Legal Volunteer

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Democracy Forward Foundation’s (DFF) is seeking a small group of experienced litigators to volunteer to assist DFF in researching, developing, and litigating our legal cases and in creating legal resources for sharing with coalition partners.

Volunteer lawyers must commit to working an average of at least 15 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months. The 6 months may be extended if both DFF and the volunteer agree.

Assignments may include researching or tracking legal topics, writing memoranda on discrete legal issues, consulting with attorneys on specific issues, assisting with preparation of briefs or complaints, or similar legal writing and research. Attorneys should have a minimum of 10 years of federal court litigation experience and be comfortable working in a fast-paced litigation environment.

In addition, even if unable to commit to the 15 hours per week, certain volunteer lawyers may have specialized knowledge or skills that might be useful to DFF and therefore make sense to include on the volunteer team, e.g., in immigration, privacy, class action, or employment law, language skills, or a security clearance to work on classified litigation.

To help us select people for this volunteer team, we ask that you complete the application below. Thank you for applying to DFF and wanting to help us to defend democracy and uphold the rule of law.

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia.

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.

Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar. Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.

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Describe your experience with legal research and writing. *

Describe your litigation experience - including the number of years, topics, and types of work. *

Please describe any specialized knowledge or skills you possess (e.g., immigration, privacy, class action, or employment law, language skills, security clearance): *

Are you willing to commit to an average of at least 15 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months?
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We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses will remain completely anonymous.

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