Paralegal/Impact Associate

Protect Democracy seeks a highly motivated individual to join our team as a Paralegal/Impact Associate.

In this role, you will primarily support litigation and legal advocacy focused on preventing American democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. You may also contribute to projects concerning policy reform, advocacy, and research. For this role, prior paralegal experience and/or litigation support skills are required.

By joining Protect Democracy, you can expect to work on a range of litigation projects aimed at preventing authoritarianism, including cases seeking to stop those who intentionally or recklessly spread false information undermining our democracy or cases seeking to defend elections from attempts to manipulate and subvert a free and fair result. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate who wishes to hone their skills in all stages of impact litigation, case management, writing and research, and communications — over time, developing expertise in one or more areas of our legal work.

The ideal candidate brings a flexible, action-oriented mindset; excellent writing, research, and communication skills with a keen eye for detail; and a collaborative, team-oriented approach. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply. A commitment to our mission and cross-ideological strategy for defending our democracy is essential. You can work remotely from any location in the United States; travel is required and may, at times, be extended.

Paralegal/Impact Associate responsibilities include:

• Support litigation by:
  • Managing and organizing case files and documents;
  • Contributing to the preparation and finalization of legal memos and pleadings;
  • Coordinating court filings;
  • Assisting with the discovery process.
• Conduct research, synthesize findings, and draft related memoranda, reports, and other communications;
• Cite-check and Bluebook, fact-check, proofread, and assist with drafting court filings, letters, and other public-facing documents;
• Engage professionally with clients, opposing counsel, partner organizations, and other external stakeholders;
• Assist in drafting and publishing external-facing communications materials, including press releases, social media, talking points, outreach emails, op-eds, and blog posts;
• Perform project management on discrete projects, including setting up logistics for calls, creating agenda, and supporting internal-facing communications (i.e. emails, presentations);
• Assist in managing litigation projects and workstreams overall, including developing work plans, tracking and communicating progress toward goals, and offering your feedback and input along the way;
• Support the creation and maintenance of information management systems, processes, and tools within and amongst impact teams;
• Strategize with other team members and actively contribute ideas during impact and litigation project brainstorming sessions;
• Propose new impact projects to advance Protect Democracy’s mission;
• Contribute to culture-building initiatives across the organization.

The ideal candidate brings:

• At least two years of relevant paralegal experience, including:
  • Supporting litigation through preparing, finalizing, and filing pleadings in court, cite checking and Bluebooking documents, drafting discovery materials and correspondence; and preparing administrative documents like pro hac vice applications;
  • Navigating federal rules of civil procedure and state/local court rules;
  • Case management/litigation administration (including managing large quantities of documents and case file and folder organization).
• Strong writing, researching, editing, and proofreading skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Project management experience and the ability to manage up, down, and sideways
• Nimbleness and an ability to perform well in a rapid-paced environment;
• Willingness to learn new research, communications, legal and policy skills and processes;
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships and work in a team environment with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives;
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution;
• Ability to track, prioritize, and balance a diverse set of responsibilities;
• Growth mindset and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback up, down and sideways;
• A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color.

Plus, but not required:

• Experience in civil litigation, civil impact litigation, or plaintiff-side litigation;
• Paralegal certification.

About Protect Democracy:

• Flexible location. You can work from any location in the United States as long as your location allows you to complete the demands of the position and mission. All staff are required to travel at least two times per year to internal team retreats; additional travel is required for this position. (Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.) We currently have staff in Washington, DC, New York, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Utah, Kentucky, Washington, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Colorado, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio, Louisiana, and Texas. We offer shared workspaces in many of these locations for staff members who enjoy working in an office environment.
• Commitment to a diverse workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. Our culture principles emphasize that there is strength in diversity as we believe diverse teams are more innovative, creative, and productive. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
• Competitive pay and phenomenal benefits. In addition to a competitive salary, our benefits package includes an unlimited vacation and sick leave policy, along with 12 paid holidays, 4 weeks of paid family medical leave, and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately, full coverage for an excellent health care plan that includes both dental and vision insurance, long-term disability and life insurance for all employees, a home office stipend, and as budget allows, discretionary bonuses.
• Ample opportunities for personal & professional development. Candidates who do not meet all listed criteria should still apply, as our organizational structure focuses on providing mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.