Legal Director

Job Title: Legal Director
Reports To: Executive Director
 
Position Overview
The Legal Director provides strategic and operational leadership for all legal programs at Asylum Clinic Kansas City (ACKC). This role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed immigration legal services while driving program growth, innovation, and regional impact. 
 
As a key member of the leadership team, the Legal Director partners with the Executive Director to shape organizational strategy, expand services, and deepen ACKC’s impact on underserved immigrant communities. The Legal Director also supervises and develops a growing legal team, strengthens systems for case management and compliance, and maintains a limited caseload focused on complex or high-impact matters.
 
This is a leadership role for an experienced immigration attorney who is both a strong manager and a strategic thinker, committed to advancing equity and access to justice. 
 
Key Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Strategy 

• Develop and implement strategies for ACKC’s legal programs, including growth in service areas, geographic reach, and case types. 

• Partner with the Executive Director to develop organizational strategy, funding alignment, and programs.

• Identify emerging needs of ACKC client communities and adapt programs accordingly. 

• Supervise, mentor, and support Staff Attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, and legal support staff. 

• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven team culture. 

• Develop training plans and professional development pathways for legal staff. 

• Maintain a limited caseload, with an emphasis on complex, precedent-setting, or high-impact cases.
• Ensure high-quality legal representation from the team through case review, mentorship, and implementation of best practices.
• Oversee compliance with legal ethics, funder requirements, and internal policies.

• To ensure continuity of operations, serve as Deputy Director assisting the Executive Director as appropriate. Tasks may include, but are not limited to:
  • Authorize payments
  • Write and sign offer letters and contracts
  • Manage legal team recruitment and candidate selection
• Partner with the Director of Operations to design and refine systems for client intake, case assignment, case tracking, and performance metrics.
• Use data to evaluate program effectiveness, improve outcomes, and support grant reporting.
• Strengthen infrastructure to support sustainable program growth.

• Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations, pro bono attorneys, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Represent ACKC in public forums, coalitions, media, and advocacy efforts.
• Support resource development efforts, including grant proposals and funder engagement.

• Monitor changes in immigration law and policy and guide organizational response.
• Support legal team training and ensure services reflect current law and best practices.

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing.
• Minimum of 7 years of immigration law experience, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or leadership role.
• Deep expertise in humanitarian immigration law (asylum, SIJS, U visas, T visas) and removal defense experience in the Immigration Court.
• Demonstrated experience serving vulnerable immigrant populations, including asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, or survivors of violence.
• Strong leadership, management, and organizational skills, with the ability to oversee multiple programs and priorities.

• Bilingual Spanish/English proficiency.
• Experience managing grant-funded legal programs and compliance requirements.
• Experience scaling or building legal programs in a nonprofit setting.

• Salary starting from $120,000/yr, commensurate with experience  
• Fully paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees
• Long-term disability/AD+D/life insurance
• Pre-tax retirement plan
• 12 paid federal holidays, and four weeks paid time off