---
title: 'Legal Counsel, Director of Blackstone Professional Development at Alliance Defending Freedom'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/legal-counsel-director-of-blackstone-professional-development-alliance-ehn0s0ky27z9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-21'
---

# Legal Counsel, Director of Blackstone Professional Development at Alliance Defending Freedom

- **Company:** Alliance Defending Freedom
- **Location:** Lansdowne, VA / Dallas, TX
- **Compensation:** $143k–$157k
- **Posted:** 2026-09-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-21
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alliancedefendingfreedom/jobs/5422294008?gh_jid=5422294008

## Job description

Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our [Statement of Faith](https://adflegal.org/about-us/careers/statement-of-faith/) to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Locations: Lansdowne, VA / Dallas, TX

## Team Overview

The Blackstone Legal Fellowship is a rigorous formation for gifted Christian law students whose judgment and moral imagination are rooted in the rule of law, and who go on to shape law and culture—courtrooms, boardrooms, legislatures, and law schools are the visible examples, but the reach is wider: agencies and regulatory bodies, state and federal government, media and publishing, medicine and bioethics, technology, education, ministry, and the institutions that have not yet been built.

The Director of Professional Development owns the quality of the counsel that shapes those decisions. The role does not place Fellows into positions. It equips them to discern, prepare for, and compete for opportunities of real consequence, and it builds the curriculum, advisor network, and institutional relationships that deliver that counsel to a full class each summer and to a growing body of alumni in practice.

## Key Responsibilities

Assessment and Investment

- Form and defend judgments about individual Blackstone summer interns and Fellows’ capacity, trajectory, and professional fit, and calibrate those judgments over time against actual career outcomes.
- Develop and maintain the assessment framework used across the professional development function, including the signals that predict success.
- Deliver candid, specific assessments to Blackstone summer interns and Fellows regarding the capabilities standing between them and the positions they are pursuing.

Curriculum and Program Design

- Set the intellectual direction of the professional development curriculum and own its design, sequencing, and annual revision across all phases of the Fellowship.
- Determine what is taught, by whom, and what is removed, informed by doctrinal developments, hiring market conditions, and Fellow outcomes.
- Establish and enforce quality standards for all workshops, seminars, guest lectures, and outside speakers.
- Teach the portions of the curriculum where the Director's own judgment and experience are the substance.
- Oversee the summer internship program, including placement, employer expectations, performance standards, and evaluation.

Clerkship and Career Advising

- Own clerkship outcomes end-to-end, including application strategy, materials review, recommender cultivation, and interview preparation.
- Build and maintain relationships with federal chambers and clerkship alumni sufficient to ensure Fellow applications receive serious consideration.
- Advise Fellows on decisions with long-term consequences, including first position selection, transitions, and the choice among private practice, government service, academia, and public interest litigation.
- Counsel Fellows on sustaining conviction and effectiveness under institutional pressure during the early years of practice.

Placement and Employer Relations

- Cultivate the employer relationships that establish the standing of the Blackstone credential in advance of any individual application.
- Serve employers actively recruiting Fellows, and protect the credential by advancing only candidates who meet the standard.
- Place Fellows deliberately, prioritizing strategic position over volume of placements.
- With the Alumni Team track Fellow career trajectories and treat departures from the field as a diagnostic input to program design.

Advisor Network

- Recruit senior practitioners and accomplished Fellows into a structured external advisory network.
- Train advisors on the standard of counsel expected, and hold the network to consistent candor and quality so that Fellow outcomes do not depend on advisor assignment.
- Sustain institutional relationships with law schools, student organizations, faculties, government agencies, and the public interest bar.
- Represent the Fellowship at regional events and conferences.

## Team Leadership

- Lead as a servant leader by training, coaching, and developing professional development staff.
- Coach in specifics and deliver corrective feedback early rather than at scheduled review.
- Meet regularly with direct reports to discuss progress and conduct Career Path Discussions.
- Foster a team culture of trust, candor, and innovation in which staff can identify what is not working without hesitation.
- Approve PTO requests, time cards, and expense reports.

Internal Coordination

- Work with ADF recruitment to ensure Fellowship intake reflects the standards the professional development function requires.
- Coordinate across ADF teams so that the function meets the needs of Fellows, internal partners, and employers.
- Participate in Fellowship leadership planning and contribute to organizational strategy on legal talent development.

## Minimum Qualifications

- J.D., active license in at least one US state bar, and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction within one year
- 5+ years of experience in public policy advocacy, governmental relations/affairs, or legislative work at the federal or state level.

## Preferred Qualification

- Written and oral communication with law students, hiring partners, and sitting judges.
- Professional network development — relationships with judges, practitioners, and academics durable enough to draw on for a Fellow's benefit.
- Complex program management on a fixed calendar set by the clerkship cycle and academic year rather than internal preference.
- Staff leadership and development, including setting standards and delivering corrective feedback early enough to matter.
- Sustain extended travel and full summer residency, including full participation in the Blackstone summer program and regional travel the rest of the year.
- Operate without direction, setting the agenda rather than receiving it, with judgment evaluated over years rather than weeks.

