Description:
Title: U.S. Manager, Pro Bono
Department: Office of the General Counsel, Pro Bono
Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 230+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has fueled the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of more than $50 million and won the respect of law firms worldwide. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,100 lawyers across 6 continents, 88 countries, and 125 law firms, contributing over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services annually. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org
The Job: The Manager for U.S. Programs, Pro Bono, is a new role at the Center and will report directly to the Global Director for Pro Bono. The U.S. Manager for Pro Bono will play a pivotal role in advancing the Center’s strategic partnerships with pro bono law firms in response to the evolving reproductive rights landscape in the U.S., with emphasis on engagement with national and global law firms headquartered mainly in Washington, D.C. and New York. Additionally, the U.S. Manager will be responsible for the stewardship of law firms with expertise in regulatory matters, administrative law and litigation, and federal oversight to support the Center’s evolving U.S. strategy. The Manager will ensure the Center’s visibility and leadership on issues related to pro bono in the legal community.
The U.S. Pro Bono Manager will work closely with the Center’s U.S. litigation and advocacy teams based in the New York and Washington DC offices to develop strategic pro bono engagements that counter efforts to roll back reproductive rights at the federal and state level. This position requires a strong understanding of administrative law, regulatory processes, and federal policy landscapes, as well as deep relationships with Washington, D.C., and New York law firms. The U.S. Pro Bono Manager will also play a critical role in supporting the implementation of the Center’s updated U.S. strategy by engaging law firms to provide pro bono legal support in key areas, including federal litigation, administrative law, and legislative advocacy. Additionally, this role will ensure alignment with global pro bono efforts and contribute to cross-regional collaboration within the Pro Bono Program.
This position is based in the Center’s New York City or D.C. office, with a hybrid model of 3 days in office, 2 days working from home. Covid-19 vaccination is required for all US-based employees of the Center.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights.
Center policy on visa sponsorship for U.S.-based positions: Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

Requirements:

• Minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant experience with a law firm or NGO. Work experience with a pro bono practice at a human rights NGO, law firm, or professional association preferred.
• Strong commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values;
• Experience in cultivating relationships with members of the legal profession, convening meetings and events, and building partnerships;
• Experience in working with advocacy organizations or other NGOs towards legal and policy change;
• Highly innovative, creative, and collaborative; ability to thrive in a start-up project environment;
• Strong writing skills, including an ability to convey complicated matters to broad audiences; strong public speaking and presentation skills
• Ability to develop and implement strategic, multi-pronged advocacy strategies with short and long-term objectives;
• Strong inter-personal skills and ability to build relationships with stakeholders from a variety of sectors;
• Project management experience, including experience in planning and executing a variety of multi-phase projects with multiple stakeholders and of leading projects or specific efforts;
• Willingness to prioritize time working with U.S. Programs colleagues in person in NY and DC to help shape the Center’s programmatic goals and develop integrated plans for how pro bono engagement can further the Center’s impact.
• Ability to work well with competing priorities, meet deadlines, and manage workflow processes involving multiple people;
• Resilience and openness to changes in responsibilities and priorities in response to the fast-changing reproductive rights landscape in the U.S.
• Demonstrated experience and judgment working both collaboratively and independently;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and SharePoint; experience with webinar management, Salesforce, Monday, and Concur highly desirable.

• Develop and manage strategic pro bono partnerships, particularly with Washington, D.C., and New York-based law firms, to counter federal efforts to restrict reproductive rights
• Strengthen long-term law firm engagement with institutional Center pro bono partners by developing strategic partnership models that ensure continued investment in the face of an evolving and hostile reproductive rights legal landscape
• Collaborate with the Center’s U.S. litigation and advocacy teams to identify and scope pro bono projects that align with the Center’s updated U.S. strategy to counter the current presidential administration, including litigation, administrative advocacy, and policy initiatives.
• Manage the referral of pro bono projects, facilitating relationships between pro bono attorneys and Center liaisons for each project.
• Lead efforts to fully integrate pro bono support into all aspects of the Center’s litigation and advocacy strategy in the U.S., ensuring alignment with U.S. Programs priorities.
• Leverage law firm expertise to support legal challenges against federal policies that threaten reproductive rights, including regulatory rollbacks and executive actions.
• In collaboration with the Center’s U.S. Federal Policy team, lead the expansion of the Center’s pro bono “Comment Lab” initiative, mobilizing law firms to draft regulatory comments opposing restrictive reproductive rights policies.
• Manage the Center’s pro bono clearinghouse to provide legal compliance support to NGOs impacted by U.S. foreign policies impacting global health, such as the Mexico City Policy/”Global Gag Rule”
• Represent the Pro Bono team on Center cross-functional working groups and initiatives such as strategic planning and annual workplanning.
• Represent the Center’s Pro Bono Program at national legal conferences and convenings, elevating the role of pro bono law firms in reproductive rights advocacy.
• Manage multiple pro bono projects simultaneously, ensuring deadlines are met and deliverables align with strategic goals.
• Serve as a key liaison between the Center’s internal teams and law firm partners, ensuring seamless coordination of complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Collaborate with the Center’s Development team to make pro bono a central component of institutional and individual donor outreach, including incorporating pro bono success stories into grant proposals and impact reports.
• Contribute to the development of pro bono marketing tools to highlight the impact of law firm partnerships and integrate these materials into donor engagement and external communications.
• Other relevant duties as assigned.
  Compensation: The annual salary for this position is $93,000.
  Band Level: Professional-4 (P4)
  Union Status: This position will be part of the CRR Union, a shop within Local 2110 United Auto Workers—Technical, Office, and Professional Workers Union.
  FLSA Exempt Status: This position is exempt.
  Duration: This is a grant-funded two-year fixed-term position, with a possibility for renewal.