Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services Seeks New Executive Director

TENNESSEE ALLIANCE FOR LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Position Closes January 24, 2022

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) seeks an Executive Director who possesses vision, a demonstrated passion for expanding access to justice and advocating for the poor and other vulnerable populations. TALS is a statewide non-profit organization committed to:

• Empowering its constituencies, especially those in need;

• Providing visionary and effective leadership;

• Serving the public interest by improving access to civil legal assistance;

• Promoting and modeling diversity and inclusiveness;

• Advocating for justice for those in need;

• Advancing collaboration and building consensus among providers of legal services for the common good.

TALS was created in 1977 with a two-fold mission: To support and coordinate the activities of civil legal service providers in Tennessee and to spearhead statewide efforts to further access to justice for low-income Tennesseans. The successful candidate will work closely with TALS’ dedicated board and staff to continue the organization’s mission, strengthening the delivery of civil legal help to vulnerable Tennesseans. TALS seeks an Executive Director with a vision and commitment to developing and expanding innovative programs and tools, addressing future funding challenges and advancing the program’s role as a center for innovation, training and expertise in our state.

Key Priorities:

• Continue high quality programing for the legal aid provider community through TALS’ task forces and executing Equal Justice University;

• Ensure high quality legal advice and information are accessible statewide through TALS’ civil legal helpline, 1 844 HELP4TN, and that statewide legal help resources are available through TALS’ web portal WWW.HELP4TN.org;

• Demonstrate a commitment and outlook for innovative solutions to future challenges;

• Network at the state, regional and national levels to create and strengthen relationships with collaborative partners and funders;

• Guide and implement an ongoing strategic planning process with the board and staff which builds on program strengths with a vision for the future;

• Strengthen TALS’ fiscal stability by seeking traditional and non-traditional funding sources to increase capacity towards TALS’ core mission;

• Creatively utilize technology to improve service to the client community and to allow staff to work more effectively and efficiently.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate strongly preferred

• State, regional and national relationship building skills and experience

• Successful track record in resource development, fundraising and grant writing

• Prior management experience involving staff supervision, financial oversight and budget development

• Federal, State and local government contracting experience preferred

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Skill set and demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion

• Collaborative leadership style, professionalism, integrity, energy, compassion and sense of humor

• Legal aid or public interest leadership experience preferred

• Demonstrated commitment to and passion for advancing civil access to justice

• Regular physical presence in the Nashville office

HOW TO APPLY: Email cover letter, resume, and three references (with email addresses, phone numbers and relationship) in PDF format to Joy Reed at jreed@tals.org. Subject line should read: TALS Executive Director

About TALS

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is a statewide non-profit organization that builds partnerships to support the delivery of effective civil legal services for low-income and elderly Tennesseans. TALS manages a web portal providing legal information- www.HELP4TN.org, and staffs 1-888-HELP4TN, a toll-free civil legal services referral and information phone line. Learn more at www.tals.org.