The Association for association professionals in Chicagoland

About AILA & the Practice Innovation Center

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

The Practice Innovation & Professionalism Center (Center) advances the future of immigration law practice by combining the profession's core values with a forward-looking, innovation-driven approach. Grounded in ethics, client service, and professional excellence, the Center equips members to build resilient, high-performing practices while upholding the standards that define the legal profession.

The Opportunity

AILA seeks a visionary, entrepreneurial leader to head the Practice Innovation & Professionalism Center at the Director or Senior Director level, commensurate with experience. This is a rare opportunity to define the future of immigration law practice for a national membership organization — shaping how AILA anticipates and responds to transformative trends in legal technology, artificial intelligence, ethics, and evolving models of legal service delivery.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and member value — driving enterprise-wide initiatives, building cross-functional alignment, and positioning AILA as a national leader in the future of legal practice. The ideal candidate combines deep legal expertise with a proven ability to translate emerging trends into scalable, high-impact programs.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership & Thought Leadership (25%)

• Set and drive enterprise-wide strategy for the future of immigration law practice, aligning innovation, technology, and professionalism with AILA's strategic priorities.
• Identify emerging trends — including AI, legal technology, and government digitization — and translate them into organizational action across products, services, and member engagement.
• Lead cross-functional execution through influence and alignment, partnering with Technology, Marketing, Education, and other teams to deliver integrated, scalable solutions.
• Serve as AILA's external voice on the future of legal practice, representing the organization at conferences and industry forums and elevating its thought leadership on innovation and ethics.

Programs, Content & Resource Development (25%)

• Develop and publish original articles, special reports, newsletters, and practice resources — including the AILA Ethics Compendium, Practice Pulse, and Futures Report.
• Design and deliver legal education programs on ethics, practice management, AI, well-being, and career development for national and chapter conferences.
• Manage internal and external contributors; align content with organizational priorities; develop faculty and speaker pipelines.
• Partner with Government Relations, Professional Development, Publications, Marketing, and Technology teams to shape integrated content and digital offerings.

Innovation, Technology & Future of Practice (25%)

• Lead the Center's innovation agenda, including evaluation of legal technology tools, AI applications in immigration practice, and emerging models of legal service delivery.
• Oversee the Innovation & Technology Committee and lead the AILA Futures initiative, translating long-range research into actionable member guidance.
• Develop AI-related practice resources including responsible-use guidance, prompt libraries, AI policy templates, and workflow integration strategies.
• Monitor AI regulation, data privacy, cybersecurity, and government digitization developments relevant to immigration practitioners.

Member Engagement & Organizational Leadership (25%)

• Provide expert guidance to members on legal ethics, law firm management, technology adoption, and career development in immigration practice.
• Engage proactively with AILA leaders, chapters, sections, and members to surface pain points and ensure member needs inform Center priorities.
• Lead and develop a team of 2–4 direct reports, setting clear expectations, providing coaching, and aligning team efforts with organizational priorities.
• Develop and manage the annual budget for the Center, ensuring effective resource allocation and reporting on key performance outcomes.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• J.D. and active bar admission in any U.S. jurisdiction.

• 10+ years of experience in law office management, legal ethics, and professionalism.

• Demonstrated ability to set strategy, translate emerging trends into actionable initiatives, and drive organizational impact.

• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, and to influence cross-functional stakeholders in complex organizations.

• Exceptional writing, public speaking, and presentation skills, with the ability to represent an organization effectively in external forums.

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills; ability to build coalitions and partnerships across the legal community.

Strongly Preferred

• Strong knowledge of immigration law and law practice management.

• 5+ years of experience leading innovation, legal technology, or future-of-practice initiatives within a law firm, bar association, legal services organization, or legal technology company.

• Working knowledge of AI tools, legal technology platforms, and their application to legal practice management and service delivery.

• Experience working cross-functionally with technology, product, education, or marketing teams to deliver integrated solutions.

• Familiarity with government use of AI and automated systems in immigration processes.

Work Location & Travel

This position is fully remote. Candidates residing within 50 miles of AILA's National Office in Washington, D.C., or within 50 miles of a major airport, are preferred. Occasional travel is required for conferences, member events, and organizational meetings — including some domestic and international travel with overnight and weekend stays.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range provided reflects a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on AILA's commitment to equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, years of experience, certifications or professional licenses, job-related skills, internal equity, and business needs.

Our compensation structure is based on industry-specific market data for similar-sized nonprofit organizations. Typically, individuals are hired at or near the starting point of the salary range for their role. Compensation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, considering the unique facts and circumstances of each applicant.

Additionally, full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in AILA's comprehensive benefits program, which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employee assistance program
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 3 months of employment
• Generous paid time off
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development opportunities
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability benefits

Application Process

To ensure a complete application, all candidates must submit the required materials, including a resume and cover letter, through our application portal. As part of our interview process, candidates may be asked to participate in virtual interviews, which will require on-camera presence.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible interview experience. If you require accommodations due to a disability or sincerely held religious beliefs — such as an alternative format or assistance during the interview — please let us know in advance, and we will make every effort to support your needs.

Eligibility to Work

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, we are required to hire only individuals who are authorized to work in the United States. Applicants selected for employment will need to provide documentation verifying their eligibility to work in the U.S. without the need for employer sponsorship. AILA participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. For more information on E-Verify, please visit dhs.gov/E-Verify.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The American Immigration Lawyers Association ("AILA") is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.