Legal Director

Unchained At Last, the survivor-led nonprofit at the helm of the national movement to end forced and child marriage in the United States, seeks a Legal Director to establish a new legal department.

About the role

The Legal Director ensures women, girls, LGBTQ individuals, and others receive crucial, free legal representation to avoid, escape from, and rebuild after forced and child marriage. Reporting to the Executive Director, with mentorship from experienced family and immigration attorneys, and with extensive training on forced and child marriage, the Legal Director will:

• Represent New Jersey-based survivors of forced and child marriage in family court proceedings, immigration proceedings, and ancillary civil legal matters (~75% of time);
• Coordinate Unchained’s volunteer legal team and arrange pro bono legal representation for clients across the U.S. (~20% of time);
• Manage a paralegal; and
• Develop protocols and best practices for the nascent legal department.

Requirements

You might be a good fit for this position if you:

• Are admitted to the New Jersey State Bar;
• Have at least four years of family law experience;
• Are endlessly compassionate, patient, and nonjudgmental;
• Are detail-oriented, highly organized, and adept at working independently; and
• Feel passionately about Unchained’s mission.

Qualifications

The following criteria are not required but are a bonus:

• Have immigration law experience;
• Are fluent in Arabic, Hindi, and/or Urdu; and/or
• Are admitted also to the New York State Bar.

Regardless of your gender, if you are excited about this job, apply even if you do not meet 100 percent of the qualifications.

Benefits

The compensation package for this position includes:

• Salary of $112,000;
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match;
• High-quality health insurance;
• Dental insurance;
• Vision insurance;
• Life insurance;
• Long-term disability insurance;
• Flexible Spending Account for health and commuter costs;
• Remote work;
• Generous paid time off, including parental leave;
• Solid work-life balance (the workday ends at 5:00 p.m. — and earlier on Fridays — except in emergencies);
• Monthly art therapy sessions with the Unchained team; and
• United Nations grounds pass.

Schedule

Remote. In-person work is limited to court appearances, some client meetings, monthly art therapy sessions with the team, and occasional events.

About Unchained At Last

Unchained is the only organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, life-saving legal and social services and emotional support — always for free — to individuals in the U.S. resisting or escaping forced marriage. Unchained also leads the national movement to end forced and child marriage through social, policy, and legal change.

A day at Unchained is rarely dull. The small but feisty team travels across the U.S. to testify at legislative hearings and protest forced and child marriage. The organization prioritizes self-care and team building, with early office closures every Friday, a week off every summer, and monthly art therapy sessions.