Position Type: Independent Contractor (1099) / Contract Position

About Center for Community Alternatives:

Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) was founded in 1981 with the belief that solutions to poverty, addiction, and violence rest in communities, not incarceration. For more information about CCA, visit communityalternatives.org.

 About CCA’s Judicial Accountability Project:

 Our Judicial Accountability Project works to make state courts less punitive, more progressive, and more accountable to the people they impact. In 2023, we launched and led The Court New York Deserves, a nine-month campaign that made history by blocking a nomination to New York’s highest court for the first time. We have since built off that victory with a series of campaigns focusing on trial judges, which have forced the retirement of two judges who had harmful records. We also run a training and mentorship program that supports public interest lawyers who are interested in becoming state court judges, and we co-founded the State Courts Organizing Network, a national network of advocates working in and around state courts across the country.

 About CCA’s Northeast State Supreme Court Project:

 The Northeast State Supreme Court Project is a nine-state project that seeks to bring the public into one of the most overlooked arenas of power: state supreme courts. State supreme courts often have the final word on laws and protections that affect nearly every aspect of people’s lives, including housing, workers’ rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, education, voting, mass incarceration, and access to public benefits. As federal courts retreat from protecting fundamental rights, state constitutions and state courts are increasingly becoming the front line for civil rights and economic justice. Who sits on state courts therefore helps determine whether states protect or erode the rights and material well-being of millions of people.

 About the upcoming appointment to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court:

 Justice Catherine Connors of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court is currently serving a term that will expire in February 2027. Maine’s constitution allows incumbent justices to serve for up to six months after their terms end as long as they are not reappointed and no one else is appointed to succeed them, so we expect a nomination to be made sometime between February and August 2027. Governor-elect Pingree will select a nominee for a new term, and the State Senate will vote on the nomination. 

Position Description and Responsibilities:

 CCA is hiring a Campaign Manager who will be responsible for leading a campaign to win the nomination and confirmation of a judge to Maine's Supreme Court who will protect and strengthen Mainers’ rights and advance equal justice, especially for people and communities too often denied it. This campaign manager will be expected to build a coalition of organizations in Maine and report to CCA’s Director of Judicial Accountability. This is a full-time contract position for the duration of the campaign, beginning as soon as the position is filled and ending 2-4 weeks after an appointment is made. Candidates must be prepared to work evenings and weekends as necessary.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• At least four years of experience in political and/or community organizing in Maine.
• Deep familiarity with Maine government and politics.
• Familiarity with Maine’s court system and legal ecosystem preferred but not required.

 Desired Skills:

• Excellent political and community organizing skills, including competence and confidence in: coalition building and leadership; meeting planning and facilitation; outreach, follow-up, and other communication by email, phone, and messaging apps; relationship and contact tracking; turnout and mobilization planning; motivating others to take action; and political strategizing, including power analysis and campaign strategy development.
• Excellent mass communication skills in any of several media (written words and/or visual media), including the ability to develop effective and disciplined narratives and the ability to produce clear, compelling materials about complicated issues for different audiences.
• Ability to analyze and engage with the law, including by analyzing court decisions and legislation, and to confidently discuss those with lawyers.
• Familiarity with and confidence in directly engaging and advocating toward decision-makers in the judicial appointment process, including the governor, state senators, and leaders of the state court system.
• Ability to think strategically and plan long-term without losing sight of unexpected opportunities. Ability to prioritize and focus on the most important and/or time-sensitive tasks and projects.

How to Apply

Please send a resume and a cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this role to Peter Martin (pmartin@communityalternatives.org). If you think one or more short examples of your past work in any media (e.g. text, audio/video, website) would help illustrate your strengths, feel free to include those too. Please use the subject line: “Campaign Manager  [Your Name].”

 CCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We seek talented, dedicated individuals who possess a strong commitment to CCA’s mission, including those with relevant personal experience in terms of recovery and/or justice involvement.

This is a contract (1099) position and is not eligible for employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, or retirement plans