Legal Director

Life Span is seeking to fill our legal director position based at the Chicago office. Life Span empowers survivors of domestic and sexual violence to demand safety as a human right through client-centered services and leads social change through accountability, community engagement, and systemic advocacy.
Life Span is a nationally known leader in the provision of services to victims of violence and their children. We are a financially secure organization with over 40 years of consistent and reliable funding. Our comprehensive services include criminal court advocacy, representation in civil protective order cases, expert representation in family law cases, immigration services and counseling for survivors and their children. Our work encompasses such issues as police domestic violence, immigration, employment issues, sexual assault civil no contact orders, the effects of trauma on clients and their children, teen dating violence, and the criminalization of survivors. Our agency has two sites, and services are available in nine languages including English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic. All services are free of charge. Our agency provides national leadership in policy work and systemic advocacy, and our staff has trained advocates, lawyers, judges, counselors and other professionals in Illinois and across the country on critical issues and innovative practices.
Life Span values diversity—in strengths, backgrounds and lived experiences. It is essential that our staff and leadership reflect the communities that we serve. We are committed to creating an anti-oppression framework and seek candidates who share this commitment.

Job Duties:
Job responsibilities include civil representation in orders of protection, family law and civil no contact orders for clients with domestic violence and/or sexual assault issues. The Legal Director will supervise, train and evaluate legal staff. The Legal Director will work with counseling and advocacy staff to provide a coordinated response to clients’ needs. The Legal Director will participate in systemic advocacy and policy reform.

Qualifications:
• Licensed to practice law in Illinois
• Five years of experience in domestic relations law with trial experience
• Expertise in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act and the IMDMA
• Prior supervisory experience
• Experience working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or other forms of trauma
• Demonstrated interest in public interest law
• Spanish or other language skill at the bilingual level is a plus for this position

Compensation: Generous benefits package, competitive salary dependent upon experience

Please send resume and cover letter via email at hiring@life-span.org.
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