Pay & Benefits

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

This salary range is reflective of a position based in Lansdowne, VA. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and office location.

Virginia Salary Range $142,600—$156,900 USD

## About Alliance Defending Freedom

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is the world’s largest legal organization dedicated to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights through litigation, advocacy, and attorney training.
- **Entity Type**: Private (501(c)(3) religious nonprofit)
- **Headquarters**: Scottsdale, AZ, USA (with additional offices in Lansdowne, VA; Washington, D.C.; Lawrenceville, GA; and Dallas, TX)
- **Founded**: 1994
- **Founders**: A coalition of more than 30 prominent Christian leaders

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Legal advocacy and public-policy litigation
- **Target customers**: Clients (individuals, churches, ministries) defending religious liberty and free speech; allied attorneys and law students; donors (Ministry Friends); and the broader alliance of partner organizations.
- **Mission**: To keep the door open for the gospel by advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth. ADF pursues strategic victories in law, policy, and the public square.

## Products & Services
- **Direct Litigation (Legal Representation)**: ADF takes cases pro bono for clients whose God-given rights are threatened. It has won nearly 80% of its cases, including 20 victories at the U.S. Supreme Court.
- **Attorney Network & Training**: Over 5,300 allied attorneys worldwide who receive training, mentorship, and resources to advance religious freedom in their own jurisdictions.
- **ADF Action & ADF Church & Ministry Alliance**: Advocacy and educational arms that equip pastors, churches, and ministry leaders in defending their constitutional rights.
- **Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index**: A tool that rates Fortune 100 companies on their respect for free speech and religious liberty, used to encourage corporate policy change.
- **Blackstone Legal Fellowship**: A high‑profile summer legal training program for law students, preparing the next generation of constitutional lawyers.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit); annual revenue not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total network of 5,300+ allied attorneys; 20 U.S. Supreme Court victories; ~80% overall win rate.
- **Notable Donors/Partners**: Fully funded by private donations (Ministry Friends); no government funds. Partners include a wide alliance of Christian ministries, churches, and individual supporters. ADF does not charge clients for representation.
- **Growth Signals**: Five U.S. offices; continued expansion of the attorney network; recent Supreme Court wins (e.g., *303 Creative v. Elenis*); increasing visibility through the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Scale**: World’s largest legal organization focused on religious liberty and family rights.
- **Track Record**: Unmatched Supreme Court success (20 wins) and an ~80% overall case‑win rate.
- **Attorney Network**: A ready‑made force of over 5,300 allied lawyers who can be deployed nationwide.
- **Strategic Patience**: The “generational wins” approach seeks lasting legal and cultural change rather than short‑term victories.
- **Funding Model**: No government or corporate strings attached – fully donor‑supported, enabling principled litigation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Five Generational Wins**: Protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights.
- **Policy & Corporate Engagement**: Expanding influence beyond the courtroom via the Viewpoint Diversity Score and corporate‑affairs initiatives.
- **Training the Next Generation**: Scaling the Blackstone Legal Fellowship and other attorney‑training programs to ensure long‑term bench strength.
- **Global Reach**: Expanding the alliance model internationally through allied attorneys and partnerships.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Mission**: A faith‑based, collaborative environment where employees are encouraged to grow spiritually and professionally. Daily chapel, prayer gatherings, and a full‑time chaplain are central to the workday.
- **Work‑Life Balance**: Generous paid time off (PTO), 12 paid holidays, maternity/paternity/adoption leave, and free personal finance advisory services.
- **Compensation & Benefits**: 100% employer‑paid medical and dental premiums for employee and family; health savings account with employer contribution; 401(k) with 4% match; life, AD&D, disability, and long‑term care insurance; access to a vast library of online professional education courses.
- **Office & Flexibility**: Five U.S. offices (Scottsdale, AZ; Lansdowne, VA; Washington, D.C.; Lawrenceville, GA; Dallas, TX). Roles are generally office‑based; the interview process includes an in‑person final round.
- **Interview Process**: Typically 3–4 weeks, involving a recruiter screen, a deeper discussion with the hiring manager, and a final day of multiple in‑person interviews.
- **Employment Requirement**: All team members must share and uphold ADF’s Statement of Faith, grounded in the Apostles’ Creed and historic Christian tradition.

## Sources
1. [ADF Careers Page](https://adflegal.org/careers/)
2. [ADF About Us](https://adflegal.org/about/)
3. [ADF Homepage](https://adflegal.org/)
4. [ADF Career Opportunities](https://adflegal.org/careers/career-opportunities/)
5. [ADF LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alliance-defending-freedom)

## Other roles at Alliance Defending Freedom

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