Overview

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

About the team:

The Associate General Counsel will report to the Chief Legal and Information Officer (CLIO) and will work with the entire Legal Department team (consisting of the CLIO, the Associate Director for Legal Operations, another Associate GC, and the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow) to provide legal advice and assistance to the organization. As an experienced attorney, this person will be expected to assist the CLIO in larger projects, review assignments by the fellow and interns, and manage certain projects with a lesser degree of supervision. This position will be based in Vera’s New York office, in Industry City, Brooklyn.

About the role:

Legal Advice and Research

Providing legal advice on arising matters, including researching legal and regulatory issues, advising initiatives and programs on arising matters, and ensuring compliance with legal requirements for nonprofits. This includes, without limitation:

  • Overseeing arising departmental projects as assigned by the CLIO;
  • Overseeing compliance with regulatory and contractual obligations (including with respect to data security) and, with the CLIO, transactions attending the spin-off or wind-down of Vera work; and
  • Having command of major laws and regulations governing legislative advocacy and answering questions as they arise.

Legal Agreements

Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements of various kinds: grants, government contracts, licenses, independent contractor agreements, master service agreements, memoranda of understanding, and any others that may arise. This includes supporting review by other members of the department.

Other duties

Other duties as arising and assigned, including assisting in reviewing, developing, and training others on organizational and departmental policies, systems, and procedures.

What qualifications are we looking for?

  • J.D. or LL.M. from an ABA-accredited U.S. law school.
  • Bachelor’s degree + 4-7 years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
  • Admission to New York State bar.
  • Three to five years of relevant experience (whether at another not-for-profit, a law firm, or elsewhere).

Preferred:

  • An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy.
  • Experience in political law or employer-side labor law a plus.
  • Three or more years’ experience in an in-house or other transactional environment.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you’ll bring:

  • Must have a strong interest in the operations of nonprofit organizations and a broad-based curiosity about potentially unfamiliar legal matters coupled with the ability to master new topics independently, as the Institute is known for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach.
  • Vera’s Legal team works to automate as many of its processes as possible, so this person must be adept with technology and welcome the creative challenge of improving operations.
  • Excellent writing skills are required. This person must have sufficient command of the written word to draft documents that are professional yet accessible, and sufficient command of legal ideas not to fall back on legalese.
  • This person must have the ability to manage relationships across the organization and with outside parties diplomatically, including when enforcing a rule or managing expectations.

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

  • Microsoft Office
  • General facility with online databases

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.