Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan, non-profit voting rights and election reform organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to use litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting, particularly those disenfranchising underrepresented and marginalized communities, and to improve election administration.
The organization litigates cutting-edge voting rights cases in federal and state court and engages in a wide variety of advocacy efforts, including: drafting state election reform legislation and submitting testimony in support of positive reforms; advocating to defeat restrictive measures; producing reports on election modernization proposals and issues affecting communities of color, talking points, and fact sheets; providing state voter guides for all 50 states; conducting trainings and seminars on voting issues for community organizations and their supporters; and working directly with Secretaries of State and local election officials to ensure that the right to vote is protected and expanded. We provide election law expertise to state-based civic engagement coalitions and direct help to organizations representing various constituencies that need help accessing the ballot as they plan their programs, encounter problems, or need help engaging elections officials.
Position, Duties & Responsibilities: Fair Elections Center is seeking an attorney with a background or strong interest in civil rights, voting rights, and/or election reform to join our legal team. The Center has an aggressive and expanding litigation docket, including pending challenges to the arbitrary felon voting rights restoration scheme in Kentucky, restrictions and penalties imposed on voter registration activity and voter assistance for persons with disabilities in Florida, and unnecessary barriers to the use of student IDs as voter ID in Wisconsin. Recent cases include a First Amendment challenge to Florida’s arbitrary voting rights restoration system which resulted in the first court order striking down a state felon disenfranchisement or re-enfranchisement scheme in over 30 years, and lawsuits in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Kentucky to make voting safer and more accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Primary responsibilities for this Counsel position will include but not be limited to the following:
1. Working as part of Fair Elections Center’s legal team to develop and litigate all aspects of federal and state lawsuits to protect the right to vote, including investigating voting rights barriers, coordinating with partners on the ground, recruiting clients, drafting complaints, conducting discovery, and drafting briefs in the trial court and on appeal.
2. Working with partner election reform, registration, and mobilization groups to advance legislation, rules, and administrative practices which expand voter participation and to combat restrictive measures.
3. Engaging in ongoing outreach to state and local election officials to discuss reform initiatives and identify opportunities to collaborate to improve voters’ access to the ballot.
4. Collaborating on researching and drafting policy reports and other election reform publications.
5. Supporting the work of the Center’s Campus Vote Project to expand and protect voting rights for students and young voters.
6. Drafting op-eds and blog posts to communicate the impact of various election reforms to wider audiences and to condemn voter suppression efforts; and
7. Additional responsibilities include speaking engagements, attending staff and partner meetings, and assisting with review of development materials.
Qualifications: A J.D. is required, as is a minimum of five years post-J.D. experience, which can include any mix of clerkships, fellowships, and/or practice. Substantial litigation experience is strongly preferred, though this need not be civil rights or public interest litigation experience. A passion for the defense of civil rights and voting rights is essential, as is an interest in an inclusive democracy. Candidates with some familiarity with election and voting laws and/or policy; some knowledge of barriers to the exercise of voting rights and election reform; familiarity with grassroots, community-based organizations or campaign organizing experience; and familiarity with discovery and document production are strongly preferred as well. Policy experience is also a plus. Candidates need a proven ability to multi-task, work collaboratively and meet deadlines.
State Bar membership is required, i.e., the applicant must currently be a member of or able to waive into the D.C. Bar. Some travel is required.
Benefits include generous vacation and employer-paid health, dental and vision coverage, life, and disability insurance as well as a 403(b) pension plan with employer contribution.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Kristina Moore at [email protected].