WLF is the nation’s premier public-interest law firm and policy center. For 49 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 Litigation Counsel 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.

About the Opening

Washington Legal Foundation is looking for a smart, capable Senior Litigation Counsel 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 superior writing skills and carefully honed experience for persuasive legal writing. If you count yourself as a big fan of Bryan Garner and Ross Guberman, you may be a good fit.

The Senior Litigation Counsel reports to the General Counsel and Vice President of Litigation. WLF’s headquarters is in the Dupont Circle/Embassy Row neighborhood of Washington, DC. WLF’s hybrid telework policy permits full-time attorneys to work from home one day a week.

Washington Legal Foundation offers a competitive salary between $180,000 to $220,000, depending on experience and qualifications, along with a benefits package.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborating with WLF attorneys and outside counsel to develop and execute WLF’s litigation strategy in important, 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 writing newspaper op-eds, blog posts, or other publications, and speaking to select audiences—including the media—as a representative of WLF

Qualifications

  • 4+ years of substantial experience crafting briefs in complex commercial and appellate litigation
  • Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction)
  • A desire to advance broader legal and constitutional principles consistent with WLF’s free-market mission
  • Strong knowledge of constitutional and administrative law
  • Superior legal research and writing abilities
  • Some experience with federal agency regulations (FDA, FTC, EPA, etc.)
  • Mastery of the Supreme Court rules and the federal rules of appellate procedure
  • Sophisticated exposure across multiple business-litigation practice areas (class actions, federal preemption, personal jurisdiction, antitrust, etc.)

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

  • Cover Letter detailing your interest in the position, WLF’s mission, and your salary requirements
  • Self-edited writing sample of no more than 20 pages
  • Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

Questions can be directed to Angela Hight, Project Manager 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 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.