Staff Attorney, Child Welfare Litigation

Overview:

A Better Childhood, a national organization dedicated to improving public child welfare systems through the use of systemic, broad-based class action litigation, is seeking an attorney with at least four years of experience to help develop and pursue significant, ground-breaking federal litigation in both district and federal appeals court throughout the country. Our work involves investigating these systems, developing relationships with local communities, partnering with national and local law firms, and bringing and prosecuting suits that will establish the rights of children under the Constitution and federal statutes.

Staff attorneys will be responsible for investigating cases and drafting complaints; drafting motion and opposition briefs; coordinating all aspects of the discovery process; assisting in trial and/or settlement discussions; and assisting in enforcing the terms of judgment or settlement. The work will be major, multi-year litigation involving important legal and public policy issues.

Staff attorneys will work closely with our Executive Director, Marcia Robinson Lowry. Ms. Lowry is the pioneering architect of the body of law that protects the country’s most vulnerable children. Her work sheds light on the deficiencies of our country’s long-unaccountable child welfare systems. After working in this field for over four decades, Ms. Lowry created ABC in 2014 to develop new and innovative approaches to helping children who have been left to languish and suffer.

Responsibilities:

Attorneys will be based in New York City and will work on sites across the country, with some travel. They will conduct legal research, develop legal theories, work with experts, learn the details of particular systems under scrutiny, and help shape the litigation to address the problems in those systems. The litigation will be intensive and fact-based, and will involve the interplay with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Staff attorneys can expect take part in all aspects of an investigation and litigation, including but not limited to:

• Investigating potential cases and drafting complaints, including reviewing and analyzing publicly available data and speaking to numerous potential sources involved in the child welfare system in any given state;
• Performing legal research for and drafting briefs in connection with dispositive and discovery motions;
• Engaging in the discovery process, including drafting requests for production and interrogatories, handling discovery-related conferences and correspondence, arguing discovery motions, and taking and defending depositions; and
• Assisting in trial or settlement discussions, analyses of compliance with the terms of a settlement or judgment, and any enforcement of these settlement or judgment terms.

Required Qualifications:

• Admission to the bar in any jurisdiction
• Minimum of four years of litigation, preferably in federal court
• Excellent research, writing and organizational skills
• Demonstrated interest in public interest work
• Passion for ABC’s mission
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Ability to thrive in a busy, multi-tasking and time-pressured environment
• Good sense of humor

Location:

Due to restrictions caused by COVID-19, we are working out of our central Manhattan office two-days-per-week, and the remaining three days are remote.

How to Apply:

ABC values diversity in our workforce and encourages candidates of diverse backgrounds to apply.

ABC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance.

We will review candidates on a rolling basis. No phone calls please.

Applications, including resume, cover letter and writing sample should be sent to jobs@abetterchildhood.org.