Mill Law Center (MLC) is a 7-person law firm founded in 2021 dedicated to the non-profit sector, with a focus on advancing progressive causes consistent with its mission and building a non-hierarchical and equitable work environment. MLC is a law firm for attorneys and non-attorneys who want to embrace their idealism fully while remaining in private practice.
Position Summary
MLC is looking to add an attorney to its team, specifically someone with significant experience (4+ years) specializing in non-profit/exempt organizations law. MLC welcomes and encourages applications from attorneys who are looking for a part-time or of-counsel arrangement, as well as applicants planning to work on a full-time basis.
Part of our vision is to empower talented people (attorneys and non-attorneys) to pursue their vision of a career that advances the public good. To that end, the attorney filling this position will have a unique opportunity to grow with the firm, influence what it becomes, and shape their own career.
MLC believes in the value of a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourages candidates from historically marginalized groups to apply, including people of color, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or gender non-conforming, first and second-generation immigrants, and people from low-income families.
For this position, significant experience (i.e., four years or more) specializing in non-profit law is strictly required.
We will prioritize candidates who meet the above requirement. If that requirement is met, we will also evaluate any significant legal or non-legal work experience in areas directly relevant to our current practice or the potential to supplement our practice over time.
The initial base salary for someone joining full-time ranges from $150k (4-6 years experience specializing in non-profit law) to $175k (for lawyers with 6+ years of specializing in non-profit law). Attorneys joining on a part-time basis will receive a salary on that scale proportional to their hours’ commitment. Attorneys joining on an “of counsel” basis will have a custom “pay by the hour” arrangement based on experience, billable rate, and other factors.
In addition to base salary, all MLC full-time and part-time employees (attorneys and non-attorneys) share pro rata in the profits of the firm and are eligible for benefits immediately. Benefits include medical and dental insurance, 401(k) participation with a 4% automatic employer contribution, and four weeks of paid time off per year, in addition to holidays. Attorneys in an “of counsel” role are generally compensated differently.
Duties and Responsibilities
MLC advises non-profit organizations of all kinds (and, in some cases, their donors or affiliated companies) on the legal issues that arise by virtue of being a non-profit. MLC also acts as “outside general counsel,” providing a lawyer’s perspective on all manner of decisions and connecting clients with appropriate resources. As a result, the attorney hired for this position will advise on a wide variety of transactional and compliance matters, including corporate structure and governance, federal tax law and planning, state charitable trust law, grantmaking, and impact investment.
Priority Skills
There are many ways to be excellent, and while we expect everyone to have both strengths and weaknesses, we are looking for excellence in as many of the following skills as possible:
Writing (especially for a non-lawyer audience): Much of our work is writing e-mails providing informal analysis and answers to client questions. Attorneys will also help develop free resources for non-profits through MLC’s blog and website.
Attention to Detail: MLC attorneys spend significant time drafting or reviewing governing documents, contracts, and regulatory filings, and it requires a certain mindset to minimize errors.
Legal Analysis: Becoming an expert takes time, but it starts with an analytical and precise approach to answering complex legal questions.
Customer Service: The success of our business relies on customer satisfaction, and keeping clients happy is an essential skill for an attorney in and of itself.
Leadership and Teamwork: In a legal practice, it is easy to default to working alone. MLC wants to function as a team to the fullest extent possible and bring the best out of each other.
Utilizing Technology: MLC wants to reduce the cost of legal services to non-profits by leveraging technology; we cannot do that without tech-savvy employees.
Project Management: By the nature of our practice, MLC attorneys often have to juggle a number of projects at the same time, keeping track of various internal and client deadlines and an active inbox. MLC values someone who is a self-starter and shows initiative and ownership in their projects to help the team stay sane and on top of our commitments to clients.
Priority Traits
In addition to the above skills, MLC is prioritizing the following traits as it considers candidates for this position:
Kindness: MLC operates on the principle that you cannot do good without being kind. And, even if you can, we are not interested in trying it here.
Idealism: MLC is for attorneys who want to lean into their idealism and imagine how a law firm can be a progressive force, both externally and internally. The goal is to pay everyone well, but impact, rather than profit, will drive many decisions.
Adaptability: MLC is a corporate and transactional practice. It is also a tax practice. Often it is a regulatory and compliance practice. Occasionally, it is a trust practice. And more practice areas may develop. Each MLC attorney may build their own areas of expertise, but we are looking for someone adaptable who enjoys learning and variety.
Commitment to Team Success: MLC is a young organization, still growing aggressively to keep up with strong client demand and dedicated to securing financial stability for its team; and any attorney we hire at this time must be ready to contribute to the profitability of the firm. Among other things, this means consistently producing a number of billable hours consistent with reasonable expectations for a 40-hour work week (or the attorney’s part-time schedule). We also place a high value on energy and enthusiasm to contribute to the growth, culture, and identity of the firm, as well as its non-profit affiliate in development, MLC Collective.
Qualifications and Prior Experience
For this position, significant experience (i.e., four years or more) specializing in non-profit law is strictly required.
We will prioritize candidates who meet the above requirement. If that requirement is met, we will also evaluate any significant legal or non-legal work experience in areas directly relevant to our current practice or the potential to supplement our practice over time.
MLC is fully remote, with 7 employees in 6 different states, and will continue to offer the option of fully remote work even if it offers an in-person option in the future. Licensure is required in the state where the attorney plans to practice. MLC is primarily California-based, so California licensure is a plus, as is licensure in a state with an opportunity for growth for the business.
How to Apply
If you are interested, please submit your resume and a cover letter by e-mail to hiring@mill.law. We plan to review all applications submitted by March 15, 2023, as well as after that to the extent the position has not yet been filled.
