NAPW seeks a Staff Attorney with substantial impact and complex litigation experience at the trial and appellate levels to assist in legal advocacy and litigation activities for the organization. The focus of the Staff Attorney position will be on advancing reproductive justice.
Working collaboratively with NAPW’s legal and programmatic team, external counsel, experts, and state-based advocates, the Staff Attorney will perform a variety of functions both independently and in a team environment, including providing legal analysis and advice, developing and litigating significant new and existing cases around the country, supporting local counsel, serving as appellate counsel, and using cases, where appropriate, as public education and organizing opportunities.
The ideal candidate will be an experienced attorney and subject matter expert in and/or have a demonstrated commitment to one or more of these areas: reproductive, economic, racial and social justice; women’s rights; human rights; constitutional, criminal and civil child welfare law.
The Staff Attorney position reports to the Director of Legal Advocacy and also receives some direction and mentoring from the Executive Director.
Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
• Conducting legal research and drafting legal memoranda, motion papers, and briefs;
• Assisting in the development of NAPW’s legal resources including our brief bank and on-line resources;
• Contributing to NAPW reports, publications, proposals and practice manuals;
• Organizing and participating in conferences, meetings, and education events relevant to NAPW issues and interests;
• Developing knowledge and legal analyses of cases in and outside the US where women have been prosecuted in relationship to their pregnancies including for having or attempting to have an abortion, experiencing a stillbirth or miscarriage, or continuing to term in a manner believed to create a risk of harm;
• Working with NAPW staff and allies to understand the full range of existing criminal laws and other mechanisms being used to punish pregnant people;
• Identification of and outreach to additional experts and potential amici;
• Further developing relationships with state-based advocates and organizations who can engage in advocacy and provide expertise to help win or prevent new cases;
• Helping NAPW continue to develop long-term legal, organizing, and communications strategies that are informed by other movements and that will ensure that women have access, without fear of punishment, to safe abortions and other health care relating to pregnancy and childbirth;
• Working with the NAPW legal and programmatic team to create legal resources including templates for standard motions and briefs and a secure national database for defense attorneys and other advocates;
• Developing significant new cases in a strategic fashion;
• Collaborating in team problem-solving, litigation strategy, litigation management and trial work;
• Communicating and working effectively with external audiences such as the news media, government officials, and coalition partners (Must be able to function as an effective spokesperson for clients and for NAPW, including in public presentations);
• Building strong relationships of trust with clients;
• Whenever appropriate, advocating and litigating on behalf of clients in forums outside of the courtroom, including administrative hearings;
• ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL ADVOCACY AND/OR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
The ideal candidate will possess the following minimum qualifications:
• J.D. Degree and membership in good standing of at least one (1) state bar (in the United States);
• Minimum of six (6) years of relevant legal experience (experience providing direct client representation highly-desirable);
• Exceptional legal research and writing skills and an ability to do creative legal research, writing, and advocacy; comfort working within the organization’s collaborative approach to writing;
• An ability to read, understand and synthesize medical and social science research material;
• Commitment to civil rights, and human rights, reproductive justice, and drug policy, criminal justice, and child welfare reform;
• Commitment to collaborative, cross-cultural work, including a demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations, and the ability to connect litigation and legal advocacy with local and national organizing and education efforts;
• Exceptional communication skills in legal contexts including with clients in legal proceedings, meetings, negotiations or administrative proceedings; in a wide variety of public education contexts, and in the media as determined by the Director of Legal Advocacy, Executive Director and Media & Communications Manager;
• Ability to manage time efficiently, maintain a flexible schedule and travel as needed for case work, court appearances, training, conferences, and presentations;
• Advanced-level proficiency and solid, measurable experience in a variety of Mac OS computer software applications and social media platforms (e.g. MS Office Suite, Google Hangout, Skype, Twitter, Facebook; LinkedIn); Familiarity with (or trainability on) Westlaw, LexisNexis, Podio, 4-D, and other software relevant to specific area of expertise and internal office communications. Familiarity with Google Organization & Productivity Tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar).
THIS IS AN IMMEDIATE HIRE.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: FEBRUARY 6TH, 2017
REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS (MUST INCLUDE ALL ITEMS LISTED BELOW):
1. Cover Letter which MUST include ALL of the following elements:
a) Your personal & professional motivation for seeking this position.
b) A discussion of how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position.
c) Salary Requirement.
d) Indicate where you found this Job Announcement.
2. Resumé
3. Complete contact information for three (3) professional references.
4. Two (2) Writing Samples solely reflecting applicant’s own work (MUST submit BOTH A and B):
a) One (1) Legal writing sample (i.e., a legal brief, argument or analysis) consisting of NO MORE
THAN ten (10) pages of text.
b) One (1) Non- legal advocacy writing sample such as a commentary or blog.
INSTRUCTIONS: NO PHONE CALLS OR FAXES PLEASE.
All submissions must be sent VIA EMAIL ONLY to:
[email protected]
SUBJECT: ATTN: Human Resources – NAPW Staff Attorney (Jan. 2017)