Policy Counsel- State Policy

Job Description:

WHO WE ARE:

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization working to ensure a fair, inclusive financial marketplace that creates opportunities for all. Through research, legal analysis, policy development, and state and national advocacy engagement, CRL fights for economic equity for underserved communities—including Black and brown communities, low-to-middle income families, and rural families. CRL’s staff, allies, and funders reflect a collective commitment to eliminating systemic injustice in America’s financial services.

CRL provides a strong voice on both the state and national levels for these families to expand family wealth and financial stability through sustainable homeownership, affordable higher education, and support for small businesses.  We also protect their financial stability by preventing harmful products that trap families in debt and strip away their income including predatory high-cost lending and other unfair financial practices. CRL is an affiliate of Self-Help, a community development lender founded in 1980.

The Julian Bond Institute (JBI) produces research that illuminates the financial barriers families face, builds the evidence base for policy change, and holds the financial system accountable to the communities it must serve — with the rigor of academic research and the urgency of a civil rights mandate. JBI was launched in early 2025 as part of CRL.

State-level financial regulation is where much of the fight for consumer protection plays out right now and every shift in a state legislature or regulatory agency creates real consequences for the families CRL fights for. We're looking for a Policy Counsel who wants to be in the room where that fight happens: tracking legislation and rulemakings across the states as they move, building the legal case for CRL's positions, and turning that analysis into comment letters, testimony, and amicus briefs that hold up under scrutiny.

Reporting to the Director of State Policy, you'll take ownership of priority issues, monitor developments, spot opportunities and threats early, and recommend the strategy to meet them. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with CRL's research, communications, and federal policy teams, and you'll be a visible presence with allies, coalition partners, state regulators, and legislative staff across the states.

This role also puts you at the center of CRL's litigation strategy by helping build amicus briefs, coordinating with outside counsel, and fielding legal questions from ally organizations. If you want a job where your legal training directly protects people from predatory financial products, and where good writing and sharp analysis are rewarded with real influence, this is it.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Strategy Development and Policy Recommendation

- Own priority issues for CRL, build subject-matter expertise, lead or participate in issue working groups, and drive the strategy that turns policy goals into results.
- Track legislative and regulatory developments in real time and get ahead of them, flagging risks and openings before they become urgent.
- Analyze proposed legislation and regulations for their real-world impact on consumers, particularly people of color and low-income people, and translate that analysis into CRL's position.
- Shape draft legislation and regulatory proposals through hands-on legal research and policy recommendations.
- Write and edit regulatory comment letters, testimony, speeches, articles, and policy briefs and sharpen the writing of colleagues across research and communications.
- Review and advise on coalition sign-on letters.

Litigation Support

- Help shape CRL's litigation strategy on consumer policy issues, including amicus briefs, and support coordination with federal regulators.
- Build and maintain relationships with outside counsel and litigation partners and keep litigation efforts coordinated internally and externally.
- Draft amicus briefs and other litigation documents and represent CRL in litigation matters as needed.
- Field legal questions from ally organizations, litigation units, and law firms.

Relationship Building and Advocacy

- Build real relationships with senior staff at allied organizations, trade groups, and companies with a stake in lending policy and use them to rally support for CRL's positions and defeat harmful proposals.
- Get in front of senior legislative staff, legislators, regulators, and enforcement officials in state capitals to move CRL's state agenda forward.
- Represent CRL at meetings, conferences, and, at times, in the media, spotting opportunities to put CRL's voice in the conversation.
- Talk directly with lenders to understand real financial practices on the ground and push for better ones.

