BACKGROUND
The Organization
The New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) is a not-for-profit service and research organization that operates in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. CJA is the City’s main pretrial services agency, combining operations, pilot projects, and research under one roof. CJA utilizes procedural justice practices to provide pretrial services to over 100,000 people arrested annually in New York City. Information collected about these arrestees and subsequent case processing is maintained in the agency’s internal and externally shared database systems, which are used to conduct descriptive and evaluation research on arrestee characteristics, case processing, and court outcomes, and on issues and potential reforms to criminal justice policy in New York City. CJA’s client-facing programs operate in the criminal courts and detention facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the 5 boroughs of NYC. Citywide, CJA employs over 300 mission-focused and support staff.
The Position
Reporting to the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel (GC), is responsible for ensuring that the agency is adhering to the standards of a tax-exempt, 501C3 organization and that CJA’s interests are protected in all its contractual agreements, program structures, operations, partnerships, policies, and procedures.
As the strategic legal advisor to the CEO and CJA’s team of executive leaders, the General Counsel is responsible for, and holds others accountable to, the sound governance of the organization. The GC is responsible for oversight and management of the Board and related activities.
As the agency’s legal authority, the General Counsel is the advisor and thought partner to executive leadership, drawing from best practices in governance, government contracting, procurement, property leasing, liability and risk management, fiscal policy, regulatory compliance, and employment law to support leadership decision-making, stakeholder engagement, business and mission alignment, and data sharing agreements.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Attorney-Advisor
· Renders legal advice and services on matters involving CJA’s mission, critical work vision, and strategic partnerships.
· Conducts research and investigations to obtain evidentiary data, prepares interpretative reports, drafts and examines legal documents and CJA policies, and makes substantive recommendations for further action.
· Keeps current with legislative and regulatory requirements relevant to CJA and briefs the CEO and executive team on pending legislation and its potential impact on CJA.
· Develop and deliver legal and compliance training for managers on relevant topics, such as regulatory changes, data privacy (HIPAA), and risk management.
In their capacity as Attorney-Advisor, the General Counsel will support the agency in the following areas:
Executive Governance
The General Counsel serves as a strategic legal advisor to the CEO and executive leadership, ensuring sound governance practices, effective board oversight, and compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, while safeguarding the organization’s mission, integrity, and institutional credibility.
· Advises the CEO on legal implications of the work to advance CJA’s mission, vision, and strategic partnerships with candor and reverence for CJA’s long-standing history as the city’s primary pretrial service provider.
· Responsible for Board oversight and management, supporting diversity in board membership, and mitigating conflicts of interest.
· Represents CJA in legal and regulatory discussions with the City Council, State Legislature, judiciary, district attorneys, defense bar, and other City and State agencies.
· Develops and implements legal strategies to support mission-driven goals that protect institutional credibility and advance CJA’s scope and capacity to provide reform in pretrial services.
· Generates new and innovative approaches to solve problems when there are adversarial or conflicting views and approaches.
Contract Management
The General Counsel provides routine guidance on CJA’s legal and contractual obligations as a City-funded contractor, applying knowledge and experience in non-profit management, fiduciary responsibility, and compliance.
· Manages the legal and contractual obligations of CJA, applying knowledge of non-profit governance, board management, labor and employment law, contract negotiation, and compliance.
· Advises and works closely with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Program Officer (CPO) to manage compliance for contracts and grants of the organization, including supporting the CFO and CPO’s in their management of scope and budget for government contracts, private foundation funding, and grant reporting.
· Develop and implement standardized contracts, including but not limited to lease agreements, data sharing agreements, consultant contracts, and vendor agreements.
Employment & Labor Relations
The General Counsel partners closely with the Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) to ensure that CJA maintains and advances employment policies and practices that are legally compliant with prevailing employment laws and regulations, mitigating risk to the organization, and providing counsel for employment relations.
· Works with the CPCO and CPO or designated officials to provide legal advice regarding employment and labor relations matters.
· Provides representation for CJA during union contract negotiations, in response to EEOC complaints, and other sensitive, controversial or significant labor and employment issues.
· Responds to subpoenas or requests for CJA data or other client information, providing compliance while protecting CJA’s client data, proprietary information, and data access.
· Advises executive leadership on legal aspects of employee relations and human resources issues.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration
The General Counsel collaborates across departments to provide legal guidance that supports operational effectiveness, strategic initiatives, and risk mitigation, ensuring that organizational decisions, policies, and partnerships are legally sound and aligned with CJA’s mission and values.
