Litigation Director

About Health Law Advocates (HLA)

HLA (HLA) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm whose mission is to provide pro bono legal representation to low-income residents experiencing difficulty accessing or paying for needed medical services. HLA is committed to ensuring universal access to quality health care in Massachusetts, particularly for those who are most at risk due to such factors as race, gender, immigration status, disability, age, or geographic location. HLA’s services include:

Representing Health Care Consumers: HLA provides high quality, free legal assistance to

income-eligible Massachusetts residents having difficulty accessing or paying for health care.

HLA represents and litigates for individuals and in impact cases.

HLA’s 25 attorneys, supported by seven paralegals, currently specialize in:

• Challenging obstacles to health and mental health care created by denials of payment for specific services by third-party payors, including health insurance, schools, and state agencies
• Fighting denials of eligibility for: state agency services, special education, and health insurance enrollment
• Protecting patients from illegal medical billing and collection practices

Community Education and Outreach: HLA builds knowledge in communities on how to access health and mental health care through well-regarded trainings and presentations throughout Massachusetts and by authoring publications that promote access to health care.

Policy Advocacy: HLA advocates for public policy reforms that help consumers access health

care and mental health care. We offer our legal expertise and experience working with consumers to policymakers on the state and federal levels, as well as advocate for policy changes by health care institutions to enhance health care access.

HLA’s effectiveness is strengthened by its relationship with its sister organization, Health

Care for All (HCFA). HCFA is a leader in mobilizing consumer advocates and policy proposals to achieve universal health care access. The two organizations’ headquarters are located together. HLA and HCFA create a robust ecosystem for influencing access to health care.

HLA is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the individual, organizational, and systems levels. We make time for all staff to take part in activities designed to identify and dismantle instances of inequity within ourselves, within our organization, within our client community, and within the larger community and Commonwealth.

The Opportunity

Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a non-profit, public interest law firm committed to ensuring

universal access to quality health care in Massachusetts. HLA seeks an experienced, self-motivated, creative plaintiffs’ litigator to enhance its in-court practice.

This litigator, after consultation with staff and experienced board members, will initiate litigation to achieve health care justice, often in partnership with other organizations and law firms. These issues arise in individual cases coming principally from our intake process, which can lead to broad-based impact litigation as well.

The Litigation Director will join a highly regarded organization with a 30-year track record of successful legal advocacy to break down barriers to health care for consumers in historically excluded groups. This position is a great opportunity to make a difference on a range of cutting-edge health care issues and improve the quality of life of countless people.

The ideal candidate will be: an experienced and skillful litigator who shares HLA’s commitment

to health care equity and social justice; a strategist who can identify solid opportunities for persuasion and for succeeding where efforts at persuasion fail; a relationship builder who can work with and lead teams of lawyers and others in broad-based health care justice campaigns.

Within the HLA staff, this experienced litigator will work closely with HLA’s Executive Director and leaders of HLA’s two legal departments to identify matters to pursue through litigation. The HLA Board Litigation Committee, currently headed by Steve Rosenfeld, will support this litigator in any way possible. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary day-to-day responsibility of the position is to develop and pursue opportunities for litigation to protect or expand access to health care.

More specific activities include:

• Identifying opportunities for litigation on behalf of individual clients or classes, independently or through collaboration with other organizations, HLA attorneys, and/or HLA Board Litigation Committee members. 
• Conducting pre-litigation investigations and conceptualizing negotiating and case strategy.
• Preparing cases for litigation, including complaint drafting.
• Litigating cases independently or in partnership with internal or external co-counsel.
• Mentoring and training HLA staff attorneys who are involved or seek to become involved in litigation.
• Collaborating with HLA board and staff members to develop organizational priorities.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
• License to practice law in Massachusetts state and federal courts
• 7 years of civil litigation experience, including extensive in-court advocacy
• Experience with case development, drafting complaints, and conducting discovery
• Preference for candidates who have litigated: in a public interest setting, class actions, and/or seeking system change

In addition, all HLA employees are expected to have the skills to:

• Work both independently and as an effective team member
• Collaborate with and support staff at all levels of our organization
• Communicate clearly and professionally
• Maintain confidentiality and, for attorneys, strict adherence to all professional responsibility requirements for the practice of law
• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and openness, with the desire and ability to listen and learn
• Understand and believe in the mission of the organization
• Embody the values of the organization, including a commitment to decreasing inequity in our health care system and society as a whole

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $125,000 - $155,000 annually. HLA offers a robust benefits package including comprehensive health insurance, 401(k) contributions, and a generous paid leave policy.

HLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all identities with regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, and many other factors. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive work environment where all team members are encouraged to be their authentic and whole selves.