General Counsel

Job Description

ABOUT US  

The Black Futures Lab (501c3) works to make Black communities powerful. BFL transforms Black communities into constituencies that wield independent political power at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The problems our communities face are complex; the solutions to those problems require imagination, experimentation, and political power. We advance strategies that help us imagine the alternatives we deserve while building political power at the local, state, and national levels to implement those alternatives. To learn more about the Black Futures Lab, please visit www.blackfutureslab.org.    

The Black Futures Lab is hiring for a General Counsel position. This is a shared position with the Black Futures Lab’s sister organization Black to the Future Action Fund.    

Position Summary  

At Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund, we recognize the importance of legally sound, values-aligned practices in advancing our mission and ensuring organizational health. We seek a strategic and detail-oriented General Counsel to serve as the organization’s chief legal advisor and compliance leader, supporting the operations of a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and Super PAC.  

The General Counsel will manage all legal and compliance matters, including (but limited to) federal and state laws governing tax-exempt organizations, labor and employment law, campaign finance regulations, contracts, lobbying rules, and corporate governance. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the General Counsel will partner with leadership and staff to integrate legal strategy into organizational planning and decision-making. 

Responsibilities include conducting legal reviews, managing external counsel relationships, providing guidance on compliance, risk management, and designing training programs to strengthen organizational capacity. The General Counsel will also collaborate with senior staff to ensure that operations, policies, and public reporting align with federal and state requirements and support the organization’s mission. 

 
Candidate Profile 
The General Counsel must be a strategic, detail-oriented, and collaborative legal expert with a strong background in nonprofit and campaign finance law. The ideal candidate will have previously served as a General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or in a senior legal advisory role within complex organizations, bringing an in-depth understanding of the regulatory, governance, and compliance needs of nonprofits and political entities. They must also demonstrate an ability to navigate the nuanced intersections between 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC operations. 

The General Counsel must excel at balancing immediate legal and compliance demands with the organization’s long-term goals and mission. They will be adept at providing trusted guidance to leadership, senior staff, and boards, and at building systems that ensure both compliance and operational efficiency.  

A successful candidate has exceptional communication and writing skills, attention to detail, and the ability to track, lead, and execute multiple complex projects simultaneously. The General Counsel must be a skilled problem-solver and an innovative thinker, able to develop systems, policies, and training programs that align with the organization’s values and culture while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws. 

Experience working in Black communities, as well as familiarity with the dynamics of remote work, is highly desirable. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Advisory and Compliance 

• Primary Legal Contact: Serve as the central point of contact for all legal matters related to the organization’s operations and affiliated entities. 

• Compliance Oversight: Ensure compliance with nonprofit tax law, campaign finance regulations, federal and state lobbying rules, employment laws, and internal governance policies. 

• Leadership Support: Provide strategic legal advice to the organization’s Board, officers, and on critical legal and regulatory matters. 

• Voter Contact Materials: Conduct thorough legal reviews of canvassing literature, scripts, mailers, digital ads, and other voter outreach materials to ensure adherence to Federal Election Commission (FEC), state agency regulations, and U.S Treasury regulations, where applicable. 

Contract and Document Management 

• Contract Drafting and Negotiation: Draft, negotiate, and finalize contracts, grant agreements, and other legal documents to support organizational operations. 

• Legal Review of Agreements: Oversee the review and approval of agreements in collaboration with outside counsel, ensuring terms align with the organization’s interests and legal standards. 

• Policy and Guidance Development: Prepare and update internal policies, memoranda, and guidance documents related to entity registration, campaign finance reporting, disclaimer requirements, and document retention protocols. 

Compliance Reporting 

• Public Reporting Coordination: Work with senior staff and compliance consultants to ensure accurate and timely public reporting of financial activities, including receipts, contributions, disbursements, and independent expenditures, as required by the FEC and state campaign finance agencies. 

• Tax Compliance: Monitor compliance with tax laws for nonprofit entities, tracking activities relevant to lobbying, public education, and political spending for 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) organizations. 

• Tax Filings: Assist the Finance Director, accountants, and outside counsel in preparing and submitting tax filings, including Form 990 and other required documents. 

External and Internal Collaboration 

• Outside Legal Counsel: Serve as the liaison for outside legal counsel on matters related to organizational operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with organizational goals. 

• Program Compliance Support: Advise Field Directors, Political Directors, and State Managers on compliance with tax laws and budget tracking, particularly for activities spanning grassroots lobbying, education campaigns, and political spending. 

