Legal Director, Justicia Lab

Justicia Lab is Pro Bono Net’s immigrant justice technology lab, and a nonprofit legal tech initiative whose mission is to transform immigrant justice through collaboration, creativity, and technology. We work hand in hand with immigrants and their advocates to identify common challenges and incubate scalable digital tools to advance help immigrants navigate our immigration system, find workplace justice, and more. Our tools prioritize collaborative and equitable design, data privacy, and language justice and provide critical resources and capacity to where they’re needed the most.

Pro Bono Net (PBN) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to justice. Through innovative technology solutions and expertise in building and mobilizing justice networks, we transform the way legal help reaches the underserved. Our comprehensive programs enable legal advocates to make a stronger impact, increase volunteer participation, and empower the public with resources and self-advocacy tools to solve legal problems. To learn more about our programs and partners, visit https://www.probono.net/about/item.mission

About the Role

Justicia Lab is seeking an experienced and mission-driven Legal Director to lead our legal strategy, oversee programmatic work, and ensure that our technology-driven initiatives align with legal best practices and immigrant rights advocacy. The Legal Director will lead the development and management of Justicia Lab’s award-winning immigrant legal tech tools (Citizenshipwoks, Immi, Immigration Law Help, and Immigration Advocates Network) and workplace justice project ¡Reclamo!. We are seeking an out-of-the-box thinker who will bring legal expertise and user experience design to develop novel digital legal solutions for immigrants nationwide (including developing new AI-based workflows for our existing tools).

The Legal Director will lead the development of our legal screening interviews, support in the maintenance of our plain-language and multilingual legal content, and develop strategic partnerships with national and local advocate partners to support the development of new initiatives and scale the reach of Justicia Lab’s tools. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in immigration law and exposure to other civil legal issues disproportionately impacting immigrants include wage theft and access to benefits.

This full-time position reports to Justicia Lab’s Director based in New York City. Remote applicants are welcome to apply.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Strategy & Leadership: Develop and oversee Justicia Lab’s legal strategy to ensure our work aligns with immigration law and policy priorities.
• Program Oversight: Lead legal components of our digital initiatives, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and best practices in legal technology. This includes overseeing program and project-level budgets.
• Digital Interview & Resource Design: Lead the design and development of dynamic issue-spotting legal interviews, digital materials, referral tools, and online legal forms supporting immigrants navigating immigration and employment law.
• AI Tool Development & Maintenance: Support with the design and maintenance of new AI-based workflows to assist immigrants in better accessing legal information and assistance.
• Fundraising & Development Responsibilities: Lead the development of select funding proposals that effectively communicate program mission, goals and impact; support the development and scoping of new project opportunities; and assist in preparing reports, campaigns and other communication to grow support for our work
• Partnership Development: Cultivate and manage relationships with legal services organizations, immigrant rights advocates, funders, and policymakers.
• Research & Advocacy: Stay informed about changes in immigration law, NYS wage and hour rules, and provide thought leadership on legal trends impacting immigrant communities.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure Justicia Lab’s products and initiatives adhere to legal and regulatory frameworks, including data privacy and professional responsibility standards.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Provide guidance and supervision partner attorneys, legal fellows, external contractors, and pro bono partners engaged in Justicia Lab’s work.
• Public Engagement: Represent Justicia Lab in legal and policy discussions, conferences, and media opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Work with other Pro Bono Net program and product leads to advance organization-wide strategic initiatives; assist with other special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 5 years of legal experience, with a strong background in immigration law and policy.
• Experience developing and managing legal technology, access-to-justice initiatives (including AI-based tools), or nonprofit legal services preferred.
• Familiarity with expert system authoring software and development methodologies, and willingness and ability to learn new approaches
• Understanding of principles of user experience design and user testing methods preferred
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including managing teams, partnerships, or programs.
• Experience building and managing project- or program-level budgets.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts to diverse audiences.
• Commitment to immigrant justice, racial equity, and ethical use of technology.
• Must be able to travel to up to 10% of the year

Benefits & Culture

Pro Bono Net offers a supportive and mission-driven work environment with competitive benefits, including comprehensive health benefits, four weeks of paid vacation, professional development opportunities, and a flexible remote work policy.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Pro Bono Net is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and members of other marginalized communities.