Director, Family Law Resource Center

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.  

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Family Court team works directly with children and families to reduce and prevent system involvement, strengthen family relationships and interrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma through its problem-solving court-based operating programs. In addition to its operations, the Family Court team also supports systemic change, through its support of the Family Justice Initiative. In partnership with the Unified Court System (UCS), and the Office of the Governor of the State of New York, the Initiative seeks to forge a fair, equitable, and sustainable path forward for Family Court and its system partners to better serve all New Yorkers. The Center’s role is to develop a broad vision for what makes an effective family-serving system and lead the process to create a comprehensive plan to support that vision.

The Family Law Resource Center (FLRC) is a public/private partnership among the New York State Unified Court System and the Center for Justice Innovation. The FLRC will promote high quality legal representation in the New York State Family Court through training and support of attorneys who represent children, parents, presentment agencies, and the related professions that comprise multidisciplinary holistic representation teams. 

The Family Courts Programs is seeking a Director to lead the FLRC. The Director will have the unique opportunity to help establish the FLRC and work with justice system partners to develop its mission and formulate its goals. Reporting to Chief Program Officer of Court Reform and in collaboration with the leadership of the Unified Court System, the Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the center’s programs, overseeing curriculum development and training initiatives, and facilitating the provision of critical support to legal professionals in the family court system. This is an exciting opportunity lead a first-of-its-kind center dedicated to advancing family law practice through training and resource development, and to promote collaborative, trauma-informed, holistic advocacy for families and children. 

Program Development and Leadership: 

• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of training programs for family law professionals, including attorneys for children, parents, and agencies, as well as social workers and support staff;
• Develop innovative training curricula that address current trends, emerging issues, and best practices in legal representation and social work practice;
• Collaborate with legal, child welfare, and social work professionals to identify knowledge gaps and resource needs, ensuring that the center’s offerings are responsive and relevant; 
• Coordinate and deliver specialized workshops, webinars, and in-person seminars to enhance the skills and expertise of child welfare legal practitioners; and
• Oversee the development of materials and resources for practitioners, including but not limited to toolkits, legal guides, case studies, and training videos.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: 

• Foster partnerships with law schools, social work programs, child welfare agencies, legal service organizations, and government entities to expand the FLRC’s reach and impact;
• Build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems to foster alignment between the FLRC’s work and the needs of the community;
• Collaborate with the state’s Child Welfare Court Improvement Project; and
• Represent the FLRC at conferences, seminars, and stakeholder meetings to promote its mission. 

Advisory and Support Services: 

• Develop systems to provide direct consultation and support to attorneys and social workers, to offer guidance on complex issues and case strategies; 
• Recruit and train mentors and support networks of professionals in the family justice system to enhance cross-disciplinary learning and improve client outcomes; and
• Offer targeted assistance to teams working on challenging cases, ensuring that all involved parties receive the necessary support to navigate the complexities of child welfare law. 

Resource Management and Administration: 

• Manage the FLRC’s budget and resources, ensuring efficient allocation for maximum impact; 
• Supervise a team of trainers, program managers, and support staff, fostering a positive and inclusive organizational culture; and
• Establish metrics to measure the effectiveness of training programs and resource utilization, using data to refine and improve services. 

Advocacy and Policy Impact: 

• Monitor and analyze legislative, policy, and procedural developments in family law; 
• Develop communication strategies to keep stakeholders informed of developments that impact practice; 
• Advocate for systemic reforms that improve the quality of legal representation and social work practices in the family justice system; and
• Additional tasks as necessary.

Qualifications: 

• Juris Doctor (JD) and a minimum of 7 years of legal experience including significant experience representing children, parents, or presentment agencies in the New York State Family Court required;
• Managerial and supervisory experience;
• Prior experience developing training programs, workshops, or professional development initiatives;
• Familiarity with the challenges and needs of professionals working in child welfare, juvenile justice and/or child custody law; and
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy, policy analysis, or system change in the family justice system. 

Desired Skills: 

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage a team of professionals;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex concepts in clear, accessible language;
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams, stakeholders, and community partners;
• Strong organizational and project management abilities, with an aptitude for balancing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines; and 
• A deep understanding of the challenges faced by families involved in the family justice system, with a commitment to delivering trauma-informed, culturally competent services. 

Position Type: Full-time.

Position Location: Remote with required travel throughout New York State.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $175,000 - $200,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center does not sponsor or support any immigration status, which includes supporting or completing any foreign student training plan. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.