Democracy Forward Foundation seeks a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented person to support our Litigation team. Democracy Forward is a fast-paced and highly collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will have an organizational mindset and thrive when engaging in both rapid response and long term projects, and working across the organization to produce excellent work
The candidate will also be resourceful, demonstrate strategic thinking, and have a demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and justice. Democracy Forward is in an exciting period of growth which will present opportunities to own and manage projects in a highly collaborative environment. Candidates who are seeking to hone and expand their skills and grow professionally alongside the organization are highly encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities
- Assist in preparing, cite-checking, reviewing, filing, and organizing litigation and regulatory documents such as pleadings, briefs, motions, declarations, and comments on rulemakings.
- Conduct, analyze, and organize legal, factual, and other non-legal research for use in litigation.
- Support the attorney preparation for court appearances, which may mean travel. Track litigation deadlines and manage the legal calendar.
- Assist organization in tracking impact and outcomes of work.
- Attend planning meetings, whether they are internal to Democracy Forward or with external partners and be prepared to sometimes facilitate, take-notes, and share back findings.
- Prepare updates on the legal landscape of relevant issues for Democracy Forward staff.
- General administrative support, including in-office support.
- Other tasks as assigned.
Qualifications
We are looking for both entry level and experienced legal assistants. The following experience and skills are preferred:
- A Bachelor’s degree.
- 2 - 3 years experience in a legal, government, or nonprofit setting
- Strong written, verbal, and research skills.
- Ability to work independently, within a team, and under deadlines.
- Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Willingness and ability to quickly learn skills necessary to support the Litigation team, e.g. cite-checking, legal research.
- Highly motivated, able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and see them through to completion.
- Prepared and willing to meet litigation deadlines which are often late-breaking and quick turn around.
- Organizational mindset and willingness to be flexible and support organizational priorities as they emerge.
- Strong computer skills with knowledge and experience in Microsoft Office, Airtable, and Adobe Acrobat; expertise creating tables of contents, tables of authorities, and maintaining information in databases or spreadsheets is a plus.
- Must be based in the Washington, DC area and be available in Democracy Forward's Washington, DC offices multiple days a week.
The salary range for this position is $50,000 - $65,000 commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. The position pays overtime which is sometimes necessary to meet needs.
Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia.
Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar. Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.
