Justice in Public Safety Project Counsel

• Justice in Public Safety Project Counsel

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality.

From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative—to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, policy advocacy, organizing, and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system.

The Strategic Initiatives Department at LDF intentionally and strategically advances integrated advocacy that utilizes the multiple tools available to the organization, including litigation, policy, communications, organizing, and research.

The Justice in Public Safety Project. The Justice in Public Safety Project (“the Project” or “JPP”), integrates litigation, policy, organizing, communications, and research to: (1) dramatically reduce Black people’s contact with law enforcement by empowering Black communities to implement community-based, public safety solutions that do not involve police, (2) protect Black and allied people from authoritarian practices, such as suppression of First Amendment activities and widespread surveillance, and (3) deter racially discriminatory law enforcement practices, including discriminatory stops and law enforcement’s misuse of advanced technologies.

The Project seeks a Justice in Public Safety Project Counsel to implement legislative and policy reform solutions, as part of a holistic inter-disciplinary strategy, at the local, state, and/or federal levels to advance the Project’s priority goals. Particular emphasis is sought in expertise or experience with community-based, public safety solutions, law enforcement practices, police technology, and First Amendment rights. However, expertise or prior experience in any of the Project’s priorities is welcome and the selected candidate will be expected to work in any and all areas of the Project as needed.

The writing sample should consist of legal writing that you personally authored. While the document may have been reviewed or edited by others, it should primarily reflect your own analysis, reasoning, and writing.

Please submit a writing sample of at least 10 pages, preferably excerpted from a legal brief, motion, or similar legal filing.

Additionally, submissions should not contain, and should not materially rely upon, AI-generated content.

LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office a minimum of two days per week, unless otherwise indicated.

• Lead and participate in multidisciplinary teams in a collaborative and inclusive manner with LDF’s litigators, organizers, policy staff, communications specialists, and researchers to develop integrated strategies that advance the Project’s priorities in close partnership with community stakeholders;
• Develop and implement impactful legislative and policy reform strategies, as part of a multi-disciplinary advocacy approach, at the local, state, and/or federal levels that expand community-based public safety solutions and other substantive priorities of the Project in collaboration with LDF’s Policy Department…