Legal Associate

Full-time Description

Do you want to take the lead on drafting amicus briefs filed in the U.S. Supreme Court and defending individual liberty? The Cato Institute invites applicants with a law degree to apply for our entry‑level (typically 0‑2 years of legal experience) Legal Associate Program at the Robert

A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies. Legal associates are given the independence and trust to take the initiative at every stage of the brief‑writing process. This includes developing arguments, communicating with party counsel, researching, and drafting.

Legal associates receive intensive, one‑on‑one training and feedback to develop their legal writing skills. Cato amicus briefs are routinely filed in the US Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and state supreme courts. The job is ideal training for a career in pro‑liberty litigation.

In addition, legal associates assist in other projects such as editing the Cato Supreme Court Review and researching and writing for other Cato strategic initiatives. Associates are fully immersed in the intellectual life of the Cato Institute and have opportunities to meet and assist scholars in a wide range of issue areas.

Applicants are encouraged to take the bar exam before beginning employment, though this is not a requirement. Employment will begin in Summer 2026 — dates flexible and partly depend on when current associates depart — and last for one year. This is a very competitive process, so applicants are also encouraged to apply for internships with Cato at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and (unofficial) law school transcript to Laura Bondank‑Harmon at lbondank.

Please indicate in your cover letter if you may have access to outside funding, whether through your law school or elsewhere. We will accept applications on a rolling basis, but earlier applications will be considered sooner, and slots may fill up.

This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC.

The starting salary for the Research Associate position is $84,601.

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th‑century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace — animate Cato’s research to this day.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave
• Employer‑provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) employer match
• Transit/ Parking benefits
• Pet discount plan

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.