About the Opening
Washington Legal Foundation is looking for a smart, capable Senior Litigator to join its team. The attorney will primarily draft and file thoughtful and persuasive amicus curiae briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States, federal courts of appeals, and state appellate courts. WLF prides itself on the quality of its briefs, which aim to be concise, direct, and carefully crafted. WLF therefore seeks an attorney with excellent writing skills and a keen eye for persuasive legal writing.
WLF is the nation’s premier public-interest law firm and policy center. For 48 years, our mission has been to preserve and defend America’s free-enterprise system, individual rights, limited government, and the rule of law. Although the WLF litigation team enjoys a friendly and collaborative environment, the Senior Litigator will be expected to operate independently and with very minimal supervision. The attorney will serve as counsel of record for all the briefs that he or she drafts and will be responsible for all work submitted to the courts. WLF litigators think deeply about important legal issues; they are scholarly in their approach to the law; they strive to submit briefs that bring a unique and valuable perspective to a case. An attorney who shares these attributes will thrive in this position.
This role reports to WLF’s General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation. The Senior Litigator will work out of WLF’s Washington, DC headquarters in the Dupont Circle/Embassy Row neighborhood. WLF’s hybrid telework policy permits full-time attorneys to work from home one day each week.
Primary Responsibilities
- Collaborating with WLF attorneys and outside counsel to develop and execute WLF’s litigation strategy in important, often high-profile cases.
- Drafting, with very little supervision, high-quality appellate amicus briefs.
- Identifying opportunities for WLF to further its free-market mission by filing an amicus brief or submitting regulatory comments.
- Engaging in public advocacy and education by drafting and placing newspaper op-eds, blog posts, or other publications, and speaking to select audiences—including the media—as a representative of WLF.
Qualifications
- Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least four (4) years of substantial experience crafting briefs in commercial and appellate litigation which can include employment as a judicial clerk.
- Interest in advancing broader legal and constitutional principles consistent with WLF’s free-market mission.
- Superior legal research and writing abilities.
- Strong knowledge of constitutional law.
- Some experience with federal regulatory law (e., FDCA, CAA, FTC, or FLSA).
- Familiarity with the federal rules of appellate procedure.
- Sophisticated exposure across multiple business-litigation practice areas.
Compensation
The projected salary range for this role is $180,000-220,000, contingent upon the specific skills and experience of the selected candidate. We are also willing to explore higher compensation for an exceptional candidate or a lower range for a promising, less experienced candidate.
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:
- Resume
- Cover Letter detailing your interest in the position and Washington Legal Foundation’s mission, along with your salary requirements
- Self-edited writing sample
Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.
Questions can be directed to Katy Gambella, Director of Outreach at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: [email protected].
There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.
While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.
Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.
