General Counsel

As the General Counsel, you play an integral role in furthering The Humane League’s mission to end the abuse of animals raised for food. You will ensure that the organization operates within the law, offer counsel on legal issues, be an effective guardian of the organization, and facilitate programmatic and operational strategies ensuring legal compliance and limiting risk exposure. 

We want you because you’re familiar with the accountabilities of a legal team in the non-profit and mission-focused space. You comprehend that there is more to lawyering than identifying risk, and you think creatively to generate solutions that allow for various levels of risk mitigation or exposure. You are comfortable exercising and utilizing strategic judgment to help navigate tricky situations. You believe that win-win solutions exist and have to be prioritized, particularly when it comes to employee relations issues.

This is a full-time, remote position, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. This position requires domestic travel, equivalent to approximately 2–3 trips per year.

We are only able to consider applicants who reside in the United States and possess United States work authorization.

We will be holding a live a webinar hosted by Andrea Coron (Chief Operating Officer), and Susan Slager (Assistant General Counsel) on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST. Please use this link to register. Details will be emailed to you and the webinar will be available to watch here after Friday, August 4, 2023.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Set long-term strategic vision and priorities for the Legal team.

• Nonprofit compliance, including corporate governance, finance and tax, charitable solicitation, commercial co-ventures, international grant-making, and lobbying.

• Direct THL’s international legal portfolio, including international liability and international labor and employment.

• Manage, develop, and mentor a small legal team. Provide vision and role clarity, guidance, coaching, training, and accountability. Manage the department’s budget and spending.

• Support and advise the Board of Directors, including drafting and revising corporate policies, bylaws, minutes, agendas, and resolutions.

• Advise the People team on federal, multi-state, and international employment law, including review and revision of employee handbook and policies, and employee training.

• Advise management and staff on legal issues related to programmatic initiatives.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of contracts for all aspects of the organization.

• Data privacy and security issues, training, and compliance. Will be exposed to concepts of US data privacy and GDPR.  

• Support the development of training materials, guidance documents, and relevant staff and volunteer training.

• Manage the organization’s insurance portfolio and intellectual property portfolio.

• Establish and manage relationships with pro bono attorneys and outside counsel.

• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS

The ideal candidate will possess most, if not all the following qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• Extensive broad-based legal experience, including 10 years of prior experience in a nonprofit, government agency, or private sector. In-house counsel experience would be helpful. JD degree and status as a member of good standing of the bar in any state or the District of Columbia.

• Experience working with a global organization and familiarity with working cross-culturally and with those of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Shares The Humane League’s dedication to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the animal protection movement. Proven ability to operationalize equity and talk about identities such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, or gender in plain, specific terms.

• A desire to advise and support The Humane League’s contentious and relentless corporate campaign work. Willingness to assess and recommend an appropriate amount of risk in programmatic work in accordance with our goals and the urgency of our mission.

• Interest in leading both litigation and administrative aspects of the legal function.

• Able to critically evaluate a wide range of issues and provide sound legal advice. Able to develop familiarity with legal systems in and outside of the U.S. and to adapt policies and procedures in compliance with local law. Able to quickly take complex concepts and make difficult judgements in the best interests of the organization.

• Able to convey information clearly, accurately, and appropriately to different audiences including staff, senior leadership, and the public across various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, through verbal, written and nonverbal modes to ensure the intended message is understood. Able to communicate legal findings and decisions briefly, simply, and persuasively.

• Must be able to anticipate, diffuse and resolve disagreements, confrontations, tensions and complaints in a practical and constructive manner in order to achieve results.

• Demonstrated ability to foster high performance, build solid teams, and develop and motivate staff with transparency and collaboration. Delegates skillfully. Inspires and motivates others to take action and meet goals, and holds the team accountable.

• Effectively manages a high volume of work through various methods of organization, project and task management, and prioritization as needs evolve. 

• Ability to think strategically and anticipate potential problems, challenge conventional thinking. Ability to pivot when a course of action isn’t providing the intended results, flexible when it comes to reassessing own ideas and assumptions as new information comes to light and identify patterns to make meaning out of overarching trends. An ability to see information through the lens of the past, present, and future to address both short-term and long-term goals.

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