Legal Director, Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice (Job ID #86589)

About the role

The UC Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice seeks a Legal Director to lead the Center's efforts in drafting amicus briefs, advocating for consumer protection laws, and coordinating the CLASS Network.

Responsibilities

• Leads the research, analysis, and drafting of amicus briefs in appellate courts across California and the United States, addressing complex issues in consumer protection and economic justice.
• Develops and submits regulatory comments in federal and state rulemaking proceedings, translating legal research into policy-relevant recommendations.
• Identifies emerging legal and policy trends; formulates strategic responses to influence the development of consumer law.
• Oversees the legal and programmatic operations of the Center’s initiatives, including amicus briefing, regulatory advocacy, and national network activities.
• Manages multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines, ensuring timely and high-quality outcomes.
• Develops and implements processes to support coordination, collaboration, and program effectiveness across initiatives.
• Works closely with students, including law student fellows, by providing mentorship, guidance, and support in connection with Center initiatives and programs.
• Oversees student-led research projects conducted in partnership with external organizations, ensuring high-quality legal analysis and deliverables.
• Coordinates the Consumer Law Advocates, Scholars & Students (CLASS) Network, a nationwide consortium of law schools, faculty, students, and practitioners.
• Serves as a primary liaison to external stakeholders, including non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), legal aid organizations, and regulatory agencies, ensuring effective coordination across geographically dispersed partners.
• Works closely with faculty, students, nonprofit leaders, and government attorneys to advance programmatic and policy goals.
• Represents the Center in public forums, including conferences, presentations, and legislative or regulatory testimony.
• Communicates complex legal and policy concepts clearly to diverse audiences, including academic, professional, and public stakeholders.
• Provides strategic direction for legal advocacy initiatives, including long-term planning for impact litigation and regulatory engagement aimed at shaping the evolution of consumer protection law.
• Designs and implements innovative programs to expand consumer law education and advocacy, including launching new academic offerings and clinics at law schools nationwide.
• Addresses complex, non-routine challenges requiring creative problem-solving, including building support for new legal programs in institutions without existing consumer law infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of consumer protection law or related field(s), administrative law, and experience with the regulatory process at state and/or federal levels.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with all levels of staff, students, and external partners, both verbally and in writing.
• Exceptional legal research, analytical, and persuasive writing skills, particularly in drafting appellate briefs and regulatory comments.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong project and program management skills, including the ability to lead complex, multi-institutional initiatives with competing deadlines.
• Thorough knowledge of and/or ability to learn organizational or initiative processes, protocols and procedures.
• Strategic planning skills, including the ability to help design long-term initiatives that influence legal and policy outcomes.
• Advanced problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop creative and strategic solutions to novel legal and programmatic challenges.
• Able to work independently with a high degree of autonomy while managing multiple high-impact projects.
• Able to form and maintain strong working relationships across a broad spectrum of people and organizations.
• Able to manage ambiguity and adapt to evolving legal, policy, and organizational priorities.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with individuals and groups from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Demonstrated commitment and/or ability to demonstrate how to foster an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes collaboration and mutual respect among all members of the UC Berkeley community and its stakeholders.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with and understand individuals from varied academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to supervise, train, and evaluate student work to ensure high-quality legal analysis and deliverables.
• Demonstrated experience researching and drafting amicus and/or appellate briefs.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing consumer rights, economic justice, and public interest law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience preparing and submitting regulatory comments in state and/or federal rulemaking proceedings.
• Admission to the State Bar of California.