Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana / Hybrid

Position: Full-Time
Salary: $60,000-70,000
Reports to: Director of Strategic Operations and Philanthropy

About the Role

The ACLU of Louisiana is seeking a highly organized, collaborative, and mission-driven Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator to support and expand the organization’s engagement with pro bono attorneys, volunteers, and community members.

This position will serve as a key logistical and programmatic connector across the ACLU of Louisiana’s legal and advocacy work. The Coordinator will help manage relationships and logistics with pro bono attorneys and law firms, coordinate volunteer engagement, and organize legal clinics.

The ideal candidate is someone who is exceptionally organized, comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously, a strong communicator, and energized by working with attorneys, volunteers, community members, and ACLU of Louisiana staff. This person should be able to take a project from concept through execution, anticipate logistical challenges, and build systems that make volunteer and community engagement effective and sustainable.

Key Responsibilities

Pro Bono Attorney & Law Firm Coordination (25%)

Help coordinate the ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana’s relationships and engagement with pro bono attorneys and law firms supporting the organization’s legal work.
Serve as a primary logistical point of contact for pro bono volunteers, helping attorneys understand opportunities, timelines, expectations, and next steps.
Coordinate onboarding, scheduling, communications, materials, and other logistics associated with pro bono engagements.
Maintain organized records of participating attorneys, firms, assignments, hours, and project status.
Help identify opportunities to expand and strengthen the ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana’s pro bono attorney network.
Work closely with legal staff to ensure pro bono volunteers have the information and support they need to effectively contribute to ACLU of Louisiana legal projects.
Support recognition, communications, and ongoing engagement of pro bono volunteers.

Justice Lab Volunteer & Clinic Coordination (25%)

Help coordinate volunteer engagement across all Justice Lab programs, including the Justice Lab’s immigration, voting rights, and other legal advocacy initiatives.
Coordinate logistics for Justice Lab legal clinics, including scheduling, volunteer recruitment, communications, materials, and follow-up.
Help recruit and organize volunteer attorneys and other qualified volunteers for clinics and legal projects.
Develop and maintain systems for tracking volunteers, cases, assignments, clinic participation, and outcomes.
Ensure volunteers receive timely instructions, resources, and follow-up.
Identify opportunities to improve the volunteer experience and increase volunteer participation and retention.
Troubleshoot logistical issues and escalate substantive legal questions to appropriate legal staff.
Work collaboratively with Justice Lab and legal staff while respecting appropriate legal and client confidentiality requirements.

Community Advocacy & Volunteer Projects (15%)

Coordinate special projects that engage volunteers and community members in advocacy, including initiatives such as Pack the Court and other rapid-response or campaign-based projects.
Develop project timelines, volunteer recruitment plans, logistics, communications, and execution plans.
Coordinate with internal departments to ensure volunteer and community engagement efforts align with organizational priorities.
Help create accessible materials and instructions for volunteers and community members.
Track participation and outcomes and provide post-project reports and recommendations.
Help build a strong, ongoing network of ACLU of Louisiana volunteers and community advocates beyond individual projects.

Detention Center Stakeholder Tour (10%)

Coordinate and execute an annual stakeholder tour of Louisiana detention facilities in partnership with appropriate ACLU of Louisiana staff and external stakeholders.
Manage planning, scheduling, invitations, transportation, communications, materials, and day-of logistics.
Coordinate with detention facility representatives and participating stakeholders, with assistance from ACLU of Louisiana legal team.
Support preparation of briefing materials and agendas.
Ensure appropriate follow-up and documentation after the tour.

Public Education & Teach-Ins (10%)

Plan and host at least one public-facing teach-in per quarter, either in person or virtually.
Work with ACLU of Louisiana staff to identify timely and relevant topics related to civil rights, civil liberties, legal developments, advocacy, and Louisiana policy.
Coordinate speakers, scheduling, registration, technology, materials, promotion, and follow-up.
Develop an annual strategy to ensure the ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana is engaging communities across the state.
Host at least one teach-in annually in Baton Rouge and at least one in Shreveport, in addition to other quarterly programs.
Build relationships with community organizations, schools, universities, bar associations, and other partners to expand participation in public education opportunities.

Legislative Session Support (5%)

Support logistics for advocacy events, volunteer engagement, and community mobilization at the legislature.
Help coordinate volunteers and community members participating in legislative advocacy efforts.

Coalition Work (5%)

Support collaborative projects and campaigns the ACLU of Louisiana undertakes with coalition partners when volunteer and community mobilization is needed.

General Project & Program Support (5%)

Support other legal, advocacy, volunteer, and community engagement projects as needed.
Take on special projects that advance the ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana’s strategic priorities.
Develop and maintain efficient systems for managing volunteers, events, communications, and project timelines.
Prepare regular updates on volunteer engagement, project progress, participation, and outcomes.
Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve systems, and strengthen volunteer and community engagement.
Collaborate across the Legal, Advocacy, Communications, Development, and Operations teams.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build productive relationships with attorneys, volunteers, community members, and organizational partners.
Ability to work independently, take initiative, and follow projects through to completion.
Comfort working in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift quickly.
Commitment to the mission and values of the ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana.
Proficiency with common office and collaboration tools, including Google Workspace or Microsoft Office.

Preferred

Experience coordinating volunteers or community engagement programs.
Experience working with attorneys, law firms, legal organizations, or nonprofit organizations.
Experience coordinating legal clinics or other direct-service programs.
Experience with advocacy campaigns or legislative engagement.
Experience planning public events, webinars, trainings, or educational programs.
Familiarity with Louisiana’s legal, political, or advocacy landscape.
Experience working with case-management, volunteer-management, or CRM systems.
Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus.
A JD, paralegal certification, or other legal experience is a plus, but not required.

Core Competencies

Project Management: Able to take complex projects with many moving pieces and create clear timelines, systems, and processes to ensure successful execution.

Relationship Building: Builds trust and maintains strong working relationships with attorneys, volunteers, community members, partner organizations, and colleagues.

Communication: Communicates clearly, professionally, and appropriately with a wide range of audiences.

Problem Solving: Anticipates challenges, identifies solutions, and knows when to escalate issues to appropriate staff.

Adaptability: Comfortable shifting priorities and responding to emerging needs, particularly during legislative session and rapidly developing advocacy campaigns.

Mission Alignment: Demonstrates a strong commitment to civil rights, civil liberties, racial justice, and the mission of the ACLU of Louisiana.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position with a hybrid work structure. The role will require occasional evening and weekend commitments for events, teach-ins, clinics, legislative advocacy, and other community engagement activities.

Some travel within Louisiana, particularly to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, will be required.

The ACLU of Louisiana of Louisiana is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences.