Description:

Description:
Title: Staff Attorney, U.S. Litigation

Unit: Litigation, U.S. Program Division

Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center's human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center's exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 64 countries, and 130 law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center's Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world's population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women's rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org

The Job: This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the Center's impact litigation and advocacy efforts in the United States. The Staff Attorney will focus on developing original legal research, analysis, publications, and strategies to defend and expand constitutional protections for reproductive decision-making and access to care. The ideal candidate is a legal thinker who is passionate about a long-term strategy to build stronger legal guarantees for reproductive decision-making and improved access to non-discriminatory, high-quality reproductive healthcare. They will produce research and legal analysis to support our litigation and advocacy efforts in the U.S. to build a comprehensive and enduring right to reproductive autonomy grounded in principles of equality; racial, gender, and economic justice; and human rights.

The position will be based in the Center's New York City or Washington D.C. offices in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office, 2 days working from home.

Primary Responsibilities:

Monitor and track relevant lawsuits and legal decisions in the Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and state Supreme Courts.
Serve as an internal resource across teams and departments for reporting and analysis of legal developments.
Assist in the development of new legal theories to advance the Center's strategic priorities
Conduct legal and factual research to support and develop arguments, theories, and strategies to strengthen constitutional protections for reproductive rights.
Draft legal analysis and content for publication by the Center, in legal blogs, and in media outlets.
Draft amicus briefs in support of non-Center cases and develop strategic amicus campaigns in support of Center cases.
Assist with aspects of litigation.
Foster outreach and engagement with a diverse range of allies, scholars, and partners in the legal and advocacy community.
Represent the Center at convenings, conferences, and on legal panels.
Work with other members of the U.S. Program Division and the Center's Communications and Development teams as needed to provide content and review on messaging for public audiences.
Collaborate across the U.S. Division to advance shared priorities and alignment of our legal strategies with our policy, advocacy, and external engagement goals.
This role may supervise support staff, legal interns, or law fellows as needed.

Compensation: The annual salary for this position begins at $116,000 and is benchmarked by years of experience. This salary reflects a position based in New York City or Washington, D.C. This salary will be subject to a downward locality adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

Union Status: This position is anticipated to be within the bargaining unit represented by UAW Local 2325, (ALAA). (https://www.alaa.org/about-alaa)

FLSA Exempt Status: This is an exempt position.

Benefits:

Health: The Center provides a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage.
Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical, and community well-being. The Center provides generous leave, including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend winter holiday time with their loved ones.
Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (*applicable only in US and Kenya).

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center's commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights. (https://reproductiverights.org/diversity-equity-inclusion/)

Center policy on visa sponsorship for U.S.-based positions: Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

Requirements:

Admission to the New York Bar or D.C. Bar required, based on the office where the attorney is based. If not currently admitted to the New York Bar or D.C. Bar, candidate must be admitted to the bar of another state and agree to become admitted to the New York Bar or D.C. bar within 18 months.
Minimum of three years in legal practice, including judicial clerkship, litigation, law and policy advocacy, legal research or academia, or comparable legal work.
Strong understanding of civil rights and constitutional law, reproductive rights, and related areas of constitutional doctrine, and experience or familiarity with litigation practice.
Excellent research, writing, and communications skills.
Outstanding legal analysis skills, including the ability to analyze academic scholarship, court opinions, legislation and regulations, and develop complex legal arguments for litigation, legislation and administrative strategy, consistent with role.
Ability to write clearly and persuasively for court, legal, and lay audiences.
Takes initiative in learning and developing expertise in reproductive rights law and other relevant areas of law.
Maintains a high level of expertise in the relevant subject matter.
Excellent organizational and time management skills including ability to self-motivate, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, and provide quick turnaround of assignments while collaborating in a team.
Displays a problem-solving and supportive attitude with colleagues and works to support the goals of the team, U.S. Program Division, and the Center.
Demonstrates a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance.
Demonstrates a commitment to inclusive equity work and incorporating inclusive equitable principles into legal, programmatic, and partnership work.
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the Center as well as with external partners.