Other

- Mentor or supervise junior staff or interns.
- Take on other work as CRL's priorities evolve.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- J.D. and active bar admission.
- At least 2 years of experience or a track record that shows you can own a policy issue independently and lead on it when needed.
- Familiarity with state legislative and rulemaking processes, and federal or state laws touching civil rights, housing/mortgage lending, predatory lending, consumer law, or banking law.
- Sound legal and business judgment, the ability to give practical, timely advice, juggle several areas of law at once, and see how multiple issues intersect on a single question.
- Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills; comfort producing polished work with limited oversight and giving useful feedback to peers.
- A genuine commitment to public interest law, low-income families, and communities of color, with the racial justice lens to understand how federal, state, and local policy has shaped racial wealth disparities.
- Skill at building relationships with external partners and turning them into real collaboration.
- Strong project management skills.
- A self-starter who thrives juggling multiple fast-moving projects, but who also genuinely enjoys working as part of a team.
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and willingness to travel as needed.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

- Prior experience in consumer financial protection or fair lending advocacy.
- Experience in civil rights, housing/mortgage lending, predatory lending, consumer law, or banking law.
- Proficiency in Asana or other project management tool.
- Experience working within coalitions or issue work groups.
- Familiarity with state legislative and regulatory processes and key state regulators (e.g., state attorneys general, state banking and financial regulators).

As State Policy Counsel:

- You bring legal rigor to advocacy. You move fluidly between dense legal research and the plain-language advocacy materials that move people to act.
- You're proactive, not reactive. You track the landscape before anyone asks, spot risks and openings early, and show up with a recommendation, not just an update.
- You build trust across the aisle and across the table. Allies, regulators, and legislative staff all take your call, because you've earned it.
- Your writing does the persuading. Comment letters, testimony, and briefs carry your precision and your ability to make a legal argument land with a non-legal audience.
- You measure success in outcomes, not credit. You care more about the win for consumers than whose name is on the brief.

WORK ARRANGEMENTS

- This is a hybrid role, based out of either Oakland, CA or Durham, NC. Staff are expected to be in the office three days per week, with Monday and Wednesday as communal days and the third day determined by each individual. This role may include occasional travel.  Similarly, because we work across three time zones, leaders often make themselves available to connect during evening hours.

- COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY & BENEFITS CRL believes that wealth inequality undermines the security and strength of families, communities, and the US economy. For that reason, we maintain a minimum salary floor well above the federal minimum wage for our staff, to help them meet their basic needs and save for the future. We also cap salaries at the higher end of our compensation scale, where many staff, including the CEO and other senior leaders, earn the same salary, subject only to geographic adjustments.

- Anticipated Salary Range : Oakland, CA: $ 122,200 – 163,132 (CA CAP) Durham, NC:  $94,800 – 126,610 (NC CAP)
- Compensation ranges are based on local market rates and are determined by geography, role, and experience. The higher end of each range represents the current organizational salary cap for each location, which increases annually based on cost of living and organizational performance.

- Health Medical , dental & vision insurance- for employees and eligible dependents, with 80% to 100% of premiums paid by Self-Help depending on coverage levels selected.
- Employee Assistance Program Access
- Paid Time Off
- Paid parental leave- of 12-16 weeks, prorated for staff with less than 1 year of service.
- Financial Wellbeing- 401k match - 3% company contribution, plus an additional $1 for $1 on the first 6% that the employee contributes. CRL-paid life insurance of $50,000, plus long-term disability and accidental death & dismemberment coverage.
- Tuition reimbursement- As a 501(c)(3) organization, employment with CRL may provide an opportunity for student loan forgiveness. Candidates should review the provisions of their student loans to determine if this is applicable.

JOIN THE TEAM! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. CRL’s work focuses on those who may be marginalized or underserved by the existing financial marketplace, or in many cases, people who are targeted for unfair and abusive financial products that leave them worse off. This includes people of color, women, rural residents, and low-wealth families and communities. We strongly encourage applicants from these communities to apply, even if they may not meet every listed qualification. Diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the identities and experiences of the communities we serve.

Interview Process CRL’s aim is that the hiring process is both robust and efficient, ensuring that there is time for mutual discovery along the way. For this role, candidates can expect a phone screen, video interview with the hiring manager, a panel interview, and an on-site final interview.  Once the interview process begins, we anticipate it will take 4-6 weeks until an offer is made and communicated. The Center for Responsible Lending is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.

Self-Help is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Company Disclaimer:

Self-Help is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.