The client seeks a Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel to serve as the principal legal advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors. In this executive role, the Chief Legal Officer integrates legal risk management with strategic public policy leadership to support women’s health, reproductive rights, and the professional interests of obstetrician–gynecologists, including government relations, policy advocacy, and coalition-building efforts at federal and state levels.
As head of the Legal Department, the Chief Legal Officer protects the organization’s legal interests by identifying existing and emerging risks and advising business leaders on mitigation. The role ensures that organizational practices, policies, and dealings comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including requirements related to tax rules, antitrust, lobbying, and political compliance, as well as matters involving employment law, commercial contracts, intellectual property/licensing, and data and privacy laws, including HIPAA, and it manages all litigation involving the organization. The Chief Legal Officer also oversees government affairs and related policy and advocacy functions, directs the organization’s amicus and impact litigation practice, and helps ensure alignment of government-wide advocacy efforts.
The Chief Legal Officer advises the Board on governance matters, serves as a liaison to board committees, keeps the Board informed of major organizational risks, and leads a team of 24 with oversight of a budget of $10M. The ideal candidate will offer a pragmatic, solutions-oriented, and discreet approach, with the ability to move between strategic counsel and day-to-day problem solving, demonstrate agility and resilience in a dynamic non-profit/association environment, and provide candid feedback to leaders at all levels. Minimum qualifications include a Juris Doctor (or equivalent), licensure to practice law in Washington, DC; Maryland; and/or Virginia (or a state with bar reciprocity), demonstrated professional ethics and integrity, and at least 10 years of relevant legal, litigation, and/or advocacy experience with at least 5 years of senior legal and government affairs experience in an association, healthcare system, law firm, or other related healthcare and/or non-profit or corporate environment; deep experience in non-profit law, healthcare regulations, and health policy is strongly preferred.