Volunteer role
Attorney — Religious Freedom & Nonprofit Law
Legal stewardship that protects Netism's sacred practices, its people, and its standing as a religious organization.
Netism carries responsibilities that live in the law as much as in the spirit. The tradition pursues RFRA recognition for sacred substance use, maintains pastoral counseling protected under clergy-penitent privilege, and operates as a 508(c)(1)(A) religious organization. Each of these protections holds only while someone tends it with care and skill. This role gives that care. An attorney serving here keeps the community’s practices lawful, its people shielded, and its confidentiality honored, so the work of the tradition can continue without exposure.
What you would do
- Advise on RFRA applications and religious exemption strategy for sacred substances.
- Review and strengthen the legal protections around pastoral counseling, including consent documents.
- Ensure 508(c)(1)(A) compliance and advise on sound governance practices.
- Review contracts, waivers, and liability documents for Sacred Sitting, counseling, and events.
- Draft, review, and enforce Non-Disclosure Agreements for volunteers, contributors, and participants.
- Handle NDA violation cases and pursue legal remedies when confidentiality is breached.
- Advise on land acquisition, zoning, and use permissions for future sanctuary projects.
- Represent Netism should any legal challenge arise.
What you bring
You are a licensed attorney with grounding in religious freedom law, nonprofit and 508(c)(1)(A) governance, or contract and confidentiality matters. Experience across several of these areas is welcome, and depth in any one of them is valued. Beyond the credentials, you bring discretion, sound judgment, and respect for the sacred nature of the practices you protect. You can hold sensitive matters in confidence and act decisively when the community’s protections are tested. This is ongoing stewardship, so a willingness to stay engaged over time matters as much as any single filing.
How to express interest
This is volunteer stewardship of the tradition. Netism is a nonprofit spiritual organization, and every role here is unpaid, though all role-related expenses are covered. Your time protects real people and real practices, and it steadies the whole of the work.
If this role calls to you, share your background and interest through the collaborator application, and someone will be in touch.