Senior Staff Attorney, Litigation

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Public Rights Project (PRP) is a legal nonprofit with an all-remote team based throughout the United States. Our mission is to help local government officials fight for civil rights.

Since its founding in 2017, PRP has litigated in more than 100 cases (either as a party or amicus), trained 131 prosecutors and government lawyers in 24 states, built a partner network of over 670 government offices, elected officials, and community-based organizations in 43 states, secured court victories on police accountability, abortion, immigrant, worker, and voting rights. Learn more about our work.

PRP supports local government partners in the face of an onslaught of federal and state abuses of power. We provide direct representation, legal analysis, research, training, and community partnerships to help local governments develop strategies that protect their residents’ civil rights. The Litigation Team works on behalf of dozens of local governments in significant cases that affect the rights and welfare of millions of people across the country, with billions of dollars at stake.  

JOB SUMMARY

Public Rights Project seeks to hire an experienced litigator to serve as a Senior Staff Attorney on its Litigation Team. The Senior Staff Attorney will be a key member of PRP’s Litigation Team, advancing the work of local governments protecting civil rights in the face of attacks by the federal government, as well as state governments and private actors. The Senior Staff Attorney will lead cases and case teams in litigation, lead case development and strategy discussions, conduct and oversee research, lead internal and external meetings, and manage various litigation and pre-litigation activities. The Litigation Team is expected to handle matters in which government clients are both plaintiffs and defendants and in both state and federal courts.

This position reports to the Litigation Director. This position will also work closely with other Litigation Team staff, the Director of PRP’s Civil Rights Hub, the Director of PRP’s Election Protection Hub, and other Program Team staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify opportunities for advocacy and strategize pathways to action;
• Independently build and run litigation from idea generation through conclusion, including legal and factual development, case pitching, motions practice, discovery, oral argument, client management, coalition engagement, and more;
• Conduct legal research and provide guidance and analysis of laws across a range of jurisdictions;
• Draft, review, edit, and provide feedback on analytic and persuasive written work product;
• Effectively advise government clients, including legal, political, and justice considerations of each particular circumstance;
• Participate in and sometimes lead regular meetings for the Litigation Team and other crucial strategic meetings and discussions, including ensuring alignment, collaboration and clear next steps;
• Meet with government and non-government stakeholders;
• Synthesize input and feedback from internal and external stakeholders; and
• Contribute to an innovative, inclusive, and supportive group of advocates.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Licensed to practice law and in good standing in a jurisdiction of the United States.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in litigation. Relevant experience may include complex civil litigation and/or government enforcement.
• Prior experience with remote work in large teams in support of fast-moving and mission-driven litigation is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Outstanding writing and editing skills, including drafting and editing complex briefs and legal analysis.
• Excellent judgment about both legal issues and strategy;
• Strong communication skills, both writing and speaking;
• Demonstrated ability to handle all aspects of litigation including client management, discovery, oral advocacy, brief writing, deadline management, electronic filing, navigating local rules, working with cooperating counsel, and expecting the unexpected;
• Strong project management skills and ability to use electronic tools to coordinate with other team members;
• Familiarity and comfort working on issues of federal law, constitutional law, civil rights law, and other relevant legal topics;
• Team player who can work with government partners, co-counsel, community-based organizations, and other advocates, as well as internal teams;
• Demonstrated positive and respectful attitude, ability to work well with diverse people and communities, capacity to show presence, self-confidence, common sense, and good listening ability; and
• Belief in the power of local government to make positive change in the world.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP

This position reports to the Litigation Director. This position will also work closely with members of the Litigation Team and other Program Team staff.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Requires sitting, talking, and listening for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Fully remote organization and team. This role requires travel several times a year to PRP events, case hearings, conferences or meetings.

COMPENSATION

The determined salary range for this role is set at $121,440-$182,160, exact salary will be based on candidate experience. For internal equity purposes, PRP will not negotiate with candidates outside of the role’s designated range.

PRP HIRING COMMITMENT

PRP is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. A diverse and inclusive workplace, both at PRP and within the government offices we serve, is a key ingredient for achieving our mission of building equitable enforcement capacity within state and local government. 

We aim to assemble a team that reflects the world we live in and the communities we serve with respect to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and immigration status. People with personal or family experience with the type of harms we seek to combat, including wage theft, predatory lending, fraud, discrimination, and environmental degradation are particularly encouraged to apply.