights of the most vulnerable members of the AAPI community. Strong candidates will have significant experience serving in impact or complex litigation roles addressing social justice issues; exceptional communication and ambassadorial skills; innovative problem-solving skills, and experience leading, managing and developing diverse, motivated, and effective leaders and teams.

We are in an era of extraordinary social polarization, and we are contending with significant efforts to roll back hard-won protections for civil and reproductive rights, racial justice, and immigrant families. The stakes are arguably higher than they have been in decades, and this is truly a pivotal moment. The next Director will join a dynamic, evolving organization at an important inflection point, in a time of both challenge and opportunity for AJSOCAL and the communities we serve.

This position is hybrid. The Director can work out of our offices in Los Angeles and/or in Orange County, CA and the role entails some local, state and national travel throughout the year. The base compensation range for this position is $118,600 – $170,000, with a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance; paid vacation/sick time; paid holidays; leaves of absence; disability, life insurance and supplemental life insurance options; retirement plans, and more.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

Founded in 1983 by President Emeritus Stewart Kwoh, AJSOCAL was built in response to the death of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was brutally murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers who blamed Japan for the downturn in the American auto industry. AJSOCAL provided out-of-state counsel in the high-profile hate crime case. Mr. Chin’s murder and his case marked a pivotal moment in Asian American civil rights history. AJSOCAL continued to provide landmark legal services as the lead counsel in the groundbreaking 1995 federal civil rights lawsuit, Bureerong v. Uvawas, representing eighty Thai garment workers who had been trafficked and imprisoned in El Monte, California. The case is widely regarded as the clarion call that amplified the visibility and impact of human trafficking and modern-day slavery in the United States, resulting in the reformation of garment industry labor regulations.

AJSOCAL has continued to provide AAPI communities with multilingual, culturally responsive legal services, education, and civil rights support. A year after our founding, AJSOCAL launched our citizenship assistance program to support individuals pursuing naturalization and citizenship. In 2002, we launched the Asian Language Legal Intake Project (ALLIP) in partnership with local legal aid organizations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, establishing hotlines to provide legal assistance in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Spanish.

AJSOCAL is part of a powerful network of four civil rights AAPI nonprofit organizations with affiliates in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC that make up the Asian American Advancing Justice national affiliation.

Today, AJSOCAL has approximately 100 staff located in our offices in Orange County and downtown Los Angeles, as well as policy staff in Sacramento. Our programs include:

• Direct Services – We provide free legal aid and other direct services in eight Asian languages and dialects, including in housing, immigration, domestic violence, voting rights and protection, and healthcare access.
• Impact Litigation – We fight systemic injustices in areas such as housing and worker’s rights, immigration, language access, and anti-Asian hate through legal action that empowers our communities.
• Policy Advocacy – We push for legislative and administrative reforms at local, state, and national levels, including through bills, budget procurement, and regulations to advance policies for AAPIs, other BIPOC communities, immigrants, women and LGBTQIA+ communities.
• Community Engagement – We host workshops, forums, and educational events to inform and empower AAPI communities about their rights and available legal resources.
• Demographic Research – We conduct and distribute data-driven research to highlight ethnic and language-specific challenges and ensure policies reflect the real needs of our communities.

Our Impact Litigation Program

AJSOCAL files lawsuits and other actions in state and federal courts that are designed to address systemic issues and improve the lives of vulnerable and oppressed individuals. We fight against economic and social injustice, including in the following areas:

• Immigrant Rights
• Anti-Asian Hate
• Employment & Worker’s Rights
• Language Access
• Housing
• LGBTQ+ Rights
• Gender/Gender-Based Violence
• Voting Rights
• Education Justice

Since launching our Impact Litigation program over 30 years ago, AJSOCAL has represented hundreds of clients in federal and state actions, achieving sweeping and precedent-setting judgments and settlements that protect rights and improve conditions for thousands of people in a wide range of areas.

THE OPPORTUNITY

AJSOCAL is pleased to announce that we are seeking a Director of Litigation to join our organization. The Director will grow and lead our impact litigation team and advance a strategic impact litigation docket to meet the needs of our communities at a time of significant change and challenge in the AAPI community in Southern California, and at a pivotal moment in our country. In a time when many are seeking opportunities to engage in purpose-driven work that truly makes a difference, this is an extraordinary opportunity for a passionate, experienced litigator to defend and advance critical civil rights and fight injustice.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Programs, the Director will be responsible for all aspects of our impact litigation work. The new Director can expect to engage with the following opportunities and challenges:

Lead AJSOCAL’s litigation work. The next Director will provide strategic direction and visionary leadership as we expand our impact litigation docket to tackle injustice on behalf of the communities we serve. The successful candidate will be an experienced litigator (preferably federal and/or state) with an established impact litigation track record focused on social justice. The Director will be charged with leading all active litigation advanced directly by AJSOCAL and in partnership with others, guiding litigation strategies, and directing case development to ensure high quality work product. The Director will stay abreast of state and nationwide legal trends and think strategically about how AJSOCAL deploys litigation, policy, and advocacy tools and approaches in tandem to impact the issues that are most pressing in the AAPI community.

