Job Posting: Executive Director at Legal Services Corporation of Virginia (LSCV)

Do you have a passion for equal justice for all Virginians?  Are you driven to use your advocacy and policy experience to ensure that individuals and families impacted by poverty receive high quality legal services with their civil legal problems?  Are you a manager with energy, resolve, strategic thinking, and interpersonal skills to work across organizations and with legal system stakeholders to increase and improve access to justice for low-income Virginians?

If your answer is “Yes”, then the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia is looking for you to be our organization’s next Executive Director.

About Our Organization:  The Legal Services Corporation of Virginia (LSCV) was formed and incorporated in 1975 by the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Department of Social Services, and the Virginia Legal Aid Association to develop, fund, coordinate, and oversee the delivery of civil legal services to the poor in Virginia. LSCV provides civil legal services to the poor with a state general revenue appropriation and a state filing fee appropriation. With this support, LSCV funds and oversees the work of nine regional Legal Aid programs and a statewide support center, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, that operate out of 35 offices and serve every city and county in Virginia and ensures that low-income Virginians have access to stable, efficient, and effective civil legal assistance.  LSCV also is charged by statute with administering the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, the proceeds of which are added to state appropriations to fund civil legal services to the poor.

After 31 years in the position, our executive director is retiring.  The new executive director will work alongside a deputy director to engage in legislative and administrative advocacy, relationship building, and engagement of the wider community including the courts, bar associations, IOLTA participating banks, and others, and help oversee grant administration, communications, and other activities. The executive director serves as a key advocate for LSCV’s grantees and the civil legal aid delivery system in Virginia.

LSCV is located in downtown Richmond. Occasional travel may be required for meetings and conferences. The next executive director will live in or be willing to commute regularly to the Greater Richmond area.

More information about LSCV can be found at www.lscv.org .

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Develop LSCV’s annual budget strategy and advocate at the Governor’s policy office, the Department of Planning and Budget, and the General Assembly for funding civil legal services to low-income Virginians. Prepare talking points and other materials supporting budget amendments and make outreach to members of House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees, their staffs, and the wider legislature regarding legal aid funding, including presentations to and testimony before legislative committees and subcommittees.
  • Administer the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, including assisting and monitoring attorney compliance with IOLTA Rule, developing of revenue enhancement strategies, and bank compliance and comparability strategies. This will require frequent negotiations with banks.
  • Oversee administration of $25 million+ budget annually, working closely with staff, board members, and legal aid programs. Includes overseeing the application and reporting cycle, managing the program review process, and monitoring compliance.
  • Enhance LSCV’s private and corporate fundraising efforts.
  • Oversee and conduct regular evaluations of legal aid programs with LSCV’s long-time program evaluation consultant.
  • Oversee regular strategic planning efforts with LSCV-funded programs and maintain regular oversight and coordination activities of these programs.
  • Draft the LSCV Annual Report to the General Assembly and the wider public.
  • Supervise administrative office staff and project consultants, plus other staff for various other projects.
  • Represent LSCV through participation on various external committees. Develop and steward partnerships with other organizations for shared projects.
  • Oversee statewide Legal Aid DEI, Strategic Communication, and Pandemic Crisis Response committees.
  • Oversee the LSCV Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).
  • Help manage grants and assist with grant reports.
  • Provide content for the LSCV website and VAlegalaid.org.
  • Respond to external requests for information and produce fact sheets, reports, referrals, data tables, etc. as appropriate.
  • The executive director will have a deputy director to assist with all of the above duties and responsibilities.

Qualifications/Skills:

  • Strong commitment to access to justice and comprehensive knowledge of civil legal aid, preferably in Virginia.
  • J.D. or other advanced degree preferred. Admission to Virginia State Bar is preferred.
  • 7+ years’ extensive experience in poverty law, civil legal aid, and/or advocacy on behalf of underserved individuals and communities, preferably in a nonprofit setting, including program management and supervision of staff and/or volunteers.
  • Excellent attention to detail, including comfort working with large number sets.
  • Experience and comfort with technology. Proficiency with Excel, Word, web content management systems, mass email systems, and databases is especially helpful.
  • Excellent critical thinking, project management, and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and quickly respond to changing needs.
  • Excellent writing, communications, and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work both independently and with a team.
  • Ability to think strategically, act decisively, and solve problems quickly and effectively.

 

To Apply:

LSCV is assisted in its search for a new executive director by:

Patricia Pap, Consultant

Management Information Exchange

105 Chauncy St., Fl 6, Ste 3

Boston, MA 02111

Materials should be submitted electronically to ppap@mielegalaid.org in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her at the email address above.

Screening of applicants begins immediately and will continue until the time of selection.  To receive full consideration, you are encouraged to submit your application materials by September 15, 2022. Please submit a letter expressing your interest in the position, your qualifications for the job, and what you hope to contribute to the organization’s future.  Please include a résumé and the names and contact information of three professional references.

Salary/Benefits:

Salary depends on experience based on a competitive public interest salary scale; the expected range is $150,000 to $170,000. The generous benefits package includes health, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, retirement plans, and company-paid parking, as well as the camaraderie of a team of committed advocates for social, racial, and economic justice.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: LSCV is committed to being a diverse, equitable, accessible, and anti-racist workplace that values and promotes a culture where differences are embraced. This commitment extends to the organization’s LSCV funds.

LSCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other group protected by law.