Legal Manager/Organizer : Texas

Workers Defense Project

Legal Manager/Organizer

Based in Dallas, TX

Applications accepted until position is filled.

Workers Defense Project (WDP) is seeking a full-time Legal Manager/Organizer to support the service provision, advocacy, and organizing conducted by WDP’s legal services program in Dallas, TX.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who is open to new challenges and able to maintain attention to detail while managing multiple responsibilities. The Legal Manager/Organizer should have strong communication skills that allow them to relate well with others – including those with adverse interests – in both English and Spanish. Strong candidates should also be committed to WDP’s identity as a membership-based organization.

The Legal Manager/Organizer will play a critical role in growing the organization’s membership base in Dallas, developing new leaders within the organization, and strengthening WDP’s legal services program.

About Workers Defense Project
WDP is a statewide, membership-based immigrant and workers’ rights organization that builds power for low-income workers in Texas.  WDP has gained notoriety for its ability to translate direct services and grassroots organizing into concrete policy wins in one of the toughest climates for workers in the country. WDP concentrates its efforts on winning better working conditions in the Texas construction industry, which is both one of the most powerful special interest groups in the state and one of the largest employers of immigrant workers in the state.  In 2010, WDP won the first rest break ordinance in Texas, guaranteeing rest breaks for Austin’s construction workforce, a policy victory WDP replicated in Dallas in 2015. Most recently, WDP has been a leader in the statewide campaign to ensure more Texas workers have the right to earn paid sick time and advocated to pass earned sick time ordinances in Austin and San Antonio, which were the first two ordinances of its kind to pass in the U.S. South. The New York Times has named WDP as “one of the most creative organizations for immigrant workers in the country.”

Job Responsibilities:
The Legal Manager/Organizer, who is based in Dallas, Texas and works under the supervision of the Dallas Staff Attorney, is responsible for the following:

• Managing employment cases, advocating on behalf of WDP members in employment disputes, and providing information and legal assistance to WDP members and workers with employment-related claims;
• Planning and overseeing a weekly employment rights clinic that occurs every Tuesday from 7pm to 10pm;
• Supporting the leadership development of WDP members with active employment cases and collaborating with other staff to ensure strong coordination between WDP’s direct services provision, organizing activities, and strategic campaigns;
• Cultivating strong working relationships with local, state and federal agencies, community organizations, and partner attorneys;
• Recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers and interns;
• Engaging in community education and outreach around workers’ rights and immigrants’ rights;
• Maintaining and updating case files, and tracking data about the activities of WDP’s legal services program;  and
• Additional tasks as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• We’re seeking candidates who take initiative, are eager to learn, and have excellent “people” skills. You should also have:
• Strong proficiency speaking, reading, and writing in both English and Spanish;
• Strong personal organization and time management skills, and attention to detail to allow the successful management of an ongoing legal caseload, often with strict deadlines;
• Proven ability to think creatively and strategically, act assertively when necessary, and speak confidently in public;
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people of varying abilities, agendas, and backgrounds;
• Experience managing different responsibilities, delegating tasks, and contributing to the success of a team;
• Commitment to racial and economic justice; and
• An insured vehicle and valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications (not required):

• Bachelor’s degree; and
• Knowledge of community organizing, labor issues, or immigration and employment law.

Compensation depends on experience and is highly competitive.

How to Apply
Interested applicants should apply as soon as possible as applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The posting will be removed from the WDP website once filled. To apply, please:

• Provide a cover letter, résumé, and list of three references;
• Note in your cover letter when you would be available to begin working with us and your level of Spanish proficiency; and
• Send your application materials in .pdf format to both jobinquiries@workersdefense.org and sean@workersdefense.org and include “Dallas Legal Manager/Organizer” in the subject line.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

As an equal opportunity employer, Workers Defense Project embraces diversity and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

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Job Posting Courtesy of UnionJobs.com