Interim Disability & Health Justice Program Director

Legal Aid at Work; California; Remote; USD 97,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Disability insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation

Unionized environment

Job summary

Legal Aid at Work seeks an Interim Disability & Health Justice Program Director with a deep commitment to advancing disability justice, combating ableism, and advocating for the rights of low-income workers.

The DHJP spans litigation, policy advocacy, community education, and direct services, and aims to defend workers with disabilities, confront health risks from climate change, and support incarcerated and immigrant workers.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of litigation experience with class actions.
• Minimum 3 years supervisory experience preferred.
• Active California State Bar member; based in California.
• Experience with disability rights and workplace discrimination.

Responsibilities

• Implement the strategy for the program in partnership with the VP of Programs and Litigation, the Director of Litigation, and the other legal staff on the team.
• Oversee the Program’s litigation docket, including class actions, representative actions, individual actions, and amicus work and other advocacy efforts.
• Identifying areas for collaboration across Program teams.
• Overseeing the Program’s collaborations with community partners.
• Managing the Program administration, including preparing the program budget, coordinating program projects, supervising Program attorneys and staff, timekeeping, and assisting with grant applications and reports.

Skills

Litigation leadership

Civil rights advocacy

Disability rights knowledge

Program management

Supervisory experience

Strategic planning

Collaboration

Diversity equity inclusion

Legal research/writing

Travel ability

Job description

Legal Aid at Work (LAAW) partners with people to help them understand and assert their workplace rights, and advocates for employment laws and systems that empower low‑paid workers and marginalized communities.

LAAW has seven core program areas: (1) Community Legal Services; (2) Disability Rights; (3) Gender Equity & LGBTQ Rights; (4) National Origin and Immigrants’ Rights; (5) Racial Economic Justice; (6) Wage Protection; and (7) Work & Family. Through these programs, LAAW:

• Provides free, individualized legal advice and counsel throughout California to thousands of low‑income workers;
• Pursues targeted enforcement and impact litigation to strengthen and clarify the law;
• Conducts community outreach and education for workers, their advocates, their families, and their health and social service providers; and
• Advocates for laws, regulations, and policies at the local, state, and national levels to strengthen civil and workplace rights.

As a social justice organization, Legal Aid at Work’s mission is rooted in the firm belief that all people deserve respect, dignity, and self‑determination at work, at school, and in their communities. Structural and systemic racism—with the oppression of Black and Indigenous people at its core—and other forms of injustice shape the society and the civic, political, and legal systems in which we work and live. Legal Aid at Work is committed to developing and nurturing an organizational culture that will dismantle systems of oppression, uplift people from under‑represented communities, and create a workplace that is truly equitable and inclusive. As such, we strongly encourage BIPOC candidates and those with lived experiences as low‑wage workers to apply.

SUMMARY

Legal Aid at Work seeks an Interim Disability & Health Justice Program (DHJP) Director with a deep commitment to advancing disability justice, combating ableism and advocating for the rights of low‑income workers. The DHJP’s practice is rooted in intersectional, impact, and enforcement‑driven work that spans litigation, policy advocacy, community education, and direct services. Our work is focused on:

• Defending and expanding protections for workers with disabilities
• Confronting the unequal health risks created by climate change and unsafe workplaces, especially impacting rural and agricultural workers
• Championing the rights of incarcerated workers and immigrant workers who are disproportionately vulnerable to exploitation
• Advancing a vision of justice that puts the voices and needs of workers with disabilities at the center

This is a unique opportunity for a civil rights attorney with significant litigation experience to lead a creative team. The ideal candidate will bring enthusiasm and proven commitment for systems‑level impact in the disability rights, employment discrimination, and/or occupational health and safety space.

While experience in employment law is beneficial, broad legal experience across various civil rights and social justice issue areas is preferred. A demonstrated commitment to the principles of movement lawyering is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Interim Program Director will work within and across teams to further the goals of the Program, with an emphasis on executing against the Program’s strategy, managing the litigation docket, and overseeing a team of a Staff Attorney, a Senior Paralegal, a Fellow, and law clerks.

The Interim Program Director is responsible for:

• Implementing the strategy for the program in partnership with the VP of Programs and Litigation, the Director of Litigation, and the other legal staff on the team
• Overseeing the Program’s litigation docket, including class actions, representative actions, individual actions, and amicus work and other advocacy efforts
• Identifying areas for collaboration across Program teams
• Overseeing the Program’s collaborations with community partners
• Managing the Program administration, including preparing the program budget, coordinating program projects, supervising Program attorneys and staff, timekeeping, and assisting with the preparation of grant applications and reports

REQUIREMENTS

The full‑time Interim Program Director will join our organization as soon as possible for a minimum of eight months. While not guaranteed, there is the possibility of extension for this temporary position pending organizational needs. Candidates must be active members of the California State Bar and be based in California.

The following list of core competencies and experiences is provided to share insight into the requirements of the role and the general level of experience we seek in candidates. We encourage all qualified candidates and those with relevant or transferable experience to apply, even if you do not bring experience in all of the areas noted below.

Legal Aid at Work offers employees the flexibility to work primarily from home, contingent on business needs and professional responsibilities. Strong preference will be given to applicants with personal or professional experience working with impacted communities.

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and civil rights work and movement lawyering
• Passion for Legal Aid at Work’s mission of seeking justice for low‑wage workers
• 8+ years of litigation experience; demonstrated track record bringing forth impact and class action litigation and a passion for doing so at LAAW
• A minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated track record setting and executing against programmatic strategies
• Experience working with people with disabilities (those who are neurodivergent, have mental health disabilities and/or sensory disabilities), people who are low‑income, or incarcerated populations
• Experience with investigating, developing, and litigating civil rights cases (including discovery, motion practice, hearings, trials and/or appeals in state and federal court)
• Ability to lead and work collaboratively with a small team of attorneys and paralegals
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, and prioritizing competing deadlines
• Willingness to develop projects on their own initiative
• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills
• Demonstrated experience thinking strategically about the role of a legal nonprofit in supporting grassroots organizing efforts
• Deep commitment to racial equity work and incorporating racial equity principles into legal advocacy
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and the ability to hold and foster difficult and necessary conversations about race, color, disability, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other protected categories
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy when dealing with sensitive issues and to maintain confidentiality;
• Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, leadership, and organizational abilities
• Ability travel as necessary within California and to other parts of the country for litigation, speaking events, meetings, and conferences

ADDITIONAL PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of California employment law and court and/or administrative procedures
• Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese or other languages commonly spoken by low‑wage workers in California

COMPENSATION

Legal Aid at Work offers salaries that are competitive in the public interest law community. Benefits include health plans, long‑term disability and life insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and generous paid vacation and holidays. As a unionized organization, Legal Aid at Work believes in the importance of employees organizing to improve their working conditions. This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by ESC Local 20. Salary placement at hire and salary advancement will be in accordance with the negotiated salary scale in the union contract for this position. The current salary scale is $97,344 to $187,063, depending on years out of law school. A language bonus of $75 per pay period will also be applied for qualified candidates. This Program Director position will receive a pro‑rated annual premium payment of $15,000.

Legal Aid at Work is committed to a diverse, multicultural work environment. LAAW is an equal opportunity and fair chance, employer. Our complete EEO and DEI statements as well as further information concerning the organization and its programs can be found at www.legalaidatwork.org. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Legal Aid at Work will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.