Description

KING COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

Housing Justice Project Executive Director

MISSION

The King County Bar Association promotes and supports a diverse and collegial membership; works with the judiciary to achieve excellence, equity, and accessibility in the administration of justice; and benefits the community through public service and engagement in public policy.

Position Mission

The Housing Justice Project (“HJP”) is a homelessness prevention program of the King County Bar Association (“KCBA”), providing accessible legal services to low-income, residential tenants facing eviction, primarily in King and Spokane County. Legal assistance is provided through counsel and advice, settlement negotiation, and representation at show cause hearings, trials, and appeals. HJP also engages in systemic reform through public policy advocacy on both local and state levels.

HJP has grown rapidly in the last few years, after Washington State adopted a Right-To-Counsel law intended to provide legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction. As a result of that growth, the King County Bar Association and HJP decided that HJP should become an independent nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. The application for 501(c)3 status was filed, and confirmation of tax-exempt status was provided to HJP by the Internal Revenue Service, on March 18, 2026.

As we proceed on this path to independence, we seek a dynamic, experienced leader to become the Executive Director of HJP, initially as an employee of KCBA, then as ED of the independent nonprofit. HJP currently has a 3-member Board of Trustees who are focused on implementing a smooth transition; we anticipate that under the leadership of a new Executive Director, new Board members will be recruited.

HJP currently has a staff of 42 people, of whom 30 are attorneys and 12 are legal assistants/staff, etc. HJP operates legal clinics in the downtown Seattle Courthouse and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, and in community-based locations in Spokane. HJP is currently overseen by three managing attorneys.

The Executive Director’s Responsibilities

Under the direction of the HJP Board of Trustees, and in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Pro Bono Services Director of KCBA, the ED of HJP will provide leadership—grounded in diversity, inclusivity, and equity—and will:

• Sustain and grow strategic partnerships and networks as HJP’s public face and serve as ambassador to the organization’s stakeholders including funders, government officials and policymakers, and the community.
• Implement anti-racist, pro-equity practices and procedures that eliminate bias and assure an organization that is anti-racist in all its operations and functions.
• Foster and maintain positive relationships with the union representing HJP’s employees; represent management in collective bargaining efforts.
• Lead the recruitment of additional Board members and, as appropriate, volunteer committee members who have a variety of experiences, talents and backgrounds, and who are committed to HJP’s mission and able to steer the organization.
• Provide fiscal oversight, financial planning, and risk management of HJP, including annual and multi-year budget development and implementation of audit preparation activities that ensure financial health.
•  Oversee resource development, including stewarding relationships with funders and developing a robust resource development program. The ED will also engage in significant fundraising, including the planning and oversight of grant applications and relationships with individual donors.
•  Spearhead recruiting, hiring, retention, succession planning, and performance management systems that promote professional development and personal growth in staff and volunteers.
• Serve as the chief spokesperson to the public and media.
• Promote access to justice for vulnerable, marginalized, and historically underserved client communities as part of the statewide Alliance for Equal Justice.
• Act as primary liaison with the organization’s various constituencies, including donors, staff, board members, coalition and other community partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in the legal arena, J.D. preferred.
• Five years’ experience in management or administration, including management of staff, budget development and fiscal responsibilities.
• Experience in all phases of development, including foundation and institutional fundraising, events, and individual donor solicitation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills effective with a wide range of groups, including public and private organizations, businesses, coalition partners, diverse communities, and political leadership.
• Experience working with the media, including development of press releases, nurturing contacts in the local and national press, papers, radio, and television, and speaking to the media.
• Ability to analyze information quickly and work well in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative problem-solving and ability to navigate conflict.
• Proficiency with technology including MS Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Dedicated team player with a commitment to collaboration and ability to interact professionally and effectively with colleagues, co-workers, board members, volunteers, and clients.

Desired Qualifications

• Non-Profit or civil Legal Aid management experience, including budget development and understanding of revenue and expense management
• Experience in local and state policy advocacy
• Familiarity with social services resources
• Experience working in a unionized workplace

ABOUT KCBA

Founded in 1886, KCBA is a membership legal organization with over 4,700 attorney members, over 80 staff members and an annual budget of $10,000,000.  As a unionized workplace and an equal opportunity employer, KCBA is committed to upholding an equity and justice-based organizational environment for the public, the client communities it serves, its members, its Boards, its staff and its volunteers. This means the organization actively promotes mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and productivity among people who are diverse in work background; lived and professional experience; immigration status and citizenship; education; race and ethnicity; national origin; sexual orientation; age; indigenous group membership; religious preference; marital status; sensory, mental, and physical abilities; social class; gender identity; veteran status, as well as other differences relevant to equity and justice.  The resulting diversity is both a source of organizational strength and a matter of fundamental human fairness. 

Please note, one of KCBA’s programs supports attorneys working with parents and guardians of at risk children.  As a result, certain convictions would make an applicant ineligible.  If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application process, or have questions regarding eligibility, questions contact Len Roden at [email protected].

POSITION DETAILS

This is a non-exempt, full-time (40 hours/week), in-person position, based in Seattle, WA. Salary is $165,000 to $195,000 annually with excellent benefits. Benefits include employer-paid healthcare, 401k plan with automatic employer contribution, ORCA transit pass, flexible spending account, professional development opportunities, paid vacation, sick leave, and more.  The position is mostly remote with some in-person meetings and court appearances in King County.

TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with priority given to those who apply by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 17, 2026, via email.  Make “HJP Executive Director” your subject line and send a letter of interest and resume to: [email protected].