· Guides CJA leaders in communications with the judiciary and other City and State officials regarding the use of CJA data and related policies.
· Works closely with other departments including the Finance, People and Culture, IT, Data Analytics, and Program teams to ensure all operations are legally sound; develop or review related policies as needed.
· Offers legal perspective when planning new initiatives and provides strategic guidance on issues that help shape the organization’s direction and impact.
· Develops and delivers legal and compliance training for managers on relevant topics such as regulatory changes, data privacy (including HIPAA), and risk management.
· Provides legal resources, information, and assistance to maintain the integrity of CJA’s position as an innovator in pretrial services to the CEO and Executive team.
· Plans, prioritizes, and executes with excellent judgment and efficiency to anticipate and mitigate risk to the organization’s operations, partnerships, funding, and reputation.
· Delivers results on time in a rapidly changing, fast-paced environment
· Anticipates challenges with a keen understanding of the legal, regulatory, and political, landscape for non-profits and similarly situated organizations.
· Collaborates effectively with stakeholders to incorporate their feedback and needs, accounting for competing priorities, viewpoints, mission, values, and focus.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate for the General Counsel position possesses the following competencies:
Key Competency Areas
· Non-Profit Governance & Compliance: Ensure adherence to federal/state nonprofit regulations, IRS rules, state charitable solicitation laws, and manage board governance documents.
· Risk Management: Identify and mitigate legal risks, participate in investigations, and develop policies to protect the organization.
· Contracts & Transactions: Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, grants, leases, and other legal agreements.
· Employment Law: Advise on HR matters, policies, and employment compliance ( ie. EEO, FLSA, ADA and ERISA).
· Intellectual Property: Drafts, advises, and reviews data sharing agreements with criminal justice, social, and human services, and research partners.
· Litigation: Oversee active lawsuits involving CJA and manage external counsel.
· Strategic Advice: Counsels the CEO, senior leadership, and the board on legal implications of strategic decisions, linking legal strategy to mission.
· Policy: Develop and guide executive leadership regarding internal policies and relevant federal, state, and local laws.
Required Minimum Qualifications & Experience
- Licensed to practice law in the state of New York
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive senior-level experience in nonprofit law, corporate law, contract negotiations, or in-house counsel roles
- Ideal candidate will have experience in non-profit or public sector organizations with a social or human services mission
Required Experience
- Experience in non-profit management, tax-exempt law, governance, financial management, employment, and contracts.
- Hands-on experience covering broad employment law issues
- Experience in 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit law and regulations.
- Prior service as General Counsel of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is strongly preferred.
- Expertise in regulatory compliance, risk management, and strategic planning.
- Significant legal experience, including nonprofit governance, government contracting (particularly with social services agencies), and healthcare law.
Other Requirements
· Some local travel between CJA locations for stakeholder meetings or conferences, is required.
· Occasional travel national conferences
WHO WE ARE
Work Environment
This is a hybrid role, requiring 3 days in the CJA central office in Manhattan. Some local travel between CJA locations for stakeholder meetings or conferences is required, with occasional national travel for conferences.
CJA Values
Each employee at CJA is guided by these values in our work:
- Commitment: We are committed to being active partners in criminal justice reform through initiatives and creative problem-solving that evaluates different methods and strategies for alternatives to detention.
- Fairness: We are guided by fairness and the presumption of innocence for those who are detained and work with integrity and without bias to protect the privacy and interest of court-involved people and their families.
- Innovation: We value curiosity as a driving force to lead the way in pretrial services. We use innovative techniques in research, pilot programs, and engaging justice-involved communities to execute our mission of reducing unnecessary pretrial detention.
The New York City Criminal Justice Agency is an Equal Opportunity Employer
CJA is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. Our employment practices are equitable and fair, without consideration of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, prior arrest or conviction, employment status, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Salary: $200,000 – $210,000
Benefits
CJA offers a very generous benefit plan including health, dental and vision insurance, a comprehensive mental health, wellness, and employee assistance program (EAP), four weeks’ vacation, paid holidays, and a retirement plan with employer matching contributions. CJA is also strongly committed to professional learning and development for its staff members and offers staff varied opportunities for learning and development through partnerships and vendor services for web based, in-person professional development training, as well as in-house job training and development.
TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS
To express your interest in this position, please click here. All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.
We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. We will contact those selected for an initial screening call by the end of April.