Advocacy Staff Counsel

Description:

The Staff Counsel role is an opportunity to apply legal expertise to achieve global impact through a variety of social sector initiatives. This person will advise A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company staff on the legal rules that affect nonprofit advocacy, including tax law constraints as well as federal, state and local lobbying and campaign finance and election laws. We seek a creative, flexible problem-solver who will provide legal technical expertise in advocacy compliance to support A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company's work with fiscal sponsor nonprofit organizations, nonprofits, foundations, and family and individual philanthropist clients.

The Staff Counsel will provide counsel to A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company's account teams supporting clients to ensure compliance with federal tax law, the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act, state lobbying and campaign finance regulation, and other compliance issues that arise in the day-to-day management of the advocacy activities of tax-exempt organizations.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Serve in the General Counsel's Office with a focus on providing counsel on advocacy issues.
• Provide sound legal advice and collaborate with staff to creatively problem-solve advocacy compliance issues to get to “yes.”
• Under the supervision of Senior Counsel, provide advocacy law expertise related to federal, state, and local laws that regulate the activities of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporations.
• Take responsibility for the review and resolution of compliance issues presented by staff and clients in a timely, efficient way, including by collaborating with Senior Counsel or other members of A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company's legal and compliance team as needed.
• Under the supervision of Senior Counsel, contribute to coordination of advocacy legal matters and decisions with fiscal sponsor nonprofit organizations' general counsel.
• Work with outside counsel as necessary to address capacity or technical knowledge gaps or oversee legal compliance.
• Review and approve state advocacy regulatory filings on behalf of fiscal sponsor nonprofit organizations and in collaboration with Senior Counsel and A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company's compliance staff.
• In collaboration with Senior Counsel, identify and develop curricula for staff training on legal rules and compliance procedures relevant to advocacy work.
• Monitor and evaluate risk to A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company and fiscal sponsor nonprofit organizations related to this position's areas of expertise.
• Stay abreast of developments in nonprofit advocacy compliance to inform all aspects of the firm's business and to support firm services.
• Coordinate with colleagues on the legal team to provide comprehensive legal services to achieve A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company and client goals.

To be successful in this role, you'll need

• J.D. and license to practice law in a relevant A Washington, D.C.-Based For-Profit Company jurisdiction.
• 2-5 years of relevant professional experience with steadily increasing job responsibilities.
• Knowledge of nonprofit corporate and tax law and laws regulating lobbying and campaign finance/political activity by nonprofits.
• Experience with negotiation, drafting, analyzing, or advising on contracts.
• Experience creatively addressing client needs and providing excellent client service.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate across various internal and external stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and a proven ability to work inclusively with diverse teams, audiences, and stakeholders; the ability to take initiative for creating an inclusive environment and model and implement equitable policies, practices, systems, or strategies.
• Ability to navigate a fast-paced environment and balance responding to immediate opportunities while maintaining a strategic, long-term perspective.
• Experience advising clients or working within nonprofit organizations is preferred.
• Knowledge of employment, privacy, general corporate, and intellectual property law is a plus.
• Conduct research and perform other duties as directed

Our Core Competencies:

• The ability to provide excellent service, including being able to address complex service matters, implement and communicate service changes to everyone involved, and to coach teammates on how to apply the firm's service standards
• The ability to manage large-scale and cross-firm projects, including delegating and managing all resources, identifying and implementing improved processes, monitoring consistency across project teams, and providing direction and support to teammates
• The ability to facilitate and negotiate among stakeholders with conflicting needs and to generate consensus among decision makers
• The ability to help effectively communicate difficult messages; to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs; and to coach teammates on crafting content.
• The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including encouraging and facilitating effective compromise, drawing on the capabilities of all team members, and leading team-level knowledge sharing
• The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually develop mastery in your role and facilitate team and project-level learning, including coaching others
• The ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovative solutions and facilitating coordination with others
• The ability to elevate the voices of marginalized colleagues and mitigate power dynamics with staff with less formal authority

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