Senior Vice President, General Counsel

This position will be based in Washington, DC. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, starting at $250,000.00 annually.

We strongly encourage people of color, transgender and non-binary people to apply. HRC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone, including non-LGBTQ+ people, to join our team. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that people from marginalized communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At HRC, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Position Summary:

The Senior Vice President, General Counsel is the lead business attorney for the Human Rights Campaign, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, and its affiliated entities (including PACs) and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and is responsible for ensuring compliance with and minimizing risk and liability under all applicable federal, state, and local laws. The General Counsel provides legal advice and counsel to the President, Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer, Chairs of the Boards of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign and the HRC Foundation, and senior staff in matters including, but not limited to, political and electoral work and communications; tax and board governance issues arising among the corporate entities and programs; employment and labor matters; real estate; intellectual property including trademark, copyright and fair use; security and risk management.

The General Counsel leads and supervises the Office of the General Counsel, recruits and supervises significant pro bono counsel resources, and oversees paid specialty outside counsel to provide responsive, comprehensive and high-quality legal services to all programs, activities and operations of the Human Rights Campaign, affiliated entities, and the HRC Foundation. The General Counsel also supervises the work on state compliance on lobbying, ballot measures and state elections performed part-time by staff counsel in the Legal department of the policy and political team.

Serves in the corporate officer role of Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign and HRC Foundation and as an organizational leader as a member of the senior leadership team. Manages a team including, when applicable, interviewing, hiring, conducting performance reviews, coaching, motivating, and disciplining employees.

Position Responsibilities:

• Elections/Campaign Law: Ensure that the Human Rights Campaign and affiliated PACs are complying with federal, state and local candidate election law, and laws governing state and local ballot measures. Oversee and/or review all necessary reports, including to the FEC, the House and Senate, and state and local agencies.
• Nonprofit Tax Law: Advise the Human Rights Campaign, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and the PACs on legal tax issues including maintaining the legal and fiscal integrity of the corporations, including the guidance on the allocation of activities between 501c3 and 501c4 entities
• Personnel/Labor Law: Provide legal advice and counsel on personnel issues, including support for a diverse and inclusive workforce. Assist senior management with the management-labor relationship, including serving as counsel to the management negotiating team during union contract negotiations.
• Contract Law: Review organizational contracts, negotiate or renegotiate contract provisions, and draft contracts for consultants and project partnerships.
• Intellectual Property: Trademark and Copyright Law: Provide legal advice and counsel on intellectual property issues, including trademark registration licensing and protection, as well as managing fair use practices.
• Real Estate and Commercial Leases: Serve as lead counsel on matters regarding the leasing of space for business purposes.
  • Exempt Organizations: Advise on membership, advocacy and corporate activities, such as: Direct mail activities, telemarketing, door-to-door canvassing, prides, web site membership drives, partners program, house parties, member liaisons and local efforts, and brochures.
  • Advise the development staff on activities including primary and secondary events, community events, the Federal Club, the Major Donor program, planned giving, corporate development, and Foundation work.
  • Support the development of innovative partnerships, including sponsorship, commercial co-venture agreements and other relationships that add to organizational relationships.
  • Support the creation of relationships with other entities through formal contracts or creation of new legal entities to advance programmatic work.
• Serve as counsel to the Boards of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, advising on corporate structures and board governance issues. Serve as corporate secretary to both HRC and the HRC Foundation, including maintaining corporate records.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Qualifications:

• Law degree (JD) from an accredited law school and D.C. Bar license or ability and willingness to immediately apply to waive into the D.C. Bar.
• At least fifteen years of full-time legal practice with a demonstrated familiarity with many, if not all, of the areas of practice listed in the areas of responsibilities. At least 3 years of experience within the national nonprofit advocacy sector.
• Strong preference for non-profit experience, including federal and state election law, federal and state tax law, contract negotiations, employment/labor law, exempt organizations law, and contracts law.
• Familiarity with intellectual property and real estate law helpful.
• Substantial experience supervising other attorneys, as well as experience in recruiting and working with pro bono law firm counsel as necessary.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to navigate dynamic relationships with others to achieve organizational goals, maintain effective relationships with colleagues, and integrate into the flow of organization activity.
• Must be highly organized, detail-oriented and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to manage short-term and long-term projects.
• Flexibility with work schedule; this position does require regular evening and weekend work.
• Must have excellent writing skills and strong verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to manage confidential information with sound judgment, discretion and tact.
• Ability to manage competing demands, set and clarify priorities, and work with non-attorneys on solution-oriented approaches to issues presented while maintaining sense of humor.
• Commitment to HRC’s mission of promoting equality for all LGBTQ+ people.

All positions at the Human Rights Campaign may require travel on a regular basis or periodically. Where the need arises for business travel, appropriate compensation as outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act will apply.

Employer is the Human Rights Campaign, Inc., an I.R.C. 501(c)(4) non-profit entity.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to queries about application status.