Prison Fellowship General Counsel

ThinkingAhead; Leesburg (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Prison Fellowship seeks a General Counsel who can pair rigorous legal judgment with practical, mission-aligned counsel. Reporting to the EVP, Administration and Partnerships, this leader will advise the President & CEO, executive leadership, and key stakeholders on organizational, regulatory, governance, employment, contractual, and operational matters.

The General Counsel will guide complex decisions, strengthen legal and compliance practices, oversee contract management, and lead a small legal

Qualifications

• Requires Juris Doctor (J.D.) from accredited law school.
• Licensed attorney in good standing with at least one state bar, with ability to obtain general counsel certificate within relevant jurisdictions.
• Minimum eight years of progressively responsible legal experience, including contract negotiation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Review and manage contracts, grants, planned‑giving estate gifts and charitable gift annuities, sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, and memoranda of understanding; maintain organized storage for pending and executed legal agreements.
• Counsel internal stakeholders on contracts, corporate governance, lobbying laws, ethics, litigation, employment law, child protection, and regulatory compliance.
• Advise HR and business leaders on employee disputes, conflicts of interest, leave and accommodations, wage‑hour matters, employee benefits, and related compliance.
• Monitor federal and state legal and regulatory developments and help develop employment‑law and regulatory‑compliance policies, practices, and initiatives.
• Direct and manage outside counsel for IP/trademarks, employment practices, and nonprofit compliance.
• Contribute to Board, employee, donor, and volunteer policies and records on legal topics including IP, transactions, software, licensing.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Corporate governance

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Nonprofit management

In-house counsel

Leadership

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

About the Organization

Prison Fellowship is the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit equipping the Church to serve currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families, and to advocate for justice and human dignity. Prison Fellowship and its church partners encounter Jesus with those behind bars, breaking cycles of crime and prayerfully anticipating a revival of justice, mercy, and hope in our culture.

Prison Fellowship’s mission is to encounter Jesus with those impacted by incarceration. Its vision is to see a revival of the Church inside and outside prison that brings justice, mercy, and hope to our culture.

The ministry is founded on the conviction that all people are created in God’s image and that no life is beyond God’s reach. Prison Fellowship believes a restorative approach to incarceration can make communities safer and healthier and can replace cycles of crime with cycles of renewal.

The Opportunity

Prison Fellowship seeks a General Counsel who can pair rigorous legal judgment with practical, mission‑aligned counsel. Reporting to the EVP, Administration and Partnerships, this leader will advise the President & CEO, executive leadership, and key stakeholders on organizational, regulatory, governance, employment, contractual, and operational matters.

The opportunity calls for a hands‑on legal executive who can identify and mitigate risk while helping the ministry advance strategic objectives. The General Counsel will guide complex decisions, strengthen legal and compliance practices, oversee contract management, and lead a small legal team serving the organization.

What Success Requires

• Trusted counsel to executive leadership, the Board, business managers, and ministry teams.
• Practical advice that protects the ministry while enabling responsible action and growth.
• A service‑oriented legal function with strong controls, clear priorities, and responsive support.
• Deep alignment with Prison Fellowship’s mission, Statement of Faith, values, and Christian ministry environment.

Position Summary

The General Counsel serves as Prison Fellowship’s principal legal advisor, providing strategic, practical, and mission‑aligned counsel across the organization. The role analyzes complex legal issues, drafts and negotiates key legal documents, presents recommendations to leadership, and helps ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

This leader provides hands‑on counsel to all levels of the ministry, with particular responsibility for contracts, corporate governance, employment law, lobbying laws, ethics, litigation, child protection, nonprofit compliance, and organizational risk.

The General Counsel also manages the legal function, directly supervising and developing the Paralegal and overseeing legal workflows, contract review, legal research, document management, and support services.

Reporting & Team

Reports to the EVP, Administration and Partnerships.

Direct reports: Paralegal.

Works with executive leadership, the President and CEO, the Board of Directors, Human Resources, business managers, internal stakeholders, and outside counsel.

Faith Commitment

As a Christian organization, Prison Fellowship believes in the full authority of the Bible as God’s inspired Word and the tenets of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. Employees are expected to uphold and align their beliefs and conduct with these biblical principles in their work and daily lives.

The General Counsel is classified as a ministerial role and contributes to the advancement of Prison Fellowship’s religious beliefs, mission, and principles.

Key Responsibilities

Review and manage contracts, grants, planned‑giving estate gifts and charitable gift annuities, sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, and memoranda of understanding; maintain organized storage for pending and executed legal agreements.

Proactively identify legal risks, develop mitigation strategies, and counsel internal stakeholders on contracts, corporate governance, lobbying laws, ethics, litigation, employment law, child protection, and regulatory compliance.

Advise Human Resources and business leaders on employee complaints, conflicts of interest, leave and accommodations, wage‑and‑hour matters, employee benefits, and related compliance requirements.

Monitor federal and state legal and regulatory developments and help develop employment‑law and regulatory‑compliance policies, practices, and initiatives.

Direct and manage outside counsel as needed, including intellectual property and trademark, employment practices, and nonprofit compliance matters.

Contribute to Board, employee, donor, and volunteer policies, processes, procedures, records, and standards on legal topics including intellectual property, transactions, software and technology, charitable registration, and licensing.

Ensure appropriate liability protection and waivers for activities involving volunteers, featured speakers, and staff.

Identify strategic opportunities involving criminal justice initiatives, religious freedom, amicus briefs, and proactive policy development; provide Board‑level support as directed.

Supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate the Paralegal; establish priorities, assign work, and oversee legal operations workflows.

Education & Experience

Required Education & Licensure

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.

Licensed attorney in good standing with at least one state bar, with the ability to obtain a general counsel certificate within relevant jurisdiction(s).

Professional Experience

At least eight years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant work in contract negotiation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

Experience serving as in‑house counsel or advising senior executives on complex legal and organizational matters.

Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing legal professionals or legal support staff.

Experience interacting with executive leadership, boards of directors, and external stakeholders.

Experience managing a legal department budget.

Nonprofit management experience, ideally in a faith‑based environment; experience with nonprofit, ministry, faith‑based, or other mission‑driven organizations is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Comprehensive knowledge of laws affecting nonprofit organizations, with strong grounding in contract law, corporate governance