Senior Staff Attorney - Justice Project

Who We Are:

Situated at the forefront of the national stage in the racial justice movement, Advancement Project National Office is a cutting edge, a no-holds-barred national nonprofit whose team members are dedicated to creating free and safe communities for people of color. From ending the school-to-prison pipeline to the fight to expand the right to vote, from calling for a complete overhaul of how we view the police and carceral state, to fighting for immigrant justice, Advancement Project National Office team members impact real change from the ground up. This moment demands alignment, sharp strategic thinking, and creativity to imagine a more just world in which racism no longer exists, and all people of color can be free and safe – and we are excited to bring on new talent to change our world.

Position Overview:

The ideal candidate will be responsible for supporting and implementing strategic initiatives to advance the objectives and goals of the Justice Project including litigation and advocacy on policing issues. The ideal candidate will also support the legal, policy, and advocacy needs of our grassroots partners.

What You’ll Do:

• Work in support of the overall strategic success of the Justice Project Team
• Serve as lead attorney on federal and state civil and appellate litigation in selected strategic areas, including developing legal strategy and leading a team to execute it.
• Cultivate strategic relationships with external partners and allies.
• Implement the strategic initiatives and goals for the Justice Project Program
• Conduct investigations, complex legal research, and prepare legal documents, for example, pre-litigation, motions, and briefs.
• Participate and/or speak at advocacy events and other outreach activities.
• Represent the organization at coalition tables.
• Develop and provide input on policy reports, legal and legislative materials, as well as presentation and advocacy materials.
• Participate in strategic planning processes for assigned programs and projects, including identifying and recommending how to respond to political and legislative opportunities and legal developments.
• Provide legal and policy development support to internal and grassroots partners.
• Collaborate amongst colleagues in various program areas to develop strategies for advancing the organization’s positions.
• Provide supervision and guidance to team members and interns on work products, as assigned.
• Assist with legal and policy work across programs with the organization as needed.
• Other related duties, as assigned.

Required Skill:

• Demonstrate excellent legal research, analyze strategic thinking and writing skills.

• Demonstrate excellent oral and written advocacy skills, including the ability to present legal and policy arguments to judges, lawmakers, juries, and the ability to condense and convey such information to grassroots partners and diverse community members.

• Maintain advanced working knowledge of relevant current and proposed federal and local laws, regulations, and other legal directives related to assigned program area, and rules governing civil and appellate litigation.

• Maintain advanced working knowledge of effective policy development, community lawyering, and advocacy practices, as well as internal policies and procedures.

• Ability to maintain mentoring relationships with other attorneys on staff.

• Effectively communicate information and ideas to executives, board members, and other high profile groups and individuals, as well as compose precise, effective, and grammatically correct reports, procedures, legal documents, and business correspondence appropriate for the intended audience.

• Read, analyze, and interpret complex legal and policy documents, including laws, regulations, statutes, contracts, and court opinions.

• Recognize and define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions in the context of a variety of situations with multiple variables, both predictable and unpredictable.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school is required
• Litigation experience is required
• 6 years of relevant experience in a similar position and/or performing similar tasks.
• Experience working on criminal justice reform or policing issues required..
• License to practice law in Washington D.C. or possess the ability to waive into the Washington D.C. bar.
• Ability to frequently travel nationally and occasionally travel locally.
• Ability to occasionally work evenings and weekends, as needed.

PLEASE UPLOAD TWO WRITING SAMPLES WITH YOUR COVER LETTER