• Contribution Review: Evaluate and approve receipts and contributions to and from external entities to ensure compliance with campaign finance and tax laws. 

Employment and Staff Support 

• HR Collaboration: Work closely with human resources personnel and outside counsel on employment matters, including composing position statements, advising on investigations, and developing workplace policies. 

• Staff Training: Design and deliver legal training sessions for staff, with a focus on federal and state campaign finance laws, lobbying regulations, and other relevant legal topics. 

• Policy Development: Collaborate with HR to draft or revise employment policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and support organizational culture. 

Risk Management and Governance 

• Risk Mitigation: Identify potential legal risks and provide proactive solutions to safeguard the organization and its related entities. 

• Governance: Support governance efforts by ensuring proper documentation, adherence to bylaws, and compliance with all relevant corporate governance standards. 

• Grants and Agreements: Oversee the legal aspects of grant management, including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating grant agreements with external organizations. 

 
QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Licensure 

• Juris Doctor (JD): Must have a JD degree from an accredited U.S. law school. 

• Bar Membership: Active bar membership in good standing, preferably in one of the organization’s priority states: North Carolina (NC), Georgia (GA), Wisconsin (WI), Louisiana (LA), or California (CA). 

Professional Experience 

• Relevant Legal Experience: Minimum of 5 years of relevant legal experience, including 1–2 years specializing in campaign finance or nonprofit tax compliance. 

• Nonprofit Sector Expertise: Experience advising on legal issues affecting 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and political action committee (PAC) organizations. 

• Project Management: Proven ability to track, lead, and implement multiple complex projects and priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines. 

• Campaign Finance and Lobbying Compliance: Expertise in federal and state campaign finance laws, lobbying rules, and tax-exempt organization requirements. 

Core Competencies 

• Attention to Detail: Exceptional precision in drafting, reviewing, and editing legal documents, compliance reports, and contracts. 

• Writing and Communication Skills: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal concepts for diverse audiences. 

• Collaboration: A collaborative team player with the ability to appreciate and incorporate diverse approaches and perspectives. 

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to balance immediate, real-time legal needs with long-term strategic priorities, ensuring deliverables align with organizational goals. 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to build strong partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, including staff, scholars, consultants, and coalition members. 

Leadership and Values Alignment 

• Vision and Values Alignment: A commitment to and alignment with the organization’s mission and approach, as well as a deep understanding of the legal needs of a social justice-focused organization. 

• Facilitation and Diplomacy: Skilled in meeting facilitation and navigating intra-state and coalition dynamics with tact and diplomacy. 

• Diverse Engagement: Proven ability to engage with a variety of partners, ensuring inclusive collaboration in legal technical assistance and strategy development. 

Technical and Strategic Acumen 

• Legal Expertise: Ability to apply detailed legal acumen to provide strategic legal assistance, manage BFL’s legal portfolio, and address complex regulatory requirements. 

• Policy Development: Expertise in developing internal policies and guidance for nonprofit organizations and related entities. 

• Compliance Tools: Familiarity with compliance reporting platforms and tools for campaign finance and tax filings. 

Strongly Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with and/or knowledge of the unique cultural experience of running operations in a fully remote environment including experience working remotely across time zones  

Physical Demands 

• Able to work on a computer, including sitting at a desk for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation; manual dexterity to operate a keyboard; able to see or read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; able to speak clearly and in audible tones on the phone and in-person and be understood by others; able to hear and understand speech, including on the phone; able to understand and follow oral and written instructions; able to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 10 pounds.   

Work Environment: 

• This is a remote position. Office hours are 10 am - 6 pm local time. Work hours may be adjusted to accommodate team members in other time zones. Travel for in-person quarterly meetings is required.   

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Pay for this position is commensurate with experience and responsibilities. The salary range for this position is $145,000-$175,000. Black Futures Lab / Black to the Future Action Fund offers comprehensive benefits packages including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, life insurance, employee assistance, and other resources to support a centered, healthy quality of life for staff and their families. This position is full-time.   

Reasonable Accommodations:

Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund are committed to providing equal employment opportunities and supporting an inclusive environment for all applicants. If you require reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process, please reach out to us at people@blackfutureslab.org. We are here to ensure that all applicants can participate fully and fairly in our hiring process.

Application Deadline:

We are thrilled to invite dedicated and visionary applicants to apply for this impactful role with Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund. The application deadline is February 14, 2025. However, we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so applying early increases your chances of being considered promptly. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of our mission to empower Black communities.

Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action fund contract with Resilient Strategies LLC for backend and operational support, including hiring and employment. Resilient Strategies is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.