Executive Director

The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights is seeking an experienced advocate and proven
leader to serve as Executive Director.

LCCR is one of the nation’s leading public defenders for children and one of the most successful
state-based juvenile justice reform advocates. LCCR serves as the juvenile public defender in
New Orleans, using an innovative model of holistic, cross-disciplinary advocacy to help
vulnerable youth achieve their legal and life goals in nearly 1,000 cases each year. In addition
to direct services, our strategies include legislative advocacy, civil rights litigation, public
education, training, and strategic communications. For 18 years, we have worked for a fair,
compassionate, and developmentally-appropriate juvenile justice system for children.
This is an opportunity for a highly-skilled advocate to play a leading role statewide and
nationally in juvenile justice reform. LCCR is a highly-successful, productive, and innovative
organization, with a skilled staff of 26 that is dedicated to advocacy for vulnerable youth. We
expect the next Executive Director to provide strong leadership for continued innovation and
growth.

Organizational Overview
The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights is a nonprofit law center that defends the right of
every child in Louisiana’s juvenile justice system to fairness, dignity, and opportunity. We are a
growing, dynamic office of 26 professionals, including attorneys, policy advocates, social
workers, case managers, and investigators.

Our Children’s Defense Team is the juvenile public defender in New Orleans, using an
innovative model of holistic, cross-disciplinary advocacy to help vulnerable youth achieve their
legal and life goals in nearly 1,000 cases each year.
Our policy reform and impact litigation arm is called the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana.

JJPL has 18 years of experience fighting for a juvenile justice system that is fair, compassionate,
and supportive of positive youth development. We have closed down prisons, helping to reduce
Louisiana’s incarcerated youth population by 75%; established a state constitutional right to
rehabilitation and treatment; and assisted in the passage of legislation that fundamentally
reshaped the state’s juvenile justice system by requiring the provision of key evidence-based
supports to vulnerable children.

Responsibilities
The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the Louisiana Center for Children’s
Rights, and the primary champion and voice for LCCR’s mission, values, and programs locally
and nationally.

The Executive Director is charged with the leadership of the office and supervision of the office’s
management-level staff; developing and implementing LCCR’s strategic vision; and with raising
funds to sustain and expand LCCR’s programs.

Specific responsibilities include:

Strategic Planning, Project Design, and Program Evaluation
 Develop, articulate, and champion LCCR’s organizational mission, vision, values, and
goals;
 Commission and direct the development and periodic updating of strategic and financial
sustainability plans to ensure clear direction in realizing and sustaining LCCR’s
organizational mission and vision;
 Design and implement projects and programs to further the office’s mission;
 Develop and implement mechanisms for evaluating organizational progress.
Statewide and National Juvenile Defense and Juvenile Justice Reform Leadership
 Develop and implement local, statewide, and national strategies to reform juvenile
justice systems, using tools that include legislative advocacy and civil rights litigation;
 Build and direct LCCR’s program of statewide advocacy on behalf of the right of every
child to zealous and effective representation in Louisiana’s delinquency and criminal
courts.

Public and Community Relations
 Build and maintain strong and productive relationships and collaborations with juvenile
system stakeholders, community members and organizations, and other partners;
 Design and oversee the implementation of communications strategies;
 Represent LCCR in public forums, serve as the organization’s primary spokesperson in
the state Capitol and as primary media contact, and conduct other public relations
activities as appropriate.

Fundraising and Development
 Develop and implement short-term and long-term fundraising and sustainability
strategies, including building and retaining staff capacity in the areas of development
and communications;
 Ensure that LCCR can sustain and expand its programs through soliciting and obtaining
funds from diverse sources, including government contracts and allocations; grants from
national and local foundations; earned income; and individual and corporate donations;
 Oversee the fulfillment of funding obligations, the preparation of grant reports, and build
and maintain relationships with funders;
 Oversee the production and maintenance of high-quality communications materials,
which currently include annual reports, fundraising letters, program brochures, and a
website.

Internal Policy Development and Implementation
 Develop and implement operating policies and procedures, subject to approval from
LCCR’s Board of Directors where appropriate;
 Continuously refine, and ensure fidelity to, LCCR’s program manual, including a detailed
set of practice standards and expectations that shape LCCR’s juvenile defense practice;

Supervision and Personnel Management
 Directly supervise the office’s Managing Director, Director of Development, Policy
Director, and other key management-level administrative and program staff as
appropriate;
 In consultation with supervisors and staff, develop meaningful and accurate job
descriptions for every LCCR employee;
 Promulgate and regularly update an organizational chart articulating clear lines of
authority and responsibility within LCCR;
 Implement policies and practices to promote staff retention and development, towards
the goal of building a new generation of juvenile justice leadership in Louisiana;
 Oversee the recruitment, hiring, evaluation, and termination of LCCR staff;
 Oversee the training, supervision, professional development and evaluation of all staff;
 Convene and lead LCCR staff meetings;
 Ensure the ethical and responsible practice of law by LCCR staff and promote the
delivery of the high-quality, zealous advocacy on behalf of LCCR’s clients.

Budgeting and Financial Management
 Develop and obtain approval from the Board of Directors for annual budgets;
 Carefully manage LCCR’s budget and finances, allocating office assets, controlling office
expenditures, and making day-to-day budgetary decisions;
 Supervise LCCR’s finance director and other staff with responsibilities relating to
bookkeeping and budgeting;
 Ensure compliance with all applicable budgeting and tax laws, ethical rules, and
contract obligations;
 Supervise annual audits.

Office Management
 Oversee the management of LCCR’s office operations;
 Develop, implement, refine, and oversee systems for the collection, analysis, and
reporting of data on advocacy efforts and outcomes;
 Ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and with the terms of
LCCR’s contracts and grants.

Board Development and Relations
 Plan, in consultation with board leadership, regularly scheduled board meetings;
 Regularly report program activity to LCCR’s Board of Directors and ensure the
accountability of the office and its management to the Board;
 As needed and appropriate, work with board leadership, members or committees to
develop a periodic strategic plan for LCCR;
 Work with board leadership to promote board recruitment, retention and development.

The Executive Director reports directly to the Board of Directors.