Legal Counsel & Board Legal Advisor

Overview

This role provides in-house legal advisory support for a pending 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting para athletes and inclusive, high-performance sports opportunities. The work is advisory and project-based, with a small weekly commitment and a minimum 1-year term.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support to internal departments.
• Work with other in-house counsel and outside counsel as required.
• Negotiate and draft complex transactional agreements.
• Take preemptive measures to avoid legal risks and conflicts.

Core Advisory Scope & Deliverables

• Board Governance: Review board meeting minutes, bylaws, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and corporate governance practices.
• Contract Review: Review vendor contracts, partner MOUs, liability waivers, and commercial leases prior to execution.
• Risk & Ethics: Serve as a sounding board for executive leadership on legal risk, employment policy questions, and ethical considerations.
• Outside Counsel Coordination: If specialized litigation or formal legal representation is needed, help scope issues and support selection of external pro bono/paid counsel.

Requirements

• J.D. qualified to practice law.
• 3+ years’ legal work experience.
• Admission to any United States State Bar or an Active license to practice law in Minnesota (or relevant jurisdiction).
• Background in nonprofit law, sports & entertainment law, corporate governance, or risk management.
• Passion for para athletic development and community inclusion.

Onboarding Requirements

• Legal Guardrails: Clarification in the volunteer agreement that advice provided is in an advisory/volunteer capacity to the organization, not creating an attorney-client relationship for individual staff/board members.
• NDA: Execution of a Volunteer Advisor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
• Orientation: 1-hour orientation on the non-profit’s mission, bylaws, and current strategic goals.

Time & Schedule Expectations

• Weekly Commitment: 2–4 hours per week (advisory, project-based).
• Term Length: 1-year minimum commitment (aligned with board meeting or fiscal calendar cycles).
• Schedule Flexibility: Asynchronous & on-demand.
• Core Work: Reviewing documents and providing written/verbal guidance on your own schedule.
• Standing Meetings Attendance:
  • Quarterly Board of Directors meetings (approx. 1.5–2 hours each, remote)
  • Monthly 30-minute check-in with the Executive Director or Board Chair

Work Location & Modality

• Format: 100% Remote
• Collaboration Tools: Remote communication via email, phone/Zoom, and shared cloud document storage (e.g., Google Drive, SharePoint).

Preferred Qualifications / Desired Skills and Experience

• Advocacy
• Board/Committee experience
• Business development
• Conflict resolution
• Corporate responsibility
• Diversity, equity & inclusion
• Investigations
• Legal operations
• Sports & fitness/coaching

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified in the provided description.