Center for Reproductive Rights Senior Director of Litigation, New York City, NY, U.S., Division, Litigation
Center for Reproductive Rights
The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $67 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world.
Our global pro bono network includes over 3,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 64 countries, and 130 law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $35 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting.
To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org
The Opportunity
In the midst of an escalating assault on reproductive freedom in the United States, the Center for Reproductive Rights is seeking a bold, strategic, and visionary litigator to lead its U.S. Litigation team.
The Senior Director of Litigation sets the strategic vision for the Center’s litigation efforts nationwide and ensures alignment with broader institutional goals. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, U.S. Division, the Senior Director works closely with cross-functional leaders in Policy and Advocacy and Corporate Engagement to drive an integrated strategy that secures lasting legal protections and prevents regression across the reproductive rights landscape.
As the head of the Litigation Unit, a team of 27 professionals, including 23 attorneys, the Senior Director is responsible for ensuring high-quality legal execution and internal coordination. This includes overseeing case development and implementation, translating strategic goals into impactful litigation, and ensuring the team’s legal work is timely, coordinated, and rigorous.
The Senior Director also provides unified leadership across the Litigation Unit’s internal structure, directly supervising senior leaders and cultivating an inclusive, transparent, and accountable team culture. They are responsible for fostering alignment across workstreams, providing guidance to team leaders, and ensuring that staff are well-supported in their growth, collaboration, and contributions.
A core component of the Center’s litigation model involves partnering with leading law firms, corporate legal departments, and other pro bono allies. In collaboration with the Center’s internal pro bono team, the Senior Director will steward and grow a robust network of pro bono partners, expanding capacity, deepening expertise, and extending the reach of the Unit’s litigation docket.
Finally, the Senior Director plays a key role in external engagement, serving as a visible leader and spokesperson for the Center’s litigation work. They will represent the Center in courtrooms, coalitions, donor briefings, media opportunities, and other public forums, helping to elevate the Center’s visibility and cultivate support for its mission. This position requires approximately 35% travel.
This position will be based in the Center’s New York City headquarters in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office, 2 days working-from-home.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Liz Lombard, Managing Director and Angie Sessoms, Managing Associate. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing Angie Sessoms directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
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About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
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