Staff Attorney

NAPW seeks a Staff Attorney with substantial criminal or parent defense work, and/or impact and complex litigation experience at the trial and appellate levels to assist in legal advocacy and litigation activities for the organization. The focus of the Staff Attorney position will be on advancing reproductive justice.

Working collaboratively with NAPW’s legal and programmatic team, external counsel, experts, and state-based advocates, the Staff Attorney will perform a variety of functions both independently and in a team environment, including providing legal analysis and advice regarding cases as well as policy proposals, developing and litigating significant new and existing cases around the country, supporting local counsel, serving as appellate counsel, and using cases, where appropriate, as public education and organizing opportunities.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced attorney and subject matter expert in and/or have a demonstrated commitment to one or more of these areas: reproductive, economic, racial and social justice; women’s rights; human rights; constitutional, criminal and civil child welfare law.

The Staff Attorney position reports to the Director of Legal Advocacy and also receives direction and mentoring from the Executive Director.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Conducting legal research and drafting legal memoranda, motion papers, and briefs;

• Assisting in the development of NAPW’s legal resources including our brief bank and on-line resources;

• Contributing to NAPW reports, publications, proposals and practice manuals;

• Organizing and participating in conferences, meetings, and education events relevant to NAPW issues and interests;

• Developing knowledge and legal analyses of cases in and outside the US where women have been prosecuted in relationship to their pregnancies including for having or attempting to have an abortion, experiencing a stillbirth or miscarriage, or continuing to term in a manner believed to create a risk of harm;

• Working with NAPW staff and allies to understand the full range of existing criminal laws and other mechanisms being used to control and punish pregnant women;

• Identification of and outreach to experts and amici; Drafting amicus and organizing briefs;

• Developing relationships with state-based advocates and organizations who can engage in ongoing advocacy and provide expertise to help win cases;

• Helping NAPW continue to develop long-term legal, organizing, and communications strategies that are informed by other movements and that will ensure that women have access, without fear of arrest or family separation, to safe abortions and other health care relating to pregnancy and childbirth;

• Working with the NAPW legal and programmatic team to create legal resources including templates for standard motions and briefs and a secure national database for defense attorneys and other advocates;

• Developing significant new cases in a strategic fashion; • Collaborating in team problem-solving, policy analysis, litigation strategy, litigation management and trial work;

• Participating in staff trainings that support collaboration, identify and promote the organization’s values, and advances its mission;

• Communicating and working effectively with external audiences such as the news media, government officials, and coalition partners (Must be able to function as an effective spokesperson for clients and for NAPW, including in public presentations);

• Building strong relationships of trust with clients.

The ideal candidate will possess the following minimum qualifications:

• J.D. Degree and membership in good standing of at least one (1) state bar (in the United States);

• 3 - 6 years of complex litigation and advocacy experience as an attorney providing direct representation, with a particular interest in public interest law;

• Knowledge of and experience in reproductive health, rights, and justice; civil rights with knowledge of drug policy reform, women’s rights, family law, child welfare reform, and human rights is highly-desirable;

• Exceptional communication skills in legal contexts including with clients in legal proceedings, meetings, negotiations or administrative proceedings; in a wide variety of public education contexts, and in the media as determined by the Director of Legal Advocacy, Executive Director and Media & Communications Director;

• Exceptional legal research and writing skills and an ability to do creative legal research, writing, and advocacy; comfort working within the organization’s collaborative approach to writing;

• An ability to read, understand and synthesize medical and social science research material;

• Willingness to do the work needed to build effective teams and relationships across diverse issues and communities;

• Ability to manage time efficiently, maintain a flexible schedule and travel as needed for case work, court appearances, training, conferences, and presentations;

• Demonstrated and verifiable reputation of integrity with no history of disciplinary offenses as an attorney or in any other capacity;

• Full fluency in English is required. Fluency in Spanish or another language is highly-desirable;

• Advanced-level proficiency in using Mac OS platform MS Office Suite, with familiarity or trainability in other software applications, social media platforms, and databases and research tools.

REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS (MUST INCLUDE ALL ITEMS LISTED BELOW):

1. Cover Letter which must include all of the following elements:

a) Your personal & professional motivation for seeking this position.

b) A discussion of what makes you the ideal/best candidate for this position.

c) Explain how your skill sets and experience best demonstrate your strategic approach.

d) Salary Requirement.

e) Indicate where you found this Job Announcement.

2. Resumé.

3. Two (2) Writing Samples solely reflecting applicant’s own work (MUST submit BOTH A and B):

a) One Non- legal advocacy writing sample such as an article, commentary or blog.

b) One Legal writing sample (i.e., a legal brief, argument or analysis) consisting of NO MORE THAN ten pages of text.

4. Complete contact information for three (3) professional references.