Director of Legal Initatives

Director of Legal Initiatives
Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid: 3 days a week onsite)
Compensation: $200,000–$240,000, with consideration given to exceptional experience and demonstrated impact.

Position Overview

The Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law seeks a strategic, experienced, and mission-driven Director of Legal Initiatives to lead its Legal Initiatives (LI) team. This senior role operates at the intersection of civil rights enforcement, higher education compliance, and administrative advocacy, with a focus on combating anti-Semitism through regulatory and administrative channels.

The Director will oversee a dynamic portfolio that includes administrative agency complaints, regulatory advocacy, and institutional accountability efforts. This position plays a critical role in advancing the Brandeis Center’s broader legal strategy to address anti-Semitism and related civil rights violations.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Lead and manage the Legal Initiatives team, setting strategic priorities aligned with the organization’s mission.
• Develop and execute legal strategies focused on administrative enforcement and regulatory frameworks.
• Partner with senior leadership to align LI efforts with litigation, policy, and communications initiatives.

Administrative & Regulatory Advocacy

• Oversee the drafting, filing, and management of administrative complaints under federal civil rights statutes (e.g., ED, HHS, HUD, DOJ, EEOC).
• Engage directly with federal and state agencies to advance complaints and promote enforcement.
• Monitor regulatory developments and identify opportunities for advocacy, including rulemaking comments and policy engagement.
• Provide subject-matter expertise in constitutional and civil rights law, including reviewing, drafting, and editing federal and state legislation and regulatory proposals.
• Partner with the Chief Policy Officer to lead engagement with Congressional offices on oversight, inquiries, and civil rights enforcement matters.
• Contribute to the development of federal and state legislative strategy alongside the Chief Policy Officer.

Civil Rights Strategy & Legal Leadership

• Lead the development of legal strategies to advance civil rights enforcement through administrative and regulatory pathways.
• Set the direction for legal arguments in complaints and investigations, including the interpretation and application of statutes to emerging fact patterns.
• Guide teams in building strong, evidence-based cases that maximize the likelihood of agency action and institutional accountability.
• Maintain high standards of legal analysis, writing, and strategic execution across all matters.

Institutional Accountability & Investigations

• Direct efforts to hold universities, K–12 schools, medical institutions, and other entities accountable for civil rights violations.
• Oversee fact development, evidence gathering, and investigative coordination in support of complaints and advocacy.

External Engagement & Partnerships

• Represent the Brandeis Center in engagements with government agencies, partner organizations, and stakeholders.
• Build and maintain relationships with advocacy groups, legal partners, and pro bono counsel.
• Contribute to thought leadership, including reports, op-eds, panels, and public forums.

Team Management & Development

• Supervise and mentor attorneys and staff, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Ensure effective workflow management and coordination across multiple matters.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to the Brandeis Center’s mission.
• J.D. required; active bar membership in good standing.
• Familiarity with federal civil rights statutes and enforcement mechanisms (e.g., Title VI, Title VII).

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant legal experience.
• Experience engaging with or advising federal and state agencies (e.g., ED, HHS, DOJ, EEOC).
• Experience informing or shaping legislation at the federal or state level.
• Proven leadership and team management experience.
• Strong legal writing, analytical, and strategic thinking skills.
• Experience addressing anti-Semitism, higher education, K–12, or workplace discrimination issues.
• Background in nonprofit advocacy, government service, or impact litigation.
• Established relationships within civil rights or regulatory communities.

 The Louis D. Brandeis Center, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer.