External General Counsel – Media Law (Non-Profit)

Job title:

External General Counsel – Media Law (Non-Profit)

Company

NYC Bar Association

Job description

Location: New York City
FLSA Status: Exempt
Start date: March 2024

The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice
The advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. A nonprofit program of the New York City Bar Association, we bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs.

Program Description
The Vance Center’s Public Interest Reporting Program provides legal representation to investigative and other journalism and public interest reporting organizations worldwide. It regularly advises international nonprofit investigative outlets the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, as well as regional and national investigative outlets in Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. It manages the legal affairs of Reporters Shield, providing legal defense against defamation claims and related services to publishers worldwide. It operates a program for exiled media, with support from UNESCO’s Global Media Defence Fund. Its Lawyers for Reporters Program provides pro bono legal representation to early-stage local journalism and other reporting organizations in the United States.

Position Description
The External General Counsel, Media Law (the “EGC”), reporting to the Vance Center Executive Director, will provide general counsel legal services to two or more key journalism clients of the Vance Center, based on special engagements. These services will include all legal issues arising from the operations of the clients, whether newsroom matters like pre-publication review, take-down demands, access to official records, and litigation defense, or administrative matters like insurance, employment, intellectual property protection, freelance and other contracting, and board governance. The clients will approve the selection of the EGC, whose continued performance in this role will depend on the clients ongoing satisfaction with the EGC.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Degree from U.S. law school, with additional education or experience in law and/or journalism strongly preferred
• Admission to practice law in New York with additional qualification in another significant jurisdiction strongly preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of legal practice experience related to media operations, including law firm practice and in-house experience in areas of pre-publication review, newsroom advice, defamation and privacy invasion defense, media insurance, copyright and trademark licensing and protection and infringement claim defense, freelance contracting and staff employment (with union contract expertise preferred)
• Experience and/or general knowledge of U.S. journalism, with focus on local and start-up journalism preferred
• Experience with and knowledge of the U.S. legal market, specifically the media law bar and pro bono legal services
• Experience with developing and/or managing professional networks and/or other forms of collaboration, particularly with regard to journalism associations
• Experience with nonprofit management, including governance, compliance, budgeting, and staff supervision, as well as nonprofit fundraising, including knowledge of foundations and other donors to nonprofit journalism and law organizations.
• Demonstrable ability to work independently, present effectively in writing and orally, manage a fast-paced, complex set of short and long-term tasks, supervise and lead lawyers and other staff, and report to a board or advisory committee
• Authorization to work in the United States

Compensation
Starting annualized salary will be $160,000-170,000, based on experience and commitments of clients.

This position is a hybrid role, with time worked out of our Midtown Manhattan location and the balance worked remotely. This position is supported by a renewable grant.

We provide a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including closing between Christmas and New Year’s Day this year, day off for volunteer work, extra time off in summer), choice of medical plans, dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance and employee discounts, among others.

Application instructions:
Applications will be considered when received, until a qualified candidate is hired. To apply, please submit a resume, a cover letter, and a list of three references. No phone calls please.

The Vance Center is a proud equal opportunity employer, and we particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to communities historically under-represented in the legal profession. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, we will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs; disability; pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition; or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.

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Expected salary

$160000 – 170000 per year

Location

New York City, NY

Job date

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 04:40:40 GMT

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