Description:

 

Florida Rural Legal Services Seeks an Executive Director“One Firm, One Focus, One Mission”

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) was founded in 1966 as a nonprofit corporation. FRLS provides free civil legal assistance to low-income families and elderly people in thirteen South Central Florida counties covering 12,000 square miles and a population of 4,273,211 million people.

FRLS also provides legal assistance to migrant workers throughout the State of Florida. FRLS has offices in Fort Myers, Lakeland, Fort Pierce, Riviera Beach, Immokalee, and Belle Glade; satellite offices in Punta Gorda and Stuart.; and a migrant farmworker unit that operates statewide. The administrative office is located in Lakeland. Counties served include Charlotte, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Polk, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties.

FRLS has a staff of 42 attorneys, 21 paralegals, and 47 support staff, who handle an average of 8,000 cases each year. FRLS also collaborates with pro bono attorneys, law students, and volunteers to expand its services and reach. FRLS has a diverse board of directors of 15 members, half of whom are eligible clients. FRLS has an annual budget of $12 million, funded primarily through grants from the Legal Services Corporation, Funding Florida Legal Aid (FFLA), the Florida Attorney General’s Office (VOCA) and other public and private sources.

The mission of FRLS is to empower low-income individuals, groups, and communities by providing access to justice through legal advice, representation, and advocacy. FRLS helps clients with civil legal issues, such as housing, family, consumer, education, health, employment, public benefits, and civil rights. FRLS also engages in community education, outreach, and systemic advocacy to address the root causes of poverty and inequality in rural areas.

FRLS takes pride in its specialty unit of attorneys, paralegals and support staff available to assist migrant workers with legal issues throughout the State of Florida, on issues such as wage and hour claims and unemployment benefits. FRLS is committed to providing high-quality civil legal services to address the special legal needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout Florida. FRLS is the only LSC program that provides legal assistance to migrant workers throughout the state of Florida through its program-wide Migrant Farmworker Unit.

Requirements:

 

High priority roles and responsibilities for the Executive Director include:

• Embracing the mission of FRLS and engaging and inspiring staff, Board members and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of that mission
• Serving as an effective ambassador for FRLS and nurturing collaborative relationships with funders, bar leaders, private donors and community, business and civic organizations throughout the service area
• Holding a vision for FRLS’ future including services to clients, staffing, structure and technology
• Fostering diversity throughout FRLS’ staff and Board, and promoting a culture of mutual respect, equity, inclusion and teamwork
• Ensuring FRLS’ financial health and stability through sound financial planning and management systems, and compliance with funder expectations and contractual and grant requirements
• Actively leading a diversified resource development program including individual and corporate gifts, foundation grants and government grants and contracts
• Hiring, supervising, developing and meeting regularly with the FRLS’ legal management team and staff to provide leadership, direction, advice and oversight

The successful executive director candidate will:

• Have a JD and a license to practice law in any state, with an expectation of obtaining license to practice law in the state of Florida within the first 18 months of employment. FRLS will provide a month off with pay to prepare for the exam.
• Demonstrate a passion for the mission of FRLS and a commitment to serving low-income individuals, elderly persons and migrant farmworkers, including urban and rural populations
• Have experience leading a similarly sized, multi-office organization
• Possess experience managing and supervising in a successful legal services or other nonprofit or business entity
• Have knowledge of financial matters including development of budgets, compliance with grant and contract requirements, and financial oversight
• Have a track record of success in resource development, including a general knowledge of grant applications related to financial sustainability, and possess a desire to develop and expand the resources of FRLS
• Have experience working productively with an engaged Board of Directors
• Possess effective oral and written communication skills
• Be committed to sustaining a respectful, inclusive, and diverse workplace that is suited to provide services to all of FRLS’ clients
• Possess personal attributes of professionalism, positivity, respect, good listening skills and the ability to motivate others
• Have experience working collegially with unionized workforces
• Be willing and able to travel throughout the FRLS service areas and throughout the country

Applications:

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To receive full consideration, candidates are urged to submit their materials by July 1, 2024. Please include a letter expressing in detail your interest in the position, your qualifications and what you hope to contribute to the organization’s future; a current resume; and the names and contact information for three professional references.

FRLS is assisted in the search by Patricia Pap, Consultant, Management Information Exchange, 508-737-4010, ppap@mielegalaid.org, www.mielegalaid.org. Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her.

FRLS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

The starting salary of the Executive Director will be $175,000 to $195,000, depending on qualifications and experience. FRLS offers excellent benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, vacation and holidays. FRLS currently operates in a hybrid/remote environment.

FRLS has established the following program priorities to guide its work and allocate its resources:

• Promoting and preserving affordable housing and preventing homelessness by representing tenants in eviction cases, homeowners facing foreclosure, and low-income communities facing displacement or gentrification.
• Ensuring access to health care, public benefits, and social services for vulnerable populations, such as seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities, immigrants, and survivors of domestic violence.
• Protecting the rights of workers and consumers from exploitation, abuse, fraud, and discrimination by enforcing labor and consumer laws, challenging predatory lending practices, and providing education and outreach on workers' and consumers' rights.
• Advancing the civil rights and liberties of marginalized groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and religious minorities, by challenging systemic discrimination, harassment, and hate crimes, and advocating for equal opportunity and inclusion.
• Empowering communities and individuals to participate in civic and legal processes and to advocate for their own interests by providing legal information, advice, and referrals, and supporting self-help initiatives and community lawyering projects.

FRLS has a long history of achieving positive outcomes for its clients and communities, for example:

• Securing over $2 million in retroactive and ongoing benefits for clients who were wrongfully denied Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans, and other public benefits.
• Preventing over 1,500 evictions and foreclosures and preserving or improving the housing conditions of over 2,000 clients.
• Obtaining millions in child support, alimony, and property settlements for clients who were victims of domestic violence or faced family law issues.
• Protecting the rights of over 800 migrant farmworkers who faced wage theft, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or unsafe working conditions.
• Advocating for the implementation of the Fair Districts Amendment, which resulted in the redrawing of Florida's congressional and legislative districts to ensure fair representation for rural and minority communities.

For more information about Florida Rural Legal Services visit https://www.frls.org/.