Director of Education Equity (Attorney)

About the role

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights seeks an experienced attorney to serve as Director of Education Equity Program at a critical moment for civil rights. This is an opportunity to lead high-impact litigation and policy advocacy addressing racial and economic inequities in Illinois' public education system.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Litigation
  • Build and lead systemic litigation and policy strategy to challenge exclusionary discipline policies and practices, including through enforcement of SB100 requirements.
  • Develop and lead high-impact litigation in state and federal courts challenging systemic barriers to educational opportunity, including racially discriminatory discipline practices, inequitable school funding, and exclusionary policies.
  • Research and develop legal theories for challenges to discriminatory laws, policies, and procedures affecting historically marginalized groups, including students of color and low-income students.
  • Leverage a network of 600+ volunteer attorneys to take on cases a small team otherwise couldn’t.
• Policy Advocacy
  • Advocate for Senate Bill 100 (Public Act 99-0456) enforcement, including guidance, rulemaking, and accountability mechanisms for school districts.
  • Draft and analyze legislation and administrative policy affecting educational opportunity.
  • Partner with colleagues, community organizations, and coalitions on legislative, policy, and administrative advocacy.
  • Support PEER Illinois, a coalition advocating for full and equitable funding of Illinois public schools through the Evidence-Based Funding formula.
• Team & Practice Management
  • Set practice priorities and goals, and develop an annual program workplan and project plans.
  • Be accountable for the implementation, execution, and outcomes of those plans.
  • Supervise education equity team staff, including conducting annual performance reviews, providing ongoing support on cases and projects, and supporting professional development opportunities.
  • Work with the Executive Director and Communications and Development teams to raise the overall profile of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee with funders, law firms, community partners, and media.
• Community Engagement & Partnerships
  • Cultivate and maintain partnerships with community-based organizations and coalitions, including from communities most impacted by historic, systemic racism and economic injustice.
  • Build strong relationships with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee member law firms and pro bono counsel through support, training, and co-counseling opportunities on education matters.
  • Plan and participate in community education and outreach in support of advocacy goals.

Qualifications

• Based in the Chicagoland area and available for regular in-person work at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee's downtown office as established by organizational policy.
• J.D. and active, good-standing admission to the Illinois Bar.
• At least 8 years of combined experience as a litigator and/or policy advocate, preferably in civil rights, with deep knowledge of and experience in education equity advocacy.
• Experience as a supervisor or in a senior attorney role.
• Demonstrated impact litigation experience, including federal court practice.
• Experience working with community organizations and coalitions.
• Deep commitment to racial justice and community-driven advocacy.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
• High degree of flexibility, ability to multi-task, and significant initiative.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent people skills, especially the ability to build a motivated and productive team and communicate effectively with a diversity of groups and individuals.
• Cross-cultural competencies and self-awareness around issues of power, privilege, and difference.

Core Traits

• Entrepreneurial: comfortable building new capacity and taking initiative in a program that is actively expanding.
• Self-managing: able to prioritize and drive work forward with minimal oversight.
• Self-executing: takes an idea through to implementation without needing to be handed a fully formed plan.
• Exercising sound judgment and discretion: able to make sound decisions and keep moving in a fast-changing legal and political landscape.
• Deeply collaborative: works across teams, coalitions, and partner organizations in a consultative, follow-the-lead manner.
• Innovative: brings fresh thinking to legal strategy and program growth rather than defaulting to the status quo.
• Community-centered: leads with the community-driven advocacy principles above—shared power and collaboration, focus on systemic change, capacity building, holistic problem solving, and cross-cultural awareness and competency.

Don't meet every single requirement?

At Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in this role description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary range is $115,000 – $140,000 per year depending on experience.
• Benefits include:
• 15 vacation days per year for years 1–2, increasing to 20 vacation days after two years of continuous service, plus 2 personal days.
• Health, dental, basic life, short-term disability, long-term disability, and Employee Assistance Program.
• Voluntary vision, life, critical illness, and accident insurance.
• 403(b) retirement plan.
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.

Contact Information

To Apply
Please e-mail a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and 3 references to: Elesha Jackson, Director of Administration, ejackson@clccrul.org, with subject line specifying “Application for Director of Education Equity.”
Please, no telephone inquiries.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately and will be accepted until the position is filled.