Candidacy Period

This policy was indefinitely suspended on Nov. 28, 2023. Language left here for reference even though the policy is no longer in effect.

Spirit of the Candidacy Period

The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedures for evaluating and potentially incorporating a new Steward into the organization. This policy should be understood in concert with our termination policy, which emphasizes conflict resolution and includes a high threshold for involuntary termination. We believe that those seeking to become Stewards of the organization should move through a more supportive process of onboarding, opportunities for periodic evaluations, and a different threshold for their continued employment at the Law Center. When a candidacy period begins, both existing staff and the Candidate need time to assess whether the candidate is a good fit for the ongoing work of co-stewarding the Law Center. Our onboarding and evaluation process for candidates lasts up to 6 months . The length of this process is due to the vast amount of learning that must be done before a Candidate can fully participate in the collective governance and stewardship of the organization. It is impossible to know whether someone is a good fit to become a Steward of the organization before this learning is well under way. 

This policy aims to provide ample opportunity over a period of up to 6 months to make this assessment, and to let go of Candidates who are not a good fit in a relatively less painful way. While the authors of this policy believe that the opportunity to become a Steward of the Law Center should be offered by default to as many staff members as possible, staff may also decide to hire someone as a non-Steward or as an automatic Steward.   

This policy also underscores the significance of becoming a Steward of the organization. To become a Steward, one must be flexible, kind, confident, independent, and have strong collaboration and communication skills, among other things (see the full list of qualities we seek here). Stewards of the organization have certain responsibilities to collectively carry out the work we do in the world and within our organization. In particular, Stewards are expected to fully and actively participate in our collective governance processes to promote the collective and our mission. At the end of a Candidate’s successful candidacy, the new Steward should feel confident that they possess these qualities and can accept their rights and responsibilities as a full and equal Steward of the Law Center.

Candidacy Period Policy

Stewards of the Law Center: All current Core Staff members hired before January 1, 2023, as well as any staff member hired thereafter who successfully completes their candidacy period, are Stewards of the Law Center. Once a staff member becomes a Steward, they become a member of the General Circle and part of the slate from which the Stewardship Committee is selected. They gain the right to object to proposals among other rights and responsibilities. 

Candidacy Period: All candidates will go through a candidacy period to grow into their role as an organizational Steward. A candidacy period begins after a proposal to begin a candidacy period for a new potential Candidate has been passed by the General Circle and the offer to begin a candidacy period has been made to, and accepted by, the new potential Candidate. The proposal to begin a candidacy period may (or may not) be brought as part of a proposal to hire (the current Stewards may also hire individuals without the present intent for them to begin a candidacy period). The proposal should specify the applicable length of the candidacy period, up to 6 months (6 month default). During the candidacy period, Candidates are encouraged to attend and participate in General Circle and Stewardship Committee and other Circle meetings. However, Candidates do not have the right to consent or object to proposals or vote in gradient voting until after the candidacy period is successfully completed. 

Candidacy Team: Any proposal to begin a candidacy period must include a designation of at least 3 staff members who will comprise the Candidacy Team. The Candidacy Team should consist of the Peer Support Person, the Project Support Person, plus at least one additional staff member who will initially work most closely with the Candidate. If, during the candidacy period, the Candidacy Team determines that some members did not end up working as closely with the Candidate as other staff members who are not on the Team, the Team may, at that time, substitute Candidacy Team members.

Stages of Candidacy and Early Termination: The candidacy period will be broken into either 2 or 3 stages as outlined in the Candidacy Stage Table below.  At the end of each stage, the Candidacy Team will meet and discuss the items below. Also, the early termination process laid out below is explicitly for Candidates and preempts the higher threshold Termination policy as written here.

1. Using our regular decision-making processes, the Candidacy Team will collectively answer the question, “Is the Candidate a good fit to become a Steward and to do the work that we hired them to do, taking into account their willingness to learn and grow as needed?”

   • If the Candidacy Team answers “no”, then the candidacy period is ended and the Candidate’s employment is terminated immediately. The Candidacy Team must document a rational, non-discriminatory, non-retaliatory reason for a “no” decision.  

   • If the Candidacy Team answers “yes”, then they should proceed to discuss items 2 and 3:

2. The Candidacy Team will provide both positive feedback and feedback on areas of growth to the Candidate that the Candidacy Team has gathered, and 

3. The Candidacy Team will brainstorm how the Law Center can better support the Candidate to help them progress toward the goal of becoming a Steward. 

In order to proceed to the next stage, the Candidate must also answer “yes” to the question, “Is becoming a Steward of the Law Center a good fit for me?” If the Candidate continues to progress through each stage of the candidacy period, then following the final Candidacy Team meeting, a proposal will go to the General Circle or the Stewardship Committee for the approval of the Candidate to become a Steward of the Law Center.

Regular Check-Ins: During the candidacy period, there will be regular check-ins between the Candidate and members of their onboarding team, as well as feedback from Circle members in which the Candidate is regularly participating. These check-ins will provide constructive feedback, resources, and tools for the Candidate to grow into their roles, including their future potential role of being a Steward. Following each Candidacy Team meeting, at least one member of the Candidacy Team will meet with the Candidate, and any other Law Center staff relevant to supporting to the Candidate, to share feedback from the Candidacy Team, and to confirm whether or not the Candidate evaluates themself to be a good fit for the position.

Employment and Termination Benefits: Candidates are eligible for all the same health benefits and other Staff Benefits listed in our Staff Benefits policies. Any Candidate whose candidacy is terminated pursuant to the Early Termination section of this policy described above will be given a severance package that includes 2 months of pay  (calculated based on the average compensation for that staff member during the preceding three months), minus any amount that the staff member may have embezzled or otherwise fraudulently or improperly taken from the organization, after they have signed SELC’s separation agreement waiving all potential claims against SELC arising out of the employment and termination. 

Updated on April 11, 2023 to include the language " (calculated based on the average compensation for that staff member during the preceding three months)" under Employment and Termination Benefits

Published on March 9, 2023

Updated Nov. 28, 2023 per "PROPOSAL: Suspend candidacy policy."