FreeWill is an award-winning, social-good startup that has partnered with 1450+ nonprofits who support our mission while raising more than $9B in bequests to charities since we were founded in 2017. We’ve been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Oprah’s magazine, and our co-CEOs have even been named to Town & Country’s “Top 50 Philanthropists” list.
All of this is because we’ve figured out how to make some powerful (but complicated!) ways to donate much easier and more accessible. Our products make things easier for the donors who want to change the world and for nonprofits doing heroic work around the planet.
In the last 6 years, we’ve grown from 5 people to 175+ (all smart, tenacious, and kind), and continue to grow. We’d love to have you be a part of this adventure. In 2024, we were named a "Most Loved Workplace"; you can also check us out on Glassdoor!
About the Role
We are looking for an ambitious and experienced attorney who wants to use their powers for good at a social-good startup dedicated to improving Americans’ access to law and facilitating charitable fundraising through innovative software products. If the grind of working in private practice or at a corporation without a strong mission has left you cynical and eager for new horizons, and you’d like to use your legal skills to support an altruistic mission, this could be an ideal opportunity for you.
The successful candidate for this position will report directly to our General Counsel as a strong #2. You will provide support for all of FreeWill’s operations, with opportunities to work on the full range of legal and compliance matters that our venture-backed startup might encounter. Some of the topics you will work on may be unfamiliar, and in those cases, our GC will provide guidance and support. As you gain experience and demonstrate aptitude in these many realms, you may be asked to substitute - in both advisory and decision-making capacities - if our GC is ever not available.
FreeWill has set compensation and a non-negotiation policy for fairness reasons (we don't think that an individual's pay should be determined by how comfortable they are negotiating). As a result, we like to be transparent and up front about the compensation. When we make an offer, we provide multiple options so that employees can choose between compensation packages that prioritize salary or stock options. The offers for this role will be between $160,000 and $170,000. We also have historically offered competitive annual raises. Unfortunately, we can’t sponsor H1Bs at this time.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Collaborate with our Engineering and Product teams on software development and design, advising on legal topics that may be implicated in such products, as well as security and privacy matters;
- Assist with all aspects of our contracting needs, from SaaS sales and addressing client concerns, to vendor procurement, strategic transactions and larger commercial agreements;
- Support our People team on employment law matters, such as hiring, performance management, and compensation and commission plans;
- Support executives and our Board of Directors to ensure proper corporate governance; and
- Monitor developments in laws and regulations applicable to FreeWill’s general business.
Requirements
- J.D. with strong academic credentials
- Member in good standing of the bar association of any State in the US and willing to secure such additional credentials as may be required to permit in-house, remote legal work
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience practicing law, with at least 2 years’ experience in trust & estate matters
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain legal issues to non-legal constituents in an accessible manner
- Demonstrated ability in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
- Practical business acumen, driving pragmatic business-oriented solutions
- Past professional experience in any of the following will be an advantage:
- Working in-house and/or representing start-up businesses;
- Representing SaaS businesses, particularly with respect to their contracting needs;
- Working with software developers or product designers;
- Employment and discrimination law;
- Data privacy & security regulations; and
- Corporate governance.
Other important traits
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
- Accountable and proactive, able to work independently and remotely with colleagues across the country.
- A strong team player, with a low ego willingness to pitch in and support colleagues.
Benefits
In addition to the immense personal and professional satisfaction you’ll gain from helping to raise $1T for high impact nonprofits in a kind and joyful work environment, full time employees at FreeWill are eligible for the following benefits:
- Work from home
- Unlimited PTO
- Flexible hours
- Competitive salary
- Commuter benefits
- Company stock options
- 401k
- Medical/Dental/Vision (some single coverage medical plans are 100% employer paid, subsidized rates for spousal, parent-child, and family coverage)
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Free One Medical membership
- Paid parental leave for all parents
Perks
- Regular (virtual) team events
- $250 monthly co-working budget which can be used for local co-working spaces
- $300 annual budget to outfit your home office or cover utility bills
- $1,000 referral bonuses for growing our FreeWill community
- $1,000 annual professional development budget
Hiring Process
- Phone Interview
- Writing Sample Review
- Hiring Manager Interview over Zoom
- Final Interview Round over Zoom - 3 separate interviews with cross-functional colleagues you would would closely with in this role
FreeWill is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. We are committed to finding talent that is not determined on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We are a remote-first company that’s able to hire in 47 states and D.C. Unfortunately, we are unable to hire in Colorado, Alabama, or Louisiana at this time. We also can’t sponsor working visas, so all applicants will need to have work authorization in the US.
Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. FreeWill is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!
