Careers at Lambda Legal

To fulfill the mission of Lambda Legal, we commit to developing, implementing, and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). This means we dedicate ourselves to becoming a diverse organization across staff, board, volunteers, and clients that reflects the full spectrum of backgrounds and experiences of the communities we serve, including the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and everyone living with HIV. We strive to build a workplace culture of inclusivity that attracts and retains talent, and supports LGBTQ+ people, people living with HIV, and our allies. We hold that racial, gender, disability, economic, and social justice is LGBTQ+ justice and that LGBTQ+ justice is inherently intersectional. Our challenges are interconnected.

Living this philosophy requires that we make a commitment to our collective liberation. We must treat each other with compassion, mutual respect, and humility to center our shared humanity, our ability to bring our full and authentic selves to this work, and to feel joy while doing it. We strive to recognize that we have more in common than not. We will hold ourselves accountable, as individuals, and in relationship with each other, to deepen equity by removing systemic barriers in our processes, policies, and programs. This will enable the full participation of staff and people in the communities we serve. We strive to create opportunities for collaboration with one another to strengthen our relationships. We recognize that leadership can come from all levels of the organization, and we respect the expertise, skills, and lived experience we each bring to Lambda. We are all responsible for upholding this philosophy both internally in our work with each other, and externally across our programming. We approach this philosophy with a continual growth mindset and are committed to working together.

Diversity at Lambda Legal is about reflecting and representing the full diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and everyone living with HIV across our staff, board, volunteers, and clients. Achieving diversity requires an intersectional approach that acknowledges the full breadth of everyone, especially historically disenfranchised populations, which involves intentional recruitment and retention, the removal of systemic barriers to access and equity, and leveraging data to inform our decisions.

Equity at Lambda Legal means acknowledging and addressing the diverse needs resulting from historical and present-day disparities across people and communities. Equity is achieved by eliminating structural barriers, meeting unique needs across all stakeholder populations at Lambda Legal, and measuring the experiences of individual, interpersonal, and organizational success and wellbeing.

Inclusion at Lambda Legal means inviting and creating opportunities for participation, with the understanding that leadership comes from all levels. It involves open, honest, and direct communication, creating opportunities for growth, and embedding policies and practices that seek and incorporate meaningful input from those directly impacted.

Belonging at Lambda Legal means feeling welcomed as part of One Lambda Legal. It means ensuring everyone feels seen and valued in their full humanity, which requires building mutual trust and taking responsibility for treating each other respectfully. It involves fostering a sense of community that embraces the strengths in our differences and maximizes opportunities for connection. We each play a role in creating a culture where you can find community and envision a future for yourself at Lambda Legal.

Integrity at Heart
We center integrity in everything we do.

We must model what we seek in the world, which begins with all of us, extends to each other, and reaches the entire organization. We recognize we are imperfect in an imperfect world, and we value progress over perfection. We continually strive to unpack and do what is right, in our public advocacy and with our colleagues – even more so when things are challenging. We strive to be honest, respectful, and accountable for our actions. When we stumble, we work to course correct and support each other. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, and to those most marginalized in our society, to be the change we wish to see in the world.

A Just Future
United by a collective commitment to a just world.

We are One Lambda Legal, united by a collective commitment to creating a just future for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. We believe in the rule of law and the ability to use our legal system to achieve justice and equity for the communities we serve.   Daily, we engage in policy advocacy, litigation, and public education, to fight for a society in which legal and societal barriers to equality are eliminated. Justice animates our commitment to making the world a better place and enhancing our internal working environment. Within our community and beyond, we strive to create new paths that uplift, honor, and affirm the dignity of all.

Shared Humanity
We find humanity in each and all of us.

Preserving, expanding, and nurturing our shared humanity is essential for achieving collective liberation and freedom, especially in a world where differences often create division. We understand that our common passion for this work binds us together and that investing in our shared humanity is critical. Kindness, care, and compassion strengthen these connections. By striving to understand one another and actively engaging in difficult conversations we become stronger. In our fight against injustice, we commit to treating others with decency and to inviting those who oppose us to do the same.

Excellence through Growth
We commit to continuous growth and improvement.

We strive for excellence and recognize that achieving this requires a culture of learning that emphasizes both individual and collective growth. Excellence also requires a bold willingness to take calculated risks, risks that sometimes produce different outcomes than expected.  We therefore view both successes and disappointing results as valuable opportunities for new learning, improvement, and more creative and expansive thinking, all of which are essential to our progress. By embracing a growth mindset, we cultivate resilience and adaptability, allowing us to navigate challenges more effectively. Our commitment to becoming better versions of ourselves today and tomorrow drives our ongoing efforts to enhance our skills, deepen our understanding, and strengthen our connections with one another. This journey toward excellence is a continuous process, and we are dedicated to supporting each other every step of the way.

Rooted in Community
We hold each other as a beloved community.

Building a world for all people to live happy, healthy lives that are free from discrimination starts by fostering relationships that are rooted in respect, joy, authentic participation, and belonging. We continually strive to recognize and honor the depth and breadth of the life experiences we have, upholding each individual’s dignity, and uplifting the strengths in our differences to build a greater whole. As with our DEIB philosophy, we center  authentic connection  with our staff, board, volunteers, and clients, where each person feels acknowledged and can be a fully-energized participant in a beloved community.

Transformational Impact
Impact guides us, possibility inspires us.

We create success by driving impactful change for our communities and transforming lives.  To measure our success, we commit to ongoing evaluation of our efforts, using these insights to demonstrate progress and sustain trust across our communities.  Our focus on life-changing impact informs the necessary tradeoffs and prioritizations we must make in a world of limited resources and imperfect choices. A bold, strategic vision inspires and motivates us, and guides the assessment of our progress and successes, and our understanding of the wisdom behind our decisions.