Executive Director

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) seeks an experienced Executive Director to expand access to justice for low-income Tennesseans. You will lead statewide initiatives, work with a dedicated board, and guide innovative programs while ensuring fiscal stability and strategic growth.

Qualifications include a Doctorate degree, bar admission or willingness to pursue, and strong fundraising and collaboration skills. Nashville-based, with preference for in-office presence.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree required; admission to the Tennessee bar or willingness to seek admission.
• Extensive experience building state, regional and national relationships.
• Proven track record in resource development, fundraising and grant writing.
• Progressive management with supervision, financial oversight and budget development.
• Federal, state and local government contracting experience preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Skill set and demonstrated commitment to advancing cultural competency.
• Collaborative leadership style, professionalism, integrity, energy, compassion and sense of humor.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the board and staff to continue the organization’s mission and strengthen the delivery of civil legal help to vulnerable Tennesseans.
• Develop and expand innovative programs and tools; address future funding challenges.
• Advance the program’s role as a center for innovation, training and expertise in Tennessee.
• Network at state, regional and national levels to create and strengthen relationships with partners and funders.
• Guide strategic planning with the board and staff and build on program strengths with a future vision.
• Strengthen fiscal stability by seeking traditional and non-traditional funding sources.
• Creatively utilize technology to improve service and enable staff to work more effectively.
• Recruit, supervise, develop, support, and evaluate staff and foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Cultural competency

Collaborative leadership

Fundraising

Grant writing

Public interest leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Doctorate degree

Job description

TENNESSEE ALLIANCE FOR LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Position Closes November 6, 2026

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) seeks an experienced and visionary Executive Director who possesses a demonstrated passion for expanding access to justice and advocating

for low-income and other vulnerable Tennessee populations.

TALS is a statewide non-profit organization committed to:

Empowering its constituencies, especially those in need;

Providing visionary and effective leadership;

Serving the public interest by improving access to civil legal assistance;

Advocating for justice for those in need; and

Advancing collaboration and building consensus among providers of legal services for the common good.

TALS was created in 1977 with a two-fold mission: To support and coordinate the activities of

civil legal service providers in Tennessee and to spearhead statewide efforts to further access to

justice for low-income Tennesseans. The successful candidate will work closely with TALS’

dedicated board and staff to continue the organization’s mission, strengthening the delivery of

civil legal help to vulnerable Tennesseans.

TALS seeks an Executive Director with a vision and

commitment to developing and expanding innovative programs and tools, addressing future funding challenges and advancing the program’s role as a center for innovation, training and expertise in our state.

Key Priorities:

• Ensure that high-quality legal advice and information continue to be accessible statewide through TALS’ civil legal helpline, 1 844 HELP4TN, and Tennessee Free Legal Answers and that statewide legal help resources are available through TALS’ web portal

WWW.HELP4TN.org;

• Continue high-quality programing for the legal aid provider community through TALS’

task forces and executing Equal Justice University;

• Demonstrate a commitment and outlook for innovative solutions to future challenges;
• Network at the state, regional and national levels to create and strengthen relationships

with collaborative partners and funders;

• Guide strategic planning with the board and staff which builds on program strengths

with a vision for the future;

• Strengthen TALS’ fiscal stability by seeking traditional and non-traditional funding

sources to increase capacity towards TALS’ core mission;

• Creatively utilize technology to improve service to low-income Tennesseans and to allow

staff to work more effectively and efficiently;

• Work collaboratively with the board of directors to ensure that the mission of TALS is

implemented; and

• Recruit, supervise, develop, support, and evaluate TALS staff and foster a collaborative, inclusive

, and high-performing workplace.

Qualifications:

Juis

• Doctorate degree required. Admission to the Tennessee bar or the willingness to

seek admission through comity or sit for the next Tennessee bar exam required

• State, regional and national relationship building skills and experience
• Successful track record in resource development, fundraising and grant writing
• Progressive management experience involving staff supervision, financial oversight and

budget development

• Federal, State and local government contracting experience preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Skill set and demonstrated commitment to advancing cultural competency
• Collaborative leadership style, professionalism, integrity, energy, compassion and sense

of humor

• Legal aid or public interest leadership experience preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to and passion for advancing civil access to justice

Physical presence in the Nashville office preferred. Candidates not living in the Middle Tennessee area will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Salary Range: $110,000-$135,000 depending on experience

About TALS

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is a statewide non-profit organization that builds

partnerships to support the delivery of effective civil legal services for low-income and elderly

Tennesseans. TALS manages a web portal providing legal information-www.HELP4TN.org, and staffs 1-

888-HELP4TN, a toll-free civil legal services referral and information phone line. Learn more at