Litigation Fellow

Washington, DC, USA
Posted on  

Job Description

The Position

The National Women’s Law Center seeks a recent law school graduate as a Litigation Fellow to begin in the Fall of 2020. The fellowship term is for one year with the possibility of extension to a second year. Candidates completing judicial clerkships or previous fellowships are especially encouraged to apply.

The Litigation Fellow will work with the Legal Director to identify and support NWLC litigation and amicus briefs in cases addressing education, workplace justice, health and reproductive rights, income security and more, increasing the litigation capacity and impact of the Law Center and expanding its ability to identify matters that merit engagement. While the Fellow’s work would be Center-wide, there will be a particular focus on supporting NWLC’s Workplace Justice team’s litigation efforts. The Workplace Justice team uses the courts to break down discriminatory barriers to women’s full equality at work. These efforts incorporate a strong focus on the workplace rights of women of color, LGBTQ individuals, and low-income women and families.

The Organization

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.

We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.

For more than 45 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women, and we need you with us to continue this fight.

Responsibilities

• Assist with NWLC litigation efforts, particularly with the Workplace Justice team including assisting with responding to discovery requests and drafting pleadings;

• Provide substantive legal review of requests from partner organizations and attorneys around the nation for legal involvement in their cases by NWLC;

• Perform legal research and writing for on-going litigation and amicus brief efforts;

• Conduct social science research for gender justice issues within amicus briefs;

• Draft blogs for NWLC cases and amicus briefs to help engage broader audiences;

• Assist with review of other organization’s amicus briefs for NWLC sign-on;

• Establish and manage systems for tracking and reviewing key filings in others’ cases raising particular legal questions of interest to gender justice;

• Represent NWLC at public events, conferences, and coalition meetings;

• Collaborate with our program and communications teams to ensure that NWLC’s litigation and amicus efforts are incorporated into the organization’s overall external communications strategy;

• Collaborate with NWLC’s external affairs staff to prepare outreach communications to NWLC’s pro bono contacts at major law firms regarding possible partnerships on litigation and amicus brief projects; and

• Provide legal analysis for some of NWLC’s federal and state policy work including on LGTBQ+ civil rights protections across contexts.


Qualifications

The candidate must possess:

• A law degree and willingness to seek admission to the DC Bar;

• Experience with providing quick and accurate legal research on substantive legal questions

• Clear and precise legal writing skills;

• Excellent analytical, organizational and oral communication skills;

• Sound and strategic judgment with careful attention to detail;

• Initiative and creativity with problem solving;

• Willingness to ask questions and give and receive feedback;

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues, coalition partners, and outside firm partners;

• Strong interpersonal skills including a sense of humor and ability to remain calm while working to meet time sensitive and at times challenging litigation-related deadlines

Additional preferred skills and knowledge

• Bar admission in at least one state;

• Litigation experience through law school internships or clinics, judicial clerkships, or otherwise;

• Experience with court filing/technical logistics relating to litigation;

• Experience with women’s rights, workplace civil rights, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, pay discrimination, racial justice, disability justice, and/or LGBTQ+ justice;

• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering communities of color in approach to work.


Key Relationships

The fellow will report directly to the Legal Director and work collaboratively with attorneys, particularly those focused on litigation, across all of the organization’s program areas.


Compensation

The salary for first-year fellows is $62,042.

NWLC offers a comprehensive benefits package. The Fellow will be eligible for 20 paid vacation days, 10 days paid sick leave, and 10 scheduled holidays per year. Because NWLC is located in Washington, DC, the Fellow will be a DC based role. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, all NWLC staff are mandated to telework through at least January 31, 2021. During this period, NWLC has established temporary emergency relief leave to be used by employees in place of accrued sick and vacation leave. 

Classification

NWLC recognizes a staff bargaining unit, NWLC United, affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union/IFPTE Local 70, a union for non-profit workers. This position is included in NWLC’s bargaining unit. Specific employment terms are subject to collective bargaining.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please forward a cover letter outlining your interests and qualifications and describing how your education and background is a good fit for this position, a resume, a writing sample of no more than 10 pages, and three supervisory references. Resumes should include exact start and end dates of employment specifically month and year. Please send application material via e-mail to: litigationfellow@nwlc.org and include the position title in the subject line. Electronic submissions are preferred. Applications accepted until position is filled.

The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all gender identities; people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals; veterans; and LGBTQI individuals.

Reasonable Accommodations

As noted above, NWLC welcomes applications from individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email us at humanresources@nwlc.org.


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