Cancer Justice Director

ORGANIZATION

Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that will celebrate its 50th year in 2025 as the nation’s oldest cross-disability rights advocacy organization. Our mission is to champion the rights of people with disabilities through education, advocacy, and litigation. The DRLC strives to bring high-impact cases in administrative, state, and federal court. These cases impact the lives and conditions for many similarly situated people.

DRLC’s Cancer Justice was founded in 1997 to address the legal issues faced by people with cancer, unique in the larger disability community, and is committed to providing information and resources about cancer-related legal issues to members of the cancer community across the nation. Cancer Justice was the first national dedicated center for patients, survivors, caregivers, and health care professionals to access confidential cancer-related legal information and resources at no cost. Since its founding, Cancer Justice has made legal information readily available for all extended cancer populations, ensuring that underserved communities are able to gain access to information and resources that otherwise may be out of reach.

Under the supervision of the President & CEO, the Cancer Justice Director oversees all aspects of the Cancer Justice including supervising Cancer Justice program staff, managing the intake line, and leading Cancer Justice’s policy advocacy, community outreach, strategic planning, and financial development.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Planning & Reporting
  • Collaborate with the President & CEO and the Director of Litigation to develop and achieve objectives of Cancer Justice’s strategic plan, including its internal goals, policy objectives, and community partnerships and visibility.
  • Lead organizational planning and development to better serve the cancer community.
  • Collaborate with the President & CEO and the Director of Litigation to identify and develop Cancer Justice needs and internal capacity and facilitate strategic changes in project scope or assignments.
  • Prioritize Cancer Justice program/project plan and lead the Cancer Justice team to successfully execute annual plan and budget in support of the Cancer Justice annual operations, quality, and fiscal goals.
  • Develop and implement mechanisms and relationships that create alignment along grant funding and deliverable requirements.
  • Pursue grants, donations, fellowships, volunteers, and other contributions to the Cancer Justice.
  • Track all presentation benchmarks and prepare quarterly reports for the President & CEO and the Board of Directors.
• Leadership & Supervision
  • Create structures, accountability measures, and goals for Cancer Justice staff.
  • Ensure that all internal and external activities are aligned with DRLC’s policies, procedures, and protocols. Create structures as needed.
  • Oversee and monitor responsibilities of Cancer Justice staff attorneys, administrative assistant, law students, and volunteers.
  • Train, supervise, and work with law students, fellows, and volunteers in collaboration with the Litigation Program.
  • Manage administrative and management tasks, including grant compliance, personnel supervision and quality assurance evaluations, staff retention, and cancer network relations.
  • Create structures, accountability measures, and goals for Cancer Justice’s professional panel attorneys in collaboration with the President & CEO and Director of Litigation.
  • Work closely, maintain, and further develop relationships with CLRC’s professional panel attorneys.
  • Assess and oversee Cancer Justice’s national telephone assistance line.
  • Conduct intakes, research legal questions/concerns, and provide information, education, resources, and referrals in a timely manner in collaboration with Cancer Justice staff attorneys, administrative assistants, law students, fellows and volunteers.
  • Promote effective work relations and work effectively as part of a DRLC team to facilitate the Cancer Justice's ability to meet its goals.
  • Conduct weekly supervision meetings with attorneys and administrative assistants to assess work, provide direction, and feedback.
  • Ensure that attorneys are well trained in substantive areas of the law and legal practice using DRLC and external resources.
  • Conduct annual reviews for all Cancer Justice staff.
• Policy Advocacy, Community Outreach, and Organizational Visibility
  • Expand Cancer Justiceimpact amongst underserved populations performing outreach to economically deprived, vulnerable, or marginalized communities.
  • Coordinate advocacy efforts to lead and support staff to optimize high quality advocacy for the Cancer Justice.
  • Collaborate with the President & CEO, the Director of Litigation, pro bono attorneys, and others on issues such as amicus briefs and legislative advocacy.
  • Represent the Cancer Justice in stakeholder meetings, public conferences, and in other outreach efforts that are strategically and concretely aligned with the development of policy advocacy.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with local and national cancer communities, other disability rights communities, and agencies whose work complements the mission of advancing the rights of people with cancer and disabilities.
  • Participate in collaborative efforts and coalitions within the cancer, health, and legal communities. Lead and attend meetings, trainings, conferences, and outreach events.
  • Identify brief service opportunities (including in-person intakes, letter writing, and limited scope representation) in the local community, where appropriate.
  • Coordinate and conduct Know Your Rights trainings and outreach presentations on cancer-related legal issues to a variety of audiences including cancer patients and survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, and legal professionals.
  • Develop, regularly update, and present cancer related training programs and written materials and publications on cancer-related legal issues for public speaking engagements, including in-person training, clinics, and webinars.
  • Identify, create, and manage potential clinical externships at law schools and fellowships.
  • Participate in traditional media appearances (TV and radio); social media activities; and other communication efforts, including drafting press releases and newsletters.
  • Develop and meet grant funding objectives and deliverables.
  • Other duties as assigned.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Expertise in disability and civil rights law, health care law, and public policy.
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and advocacy.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights of people with cancer and people with disabilities.
• Ability to expand Cancer Justice’s impact among underserved communities.
• Ability to maintain and further develop relationships with national legal, cancer, and healthcare stakeholders.
• Ability to make effective oral presentations and prepare concise written reports to a variety of audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, flexibility, and good humor.
• Excellent legal, organizational, and time-management skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent judgment, calm demeanor even under pressure, strong work ethic, resourceful, and able to maintain confidentiality.
• Decisive, with ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain positive team environment and support staff morale and resilience.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and work independently.
• Ability to meet deadlines and perform multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail.
• Excellent program evaluation and project management skills.
• Ability to make financial projections.
• Ability to work weekends and evenings.
• Willingness to travel locally and nationally.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• J.D. or L.L.M. degree from an accredited law school and active membership in the California State Bar, or ability to obtain admission.
• Minimum seven (7) years attorney experience.
• 7+ years of experience, preferably in cancer rights, disability rights or civil rights practice.
• 5+ years of supervisory and leadership experience.
• 3+ years project / program management experience.