Application Guide
How to Apply for Public Rights Project Deputy Chief Program Officer
at Positively Partners
🏢 About Positively Partners
Public Rights Project (PRP) is a unique nonprofit that empowers local government officials to enforce civil rights laws through litigation, training, and partnerships. Working here means directly impacting police accountability, abortion access, immigrant rights, worker protections, and voting rights at the local level. PRP's focus on building a network of progressive prosecutors and attorneys makes it a pioneering force in public interest law.
About This Role
As Deputy Chief Program Officer, you will lead cross-functional initiatives across PRP's Civil Rights Hub, Litigation, and Election Protection Hub, ensuring seamless integration of legal work. This role is impactful because you will shape the quality and strategy of PRP's legal practice, oversee complex multi-state compliance, and mentor a team of program directors and legal staff to drive systemic change.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a check-in with program directors to review ongoing litigation and compliance issues, followed by a strategy session on a cross-hub initiative. You might then review a key brief or memorandum, provide feedback to legal staff, and later represent PRP at a coalition meeting or conference call with local government partners. The day would also include time for project management, such as updating work plans and ensuring alignment across teams.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Positively Partners Is Looking For
- A seasoned public interest lawyer with 15+ years of experience, including significant impact civil litigation and a track record of leading high-stakes cases.
- An expert in civil rights law with deep knowledge of police accountability, abortion rights, immigrant rights, worker rights, and voting rights, and a strong ability to translate legal strategy into operational plans.
- An exceptional project manager who can juggle multiple complex workstreams, from overseeing briefs to managing multi-state compliance, while maintaining a focus on quality and efficiency.
- A collaborative leader with experience mentoring legal staff and fostering a culture of continuous learning, who can also represent PRP externally at conferences and coalition meetings.
📝 Tips for Applying to Positively Partners
1. Highlight your experience with multi-state compliance and conflict checks, as this is a key operational need for PRP's decentralized network.
2. Showcase specific examples of leading cross-functional initiatives that integrated litigation, policy, and training—PRP values holistic program management.
3. Tailor your resume to emphasize civil rights litigation victories, especially those involving local government partners (e.g., city attorneys, district attorneys).
4. Include a cover letter that directly addresses your commitment to PRP's mission areas (police accountability, abortion, immigrant, worker, voting rights) and how your background aligns.
5. Demonstrate your ability to work remotely and manage a distributed team by mentioning any experience with virtual collaboration tools and remote leadership.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your deep expertise in civil rights law and impact litigation, with examples of cases that advanced racial or social justice.', 'Your experience in program leadership and operations, including managing legal practice quality, compliance, and knowledge management.', 'Your ability to mentor and develop legal staff, fostering a culture of excellence and learning.', "Your alignment with PRP's mission to empower local government officials and your understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities of working with progressive prosecutors."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → 1. Review PRP's recent litigation victories and amicus briefs to understand their legal strategy and impact areas.
- → 2. Study PRP's network of local government partners and their initiatives, such as the Civil Rights Hub and Election Protection Hub.
- → 3. Familiarize yourself with PRP's leadership team and their backgrounds, especially the Chief Program Officer and Executive Director.
- → 4. Read PRP's blog and press releases to stay current on their campaigns and policy priorities.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 1. Avoiding a generic cover letter that doesn't specifically address PRP's mission and the Deputy Chief Program Officer role's operational focus.
- 2. Failing to highlight your experience with multi-state compliance and conflict checks, which are critical for this role.
- 3. Not demonstrating a clear understanding of the unique challenges of working with local government officials and the importance of building trust and partnerships.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Positively Partners!