Senior Staff Attorney, Litigation

*** COVID vaccination required. Exemption requests considered on a case-by-case basis. ***

Organizational Profile: Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC ("AAJC") is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. For more than 30 years, we have served as the leading Asian American voice on civil rights issues in our nation’s capital – fighting for the rights of our communities through policy advocacy, litigation, research, public education, and community engagement.

Based in Washington, DC, Advancing Justice | AAJC is a member of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) affiliation. With our affiliates in Atlanta, Chicago, and Southern California, we work together as equal and independent partners, operate under one name, and strive to speak with one unified and powerful voice to promote justice, empower our communities, bring local and national constituents together, and strengthen our multiracial democracy.

Title: Senior Staff Attorney, Litigation ("Attorney")
Reports to: Senior Director and Assistant Director of Litigation

Term: Immediately;
Two-Year Term

Status: Full-time, Exempt Employee, 40 hours/week

This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment are subject to collective bargaining.

• Identify, develop, and lead litigation in federal and state courts. Prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs; conduct discovery; present oral arguments; and handle appeals.
• Strategically, creatively, and boldly use client-driven, community-grounded impact litigation to support AAJC’s policy priorities.
• Collaborate with staff across the organization, including the Communications, Community Engagement, Research, Development, and relevant policy teams.
• Assist with and support AAJC’s administrative and legislative advocacy by providing legal analysis and technical assistance to colleagues, in close collaboration with the organization’s policy leads. Provide support to other staff on issues of subject-matter expertise.
• Develop community education tools, including but not limited to, webinars, trainings, and Know Your Rights (KYR) materials.
• Serve as a legal/policy expert in coalitions with external partners.
• Supervise law student interns and legal fellows, and manage external consultants, as needed.
• Facilitate coordination with pro bono counsel, coalitional partners, and AAJC’s affiliate partners.
• Work with and help lead junior attorneys on case-specific assignments.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of strategic communications plans related to litigation issues, including providing content support, responding to press inquiries, and making public speaking appearances as necessary and appropriate.
• Engage in the development and implementation of Community Partners’ Network strategies, tactics, and activities on litigation issues as necessary and appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Help create and implement a development-supported growth strategy for litigation, to include identifying donor prospects through work with peer organizations and other professional contacts and developing programmatic elements that may be of particular interest to donors/prospects.
• Work with the Senior Director and Assistant Director to craft project budgets and contribute to the development of grant proposals relating to litigation.
• Provide content/information for donor communications and materials (donor newsletters, action alerts, special reports from the executive director, social media postings, etc.).
• Live and exhibit the Values of AAJC, by contributing to an environment that promotes trust, teamwork, and transparency among staff, board, National Advisory Council, affiliates, and community partners.
• Contribute to, establish, and follow policies and procedures, including maintenance of confidentiality, to ensure that the principles of AAJC are implemented.
• Participate in and lead decision-making processes, understand outcomes, and be accountable for decisions made…