Description:
Program Description:The Vance Center launched Lawyers for Reporters (https://lawyers4reporters.org/) in March 2020 to provide pro bono legal representation to independent local and subject-specific news outlets, public interest reporting organizations, and journalism support organizations in the United States. Since its launch, it has represented more than 395 clients in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Lawyers for Reporters' clients include independent publishers that distribute public interest and local news in such formats as print, websites, radio, documentary film, video and social media, as well as investigative, advocacy, and academic publishers of public interest content. Lawyers for Reporters was established to ensure that no public interest reporting organization needing legal support will fail to obtain it because of financial constraints.
Our in-house team has the privilege of working with exceptional practitioners from across the country dedicating pro bono service to support a cornerstone of our democracy – the independent press. Using the Vance Center's unique model, our in-house lawyers work both independently and when indicated, with our network of pro bono private practitioners to provide advice and representation news publishers need at every stage of their life cycles. The scope of our representation is broad, covering corporate, transactional, employment, and taxation, as well as newsroom services such as pre-publication review of articles, newsgathering advice, help responding to retraction demands and litigation threats, subpoena defense, support for freedom of information and access rights, copyright licensing and defense, trademark, and more. We help clients apply for tax-exempt charitable status and establish subscriber/membership programs. In the current hostile environment in which the press operates, we offer compliance checkups, safety and know-your-rights resources, and training and capacity building.
Lawyers for Reporters is establishing a program to support clients undertaking significant investigative projects (the “LFR Investigations Program”). The Program will assign a lawyer and editor, both highly experienced in supporting complex journalistic investigations. This team, supported by LFR's other lawyers, will provide the client with regular advice as needed throughout the investigation. The support will include planning, scoping, and organizing the investigation, considering and working with sources, seeking access to public records through requests, appeals, and litigation if needed, drafting and editing, seeking comment from subjects, and conducting pre-publication review. Clients wishing to participate in the program will pitch their projects to LFR, which will determine whether the Program's resources are available and adequate for the project.
Job Function:
The Senior Newsroom Attorney, reporting to the Managing Attorney, will collaborate with a team of six legal professionals to counsel U.S. based independent news publishers. We seek an attorney with demonstrable experience counseling and representing newsrooms and investigative journalists who can assume primary responsibility for such counsel and representation in these areas.
Areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to the following:
- Assess selected clients' legal needs and provide them with legal advice and representation in the areas of newsgathering and source assessment and protection.
- Help assess applications for the LFR Investigations Program.
- Collaborate with an experienced editor working on the project with the client.
- Conduct prepublication review of requests for comment and of news stories.
- Communicate as needed with law firms regarding pro bono services, and co-counseling clients along with pro bono private practitioners.
Qualifications, Skills and Requirements:
- J.D. degree from an accredited U.S. law school, with additional education or specialization in media law and/or journalism a plus.
- Admission to practice law in any state.
- Minimum 8 years of experience counseling newsrooms that conduct and publish investigations pertaining to matters of public concern, including advising on laws related to newsgathering, source protection, cybersecurity, access to public records and meetings and to judicial proceedings, libel and invasion of privacy.
- The ability to work effectively with editors and other attorneys on a variety of newsroom-related matters and manage multiple short and long-term matters simultaneously.
- A commitment to promoting a free and robust independent press.
- Authorization to work in the United States.
- Ability to develop and/or work with professional networks and/or other forms of collaboration.
- Working knowledge of Spanish
- Experience with pro bono practice and general knowledge of the U.S. legal market.
Candidates for this position living locally will be expected to work a hybrid schedule requiring 3 days of in-office work per week, at our midtown Manhattan office, with the balance of time being work-from-home. Candidates living out-of-state will also be given consideration for the role for an (almost) fully remote work schedule.
The annualized starting salary will be $140,000 to $150,000, based on experience. We provide a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including closing between Christmas and New Year's day, day off for volunteer work, extra time off in summer), choice of medical plans, dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, free New York City Bar Association membership and CLE programs, and employee discounts, among others.
To apply: Qualified applicants should include a cover letter explaining your interest in the position along with your resume. Applications will be considered when received until a qualified candidate is hired. The City Bar will require three (3) professional business references during the hiring process for candidates being given serious consideration.