Legal Content Manager, Volunteer Programs - Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)

Overview

This position is part of the Content Team and supports the organization’s mission by keeping legal information accurate, relevant, and easy to use for diverse audiences.

The Legal Content Manager, Volunteer Programs works independently and as part of a team to publish and maintain legal content, lead a statewide legal content volunteer program, and support projects that improve how people find and use legal information.

Responsibilities

Content publication and maintenance (50%)

• Own and maintain a content portfolio in designated legal areas, using independent judgment while collaborating with other editors on shared content, editorial governance, and group projects.
• Research, draft, edit, and publish legal information in assigned areas, following the organization’s content standards, style guide, and review processes.
• Complete content projects on schedule, including legal research, drafting, structural editing, plain-language review, proofreading, and publishing.
• Monitor changes in the law, external resources, and feedback from internal and external stakeholders to determine content impact.
• Collaborate with Product and Community Engagement Teams to inform development of effective models, interfaces, and methods for delivering legal information.
• Assist with maintaining content in accordance with the organization’s style guide and review processes.
• Continuously improve content quality assurance and prioritization processes with the Content Team.
• Use relevant data (including Google Analytics, user feedback, and internal dashboards) to help prioritize updates in subject areas of responsibility.
• Supervise law students as assigned.
• Serve on at least one designated Illinois Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission’s Forms Subcommittees advising on form design and plain language.

Supervise Legal Content Volunteer Program (40%)

• Recruit, coordinate, and support the Legal Content Volunteer (LCV) program, a statewide network of legal aid and private attorney contributors and reviewers.
• Ensure timely subject matter expert (SME) review of drafts awaiting publication and respond to questions from Content Team members.
• Develop and coordinate pro bono projects with law firms and bar associations, matching volunteer attorneys with appropriate project needs identified in the content plan.
• Track and report on LCV program activity using metrics and reports shared with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure volunteers are supported, acknowledged, and appreciated.
• Build relationships within the legal profession, with emphasis on legal aid and access to justice.

Other activities (10%)

• Participate in staff meetings and other organizational meetings.
• Participate in organizational ARDEI activities.
• Participate in fundraising activities, including making thank you calls, signing letters, working in-person events, reviewing grant proposals, and contributing to grant reports as required.
• Perform other activities as assigned.

Requirements

• Law degree (J.D.) and admission to the Illinois bar required.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant legal practice or related legal experience, such as a judicial clerkship or work in legal aid, government, or a nonprofit legal organization. Illinois experience preferred.
• Experience turning complicated legal concepts into clear, actionable resources.
• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience recruiting, coordinating, or managing volunteers or networks of attorneys.
• Demonstrated ability to manage assigned work to deadlines, adjust when priorities change, and keep a supervisor informed about workload and progress.
• Ability to work within established standards, processes, and decisions owned by others, including raising concerns through appropriate channels.
• Ability to work in a shared content environment where colleagues across teams may review, revise, or contribute to assigned content while maintaining clear communication and consistent standards.
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback, resolve editorial disagreements respectfully, and evaluate proposed changes based on legal accuracy, clarity, and user needs.
• Ability to work effectively with legal content, product, and community engagement colleagues to improve how people find, understand, and use legal information.
• Understanding of how AI and other technologies can improve access to justice and support content creation, review, maintenance, and delivery, with attention to their limitations and the need for human judgment.
• Willingness to learn new tools, test new approaches, and use feedback and results to improve workflows while maintaining legal accuracy and content quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving clients or working with courts, legal aid organizations, or community partners in Illinois communities outside Cook County, particularly in Central or Southern Illinois.
• Experience as a pro bono volunteer or participant in legal aid clinics.
• Experience in criminal law, traffic, family law, or general legal aid practice.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken Spanish, including the ability to write, translate, and edit clear, accurate, and natural Spanish (familiarity with Mexican Spanish preferred).
• Participation in a law journal, moot court, or other collaborative writing and editing projects as a law student or licensed attorney.
• Experience using Salesforce or similar constituent-management platforms.
• Experience working in web-based content management systems.
• Experience with Jira, Slack, GSuite, or Microsoft Office.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $72,000–$80,000 (reflects 2–15 years of legal experience).
• Bilingual Spanish stipend: Bilingual Spanish staff receive an additional stipend.
• Benefits include:
  • Health and dental insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Long-term and short-term disability insurance
  • Health and dependent care flexible spending account
  • 15 paid days off and 15 holidays in the first calendar year of employment
  • 403(b) retirement plan, with the organization contributing a required 1% of salary monthly
  • Flexible workplace policy supporting remote work, wellness, and work-life balance

Location

• Primarily remote, with periodic in-person meetings and travel required to collaborate with other legal aid organizations.
• Applications are welcome from across Illinois.

Position Type

Full-time