Remote Director, State Courts

Summary

Join Alliance for Justice (AFJ) in seeking a Director, State Courts to oversee AFJ's work to raise awareness about the importance of state judiciary; develop strategy, leverage relationships and networks; grow the team's strategy, capacity, and work; and directly engage in state court appointments and campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategy and set AFJ/AFJ Action program priorities related to promoting the importance of state supreme courts and the justices who sit on them
• Direct AFJ/AFJ Action’s advocacy related to state courts - including engagement in judicial campaigns and all advocacy post-appointment – and manage staff to execute program priorities
• Manage (including hiring, supervision, discipline, and firing) unionized state courts staff currently comprised of a Regional State Courts Senior Manager and Regional State Courts Counsel
• Coordinate with Director of Building the Bench to set strategy, goals, and priorities for AFJ/AFJ Action’s pre-appointment advocacy with merit selection commissions, gubernatorial selection, or other selection methods
• Assist the Director of Building the Bench with preparing and advocating for demographically and professional diverse candidates, especially movement lawyers, for the state supreme courts
• Oversee research and materials development, working with Communications, Outreach, and other AFJ/AFJ Action teams, for all AFJ/AFJ Action projects related to the state courts
• Maintain public facing research and campaign content such as online State Courts Hub and AFJ Action state courts content to ensure materials are timely and accurate
• Work with Outreach team to strengthen and expand AFJ/AFJ Action’s engagement with organizations and individuals in key states. Represent AFJ/AFJ Action to other organizations as part of coalitions on issues related to state courts
• Lead, working across Outreach and Comms teams, convenings, strategy sessions, and coalitions of national and state-based progressive groups engaged in the courts
• Oversee research campaigns, including coordination with law firms, outside counsel, law students, and non-attorney volunteers
• Speak at legal and policy conferences, serve as a media surrogate on behalf of AFJ/AFJ Action, and brief policymakers, academics, member organizations and other audiences on all issues related to state courts
• Work with the development, and executive teams to secure funding for AFJ/AFJ Action state court programs, including assisting with grant reports and proposals
• Advise the Justice Program Director, VP of Strategy, and AFJ President on all issues related to the state courts and help prepare AFJ President for public appearances
• Help develop and regularly report on the progress that the state courts team has made towards key performance indicators and implementing AFJ’s strategic plan