Executive Director

Description:

The Center is a California State Bar-funded legal support center that provides training and technical support to direct legal service providers, addresses systemic injustice identified by those providers, and advances and protects the civil, constitutional, and human rights of immigrants, refugees, children, and marginalized communities. The Center has a legacy of impact litigation that has protected hundreds of thousands of immigrants, children, and detained people. Among our landmark cases and victories are Munoz v. Bell, Plyler v. Doe, Orantes-Hernandez v. Smith, Flores v. Reno, League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, et al., v. Anti-Defamation League of the B'Nai B'rith, et al., Reno v. Catholic Social Services, LULAC v. Arizona, Flores v. Sessions, Lucas R. v. Azar, Flores v. Garland, and a recent Motion to Enforce in Flores protecting children at the border. The Center serves as class counsel overseeing nationwide settlements in Flores and Lucas and, together with our co-counsel, is responsible for monitoring conditions in all facilities and locations where DHS or ORR detain youth.

The Center was led for decades by President and co-founder Peter Schey. The Center and we experienced a profound loss when Peter passed away on April 2, 2024.

The Center carries on Peter’s legacy while looking forward to deepening relationships with the community and developing our legal advocacy in the community lawyering model. Carlos Holguín, co-founder of the Center and lead counsel on several of the cases named above, continues to lead our organization’s litigation. The Center has a small staff of dedicated attorneys, advocates, and legal and administrative assistants.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Board to develop and implement CHRCL’s mission, vision, and strategy;
• Recruit, hire, supervise, and manage a small team of talented and dedicated individuals;
• Build a healthy, collaborative work culture that values employees and supports meaningful impact in our communities through litigation and legal advocacy;
• Work with staff to determine the organization’s priorities and direct its advocacy and programs;
• Work closely with the Legal Director to develop clear strategic goals and focus areas, which the Legal Director will implement and address through litigation and legal advocacy;
• Supervise the overall administration of the Center, including management of grants, funding applications, and reports;
• Help represent CHRCL in the media and community;
• Develop and implement an annual budget and give quarterly presentations to the Board;
• Build and deepen community relationships with direct legal service providers, organizers, community members, and organizational partners;
• Ensure that staff continue to keep the organization healthy and sustainable while honoring its values and carrying out its mission.

Qualifications

Experience:

• Experience in non-profit leadership and administration; prefer experience as an Executive Director;
• Significant organizing, advocacy, nonprofit, civil and human rights litigation, and/or policy experience;