Executive Director
American Bar Foundation
Chicago, Illinois

The American Bar Foundation (ABF), a cornerstone and wellspring of the global socio-legal research community, seeks a committed, curious, and strategic leader to propel this historic institution forward as its next Executive Director (ED). As the nation’s premier independent, non-partisan research institute operating at the intersection of law and society, the ABF produces deeply resourced, inquiry-driven scholarship of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and the public conversation on matters of law and its influence in the United States and internationally. The ABF’s next ED will eagerly invest in the ABF’s dedicated community of researchers, staff, and partners and will champion the institution’s commitment to expanding knowledge and advancing justice.

The ABF’s commitment to academic freedom and staunchly independent and interdisciplinary approach yields scholarly and actionable research that individuals and institutions use to shape laws, inform policy, and influence society. The ABF’s intellectual community is robust and comprises full- and part-time research professors, visiting scholars, and affiliated researchers who explore legal education, access to justice, legal practice, and the design, implementation, and impact of laws. The institution also benefits from a 16,000-plus-member honors society of licensed attorneys—the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation—who gain valuable insights from the ABF’s scholarly findings, provide material support to the ABF, and generously donate their time and expertise as renowned practitioners and scholars.

The ABF is governed by a 25-member board of directors. Its FY2025 operating budget totaled $9.1 million, most of which was derived from support from the American Bar Endowment (ABE) and the ABF Fellows. It also benefits from an institutional endowment of $35.5 million. The ABF maintains a faculty of 19 full-time and jointly appointed researchers and 39 full-time and part-time staff members.

Reporting to the board, the Executive Director ensures that the ABF’s research, operations, communications, and development strategies work harmoniously to sustain and grow its impact and visibility. The next ED will embrace their role as an intellectual leader, facilitating research and mentoring junior research faculty, and will be an effective external representative, enriching the ABF’s scholarly community, expanding its resources, and bolstering its operations and capacities. They will uphold the highest standards of integrity, independence, and scholarly rigor while articulating and championing the practical applications and outcomes of the ABF’s research with the ABE, the ABF Fellows, donors, and others. The ED will be an attentive administrative leader and an effective liaison among ABF faculty, staff, and the board, and will promote a culture of inclusivity, teamwork, and respect.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

Salary and Benefits

The anticipated salary range for this position is $290,000-$320,000. Full-time benefits currently include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid sick leave; paid vacation; paid holidays (including a week-long winter holiday recess); paid family/medical leave after one year of employment; FSA or HSA; 403(b) retirement plan with employer match and nonelective contribution; transit and parking benefits, including discounted parking; employee assistance program; and more.

Location and Commitment

The ED must reside within a daily commutable distance of the ABF’s offices in Chicago, IL. This role requires a consistent presence in the office, as well as regular travel.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

All applications, inquiries, and nominations should be submitted electronically and in confidence to the search team at: (https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/american-bar-foundation/executive-director). Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until the search process is completed.

Vijay Saraswat, Partner
Gale Merseth, Partner
Tatiana Oberkoetter, Managing Associate
Elizabeth Arvanitis, Senior Search Coordinator
Isaacson, Miller

The ABF is firmly committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons. All decisions regarding the terms, privileges, and/or conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, classification, grading, recruitment, discharge, discipline, compensation, selection for training or apprenticeship, placement, promotion, transfer, renewal of employment, tenure or terms, and benefits, will be made without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, disability, military status, unfavorable discharge from the military, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, housing status, parental status, source of income, certain arrest or criminal history records, genetic information, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment), or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. The ABF prohibits discrimination, retaliation, and harassment of individuals on any of the bases listed above and any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local law.