Be a strong ambassador for the organization and for the critical issues that affect the AAPI community in Southern California. As the spokesperson for AJSOCAL’s litigation matters, the Director will foster relationships with key stakeholders, allies, and partners and be a strong ambassador for the organization to amplify AJSOCAL’s position as a thought leader in the AAPI and impact litigation space nationwide. The Director will work with the board, staff, and other key stakeholders to create a unifying, actionable, and leveraged litigation strategy and amplify the visibility of our efforts.

Foster a cohesive, engaged, and impactful litigation team. The new Director will bring an entrepreneurial spirit to strengthen and grow our team of staff attorneys and legal advocates. They will benefit from the opportunity to work autonomously, bringing in their vision and creativity to build the team while developing a compelling litigation docket. The Director will mentor team members, provide ongoing feedback and evaluation to direct reports, and build the attorney team’s capacity to take on additional and increasingly complex cases.

Collaborate closely with other members of the AJSOCAL team to support a healthy culture and achieve shared goals. The Director will collaborate and coordinate with team members throughout the organization to establish our litigation priorities. They will develop a thorough knowledge of AJSOCAL’s services and available resources, both within and outside the organization. They will report to the Vice President of Programs and serve as a member of the Strategy, Programs, and Mission team. The Director will work closely with the CEO, Policy Director, Community Engagement Director, Demographic Research Director, and Managing Director of Client Services to determine how to leverage impact litigation as a strategic tool to advance AJSOCAL’s priorities and how our services and advocacy can inform or lead to litigation. The Director will also work closely with the communications team to create a media strategy to advance our litigation goals and announce our settlements and courtroom wins.

Strengthen and deepen the partnership with the Board of Directors. The AJSOCAL Board of Directors is comprised of a deeply committed group of community leaders who are passionate about AJSOCAL’s mission. There are several impact litigation experts on the board, as well as a newly created Litigation Committee (LC). While the Director will not report directly to the board, they will consult closely with the LC to glean insights into relevant developments in the litigation space and gain support and mentorship.

QUALIFICATIONS

AJSOCAL’s next Director of Litigation will be an experienced and innovative leader and impact litigator who has deep knowledge and passion for protecting and strengthening the rights and dignity of AAPI communities and a robust, values-aligned set of leadership skills to advancing those rights. While no candidate will embody all the qualifications set forth below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal competencies, attributes, and experiences:

• Dedication to protecting and strengthening the rights and dignity of AAPI communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged.
• An experienced and dedicated litigator – A minimum of 4-6 years of extensive and varied experience in public interest, government, or private legal practice in impact or complex litigation, including as lead litigator with co-counsel. Background in addressing social justice issues strongly preferred.
• An excellent communicator and effective ambassador within the AAPI community - Capacity to communicate effectively and connect with a wide range of audiences. A dynamic and persuasive public speaker.
• A visionary leader with an entrepreneurial spirit – Demonstrated track record using entrepreneurial, innovative approaches to lead teams in achieving shared goals and desired outcomes.
• An empathetic, responsive, and clear manager – Demonstrated commitment to fostering a healthy, participatory organizational culture while holding decision-making authority over key organizational matters. Respectful and thoughtful in their communications with colleagues, with a demonstrated capacity to engender trust between the senior leadership team and other staff members.
• Effective partner to the Board of Directors – Experience partnering with a Board of Directors to inform strategy and secure guidance and support.
• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and an active member in good standing of the California State Bar.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge and understanding of relevant statutes, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Ability to use logic and reasoning to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Capacity to develop systematic approaches to complex problems.
• Ability to synthesize, evaluate, and integrate relevant information to develop and implement solutions.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
• Successful track record of strategic planning, managing teams, and executing deliverables.
• Ability to assemble relevant facts and evidence crucial to cases through creative low-cost investigation strategies.
• Organizational and strategic capacity to efficiently and effectively advocate for clients.
• Strong preference for knowledge and prior experience working with immigrant, low-income, and limited-English proficient communities.
• Experience in and/or strong commitment to working with AAPI communities preferred.
• Fluency in Vietnamese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Korean, Thai, Cantonese, or Cambodian a plus.

Leadership Qualities

• Demonstrated strong leadership experience and ability to work effectively with multiple teams, developing, enabling, and motivating effective teams.
• Leadership style that prioritizes the growth, well-being and empowerment of employees and fosters a culture of belonging in which people can bring their whole selves.
• Skills and experience in engaging and working with colleagues at all levels of the organization, and with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• High EQ, evidenced by thoughtful listening skills, compassion in all interactions, and empathy with others' reactions and feelings.
• Intellectual curiosity and a growth mindset that actively supports the vision of a unified AJSOCAL and embraces new programs, approaches, perspectives, and ways of working.
• Strong drive and intellectual curiosity to explore and pursue opportunities for impactful social justice initiatives.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position is hybrid. The Director can work out of our offices in Los Angeles and/or Orange County, CA and the role entails some local, state and national travel throughout the year. The base compensation range for this position is $118,600 – $170,000, to be determined in accordance with the selected candidate’s experience and qualifications. AJSOCAL offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, Life and AD&D insurance, paid sick days, floating days, holidays and an end of the year holiday break. Employees are eligible to contribute to their 403(b) on date of hire and will receive the employer match (4%, increases based on tenure) after their one-year anniversary.