Legal Director

Muslim Legal Fund of America; Richardson (TX); On-site; USD 145,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & Vision insurance

Life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

403(b) retirement plan

Job summary

Muslim Legal Fund of America seeks a Legal Director to lead its Legal Division, setting priorities, overseeing litigation and advocacy, and ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission.

This senior role manages senior attorneys, champions ethics and risk management, and collaborates with executives, donors, and external partners. A J.D., Texas Bar, and 10+ years of leadership in public-interest litigation are required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission and good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible attorney experience, including significant litigation.
• Experience managing senior attorneys, legal teams, or complex programs.
• Experience overseeing substantial dockets, balancing competing priorities, and ensuring deadlines and commitments are met.
• Strong legal judgment and advanced legal research, writing, analysis, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to make clear decisions, address challenges directly, and hold individuals and teams accountable.
• Ability to communicate effectively with attorneys, executive leaders, board members, staff, community partners, donors, and other external stakeholders.
• High emotional intelligence, sound interpersonal judgment, and a leadership style grounded in professionalism, humility, and respect.
• Genuine respect for Muslim communities and a demonstrated commitment to serving communities affected by discrimination.

Responsibilities

• Set legal priorities and oversee litigation and advocacy across practice areas.
• Lead the Legal Division and manage senior attorneys and staff.
• Ensure ethical, coordinated, high-quality legal work aligned with MLFA's mission.
• Monitor regulatory developments and allocate resources.
• Represent MLFA with partners, coalitions, funders, and external stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Litigation management

Legal analysis

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Job description

Muslim Legal Fund of America is a 501(c)(3) organization that funds and supports legal work defending Muslims against injustice in America's courtrooms, prisons, and communities. MLFA's mission is to advance equality and justice for American Muslim organizations and individuals by combating injustices carried out in the name of national security.

About Muslim Legal Fund of America

Muslim Legal Fund of America is a 501(c)(3) organization that funds and supports legal work defending Muslims against injustice in America's courtrooms, prisons, and communities. MLFA's mission is to advance equality and justice for American Muslim organizations and individuals by combating injustices carried out in the name of national security.

The Opportunity

MLFA is seeking a Legal Director to serve as the senior leader of its Legal Division and strengthen the people, systems, and strategy behind its legal work. The Legal Director will set legal priorities, oversee litigation and advocacy across practice areas, and ensure MLFA's legal work is excellent, ethical, coordinated, and aligned with the organization’s mission and long-term goals. This person will operate at both the strategic and front-line levels, helping MLFA navigate complex legal issues and a rapidly changing legal and policy environment. This role will require a forward-facing approach as well including potential on air interviews.

This is a manager-first, practitioner-second role . The Legal Director may advise on or carry a limited number of especially strategic matters, but their primary responsibility will be leading the full legal function. They will manage senior attorneys, create clarity and accountability across teams, and own docket discipline for the Legal Division.

What You Will Lead

Legal Strategy and Program Direction

• Partner with the CEO and Legal Committee to establish MLFA's legal strategy, annual priorities, and practice-area goals.
• Translate organizational priorities into clear decisions about case selection, staffing, resource allocation, partnerships, and legal program growth.
• Monitor emerging legal, regulatory, and policy developments affecting American Muslim individuals and organizations.
• Identify where MLFA is best positioned to lead, intervene, partner, or build additional legal capacity.

People Leadership and Docket Management

• Supervise, coach, and support Managing Attorneys, Practice Directors, and other designated legal staff.
• Establish clear roles, decision-making authority, performance expectations, and lines of accountability across the Legal Division.
• Own division-wide docket discipline, ensuring each matter has clear ownership, an appropriate strategy, active supervision, and well-managed deadlines.
• Conduct regular portfolio and docket reviews to identify legal risks, staffing needs, workload concerns, and matters requiring additional support.
• Lead performance management, professional development, succession planning, and efforts to retain strong attorneys and legal staff.
• Address performance, communication, and interpersonal concerns promptly and constructively.

Legal Quality, Ethics, and Institutional Risk

• Provide senior oversight of litigation and legal advocacy across MLFA's programs.
• Review major litigation strategies, significant filings, settlements, and other high-risk decisions as appropriate.
• Establish and uphold standards for legal research, written advocacy, client service, ethics, confidentiality, conflicts, security, and professional conduct.
• Advise the CEO on significant legal risk, policy positioning, and institutional decisions.
• Ensure legal work complies with applicable professional obligations, organizational policies, grant requirements, and state and federal regulations.

Organizational and External Leadership

• Serve as the primary bridge between the Legal Division and MLFA's executive, communications, development, finance, and operations teams.
• Keep organizational leadership appropriately informed about major matters, emerging risks, legal-program performance, and resource needs.
• Help translate complex legal developments for non-legal audiences while protecting privilege, client confidentiality, and litigation strategy.
• Represent MLFA with legal partners, coalitions, community organizations, funders, outside counsel, and other stakeholders.
• Partner with the CEO and Operations team to manage legal budgets, litigation expenses, outside counsel, experts, and other resources.
• Contribute legal insight to public education, fundraising, grant reporting, board engagement, and strategic initiatives.

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission and good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible attorney experience, including significant litigation experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing senior attorneys, legal teams, or complex legal programs.
• Experience overseeing substantial dockets, balancing competing priorities, and ensuring deadlines and commitments are met.
• Strong legal judgment and advanced legal research, writing, analysis, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to make clear decisions, address challenges directly, and hold individuals and teams accountable.
• Ability to communicate effectively with attorneys, executive leaders, board members, staff, community partners, donors, and other external stakeholders.
• High emotional intelligence, sound interpersonal judgment, and a leadership style grounded in professionalism, humility, and respect.
• Genuine respect for Muslim communities and a demonstrated commitment to serving communities affected by discrimination, criminalization, or government overreach.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public-interest law, civil rights, nonprofit legal services, impact litigation, constitutional law, immigration, federal criminal defense, or government litigation.
• Experience leading a legal team through organizational growth, change, or the introduction of new systems and structures.
• Experience managing legal budgets, outside counsel, grant-funded programming, or funder reporting.
• A strong track record of working with grassroots organizations and impacted communities.
• The ability to maintain a regular and meaningful presence in the DFW area.

Nonprofit experience is a strong plus but is not an absolute requirement. Candidates coming from private practice or government may also be successful when they bring the necessary management experience, mission alignment, and understanding of community-centered legal work.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary range is $145,000-$155,000, depending on experience and qualifications. MLFA offers employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance; employer-paid life insurance; an Employee Assistance Program; and access to a 403(b) retirement plan, currently without an employer match.