We are seeking a full-time attorney to join our active litigation program and support our commitment to government accountability and social justice for children, with a desired start date in the fall of 2023.
Children’s Rights is a national advocacy organization that has, for over 25 years, championed the legal rights of children impacted by government systems. Every day, children and their families are harmed by America’s child welfare, juvenile justice, education, immigration, and healthcare systems. These systems, and failures across multiple systems, also disproportionately harm children and families of color, LGBTQ/TGNC, youth with disabilities, migrant youth and other minority youth, and the harms and risks of harm are compounded further for youth with intersectional identities. Children’s Rights uses civil rights impact litigation, policy expertise, and public education to hold governments accountable for keeping all kids safe and healthy.
Our work tackles a variety of historic and emerging social justice issues impacting children and their families. Recent campaigns have targeted, for example, the unnecessary and devastating separation of Black children from their families, the unnecessary placement of youth in dangerous congregate care facilities, the lack of mental health services for Medicaid-eligible children, the unjust treatment of unaccompanied immigrant minors, the pervasive practice of administering powerful and dangerous psychotropic drugs to children in foster care without adequate oversight, systemic discrimination against LGBTQ youth in custodial settings, and the grave outcomes for older youth “aging” out of government systems.
Job Summary:
Children’s Rights attorneys and policy staff, working with local advocates, investigate specific problems in failing systems, develop lawsuits or other advocacy campaigns where appropriate, conduct extensive discovery, work with substantive experts, prepare cases for trial or negotiated settlement, and ensure that court-ordered reforms are implemented to achieve measurable results for children.
Duties/Responsibilities:
Senior Staff Attorneys play an integral role in leading active litigation, developing new areas of litigation, case management, strategic planning and professional development. Senior Staff Attorneys will have primary responsibility for direct engagement with and management of Staff Attorneys in case preparation and litigation activities. Senior Staff Attorney responsibilities will include:
- Leading and contributing to case teams of Staff Attorneys, Paralegals, and Lead Counsel under the supervision of Lead Counsel, including:
- significant involvement in all strategic decision-making with Lead Counsel
- day-to-day management of all facets of the case
- regularly facilitating internal and external case meetings
- creating, distributing, and overseeing all case team projects
- legal writing and research
- reviewing and editing all work product by the internal and external teams, such as legal writing
- developing and maintaining a close, collaborative relationship with external co-counsel
- assisting with media communications concerning major case developments
- mentoring and developing the skills of the team’s Staff Attorneys
- cultivating a harmonious and supportive work culture on the team.
- Playing a critical role in all aspects and phases of class action litigations in federal court with the support of case teams and Lead Counsel, including:
- Initiating litigations, such as leading investigations, developing legal arguments, and partnering with other advocates and law firms
- Leading motions practice
- Overseeing and participating in all facets of discovery, such as obtaining, implementing, organizing and managing electronic discovery, including the drafting and refining of search terms, etc.
- Chairing depositions
- Leading meet and confers with opposing counsel
- Presenting oral arguments to the Court under the supervision of the Lead Counsel
- Selecting and working with expert and fact witnesses
- Directing and cross examining witness at hearings and/or trials
- Helping lead settlement, monitoring, and appellate practice, when applicable
- Developing leadership skills as a member of Children’s Rights management team, including:
- Active involvement in weekly management meetings with senior leadership
- Working closely with Lead Counsel to develop and implement organizational goals while receiving regular mentorship
- Providing feedback and reviews to Staff Attorneys
- Interviewing and playing a decision-making role in the hiring process
- Leading continuing legal education courses
- Collaborating with external partners to advocate on critical issues
- Serves as public face of the organization
- Speaking at professional conferences
- Advocating for the work of Children’s Rights
- Developing external partnerships
- Senior Staff Attorneys may be asked to perform other duties as required by organizational needs.
Experience and Qualifications:
We are seeking an attorney with 7-10 years of applicable litigation experience who is highly-motivated and passionate about the work we do, interested in further developing their litigation skills under high-quality supervision, and in developing professionally to take on an increasing leadership role in complex impact litigation. The ideal experience may include judicial clerkships, law firm or public interest experience. Applicant must have an active license to practice law and/or membership in state Bar.
Applicants must possess superb research, writing and analytical skills, oral advocacy skills, fluency with discovery and litigation technological tools and Microsoft Office Suite, sound strategic judgment, strong interpersonal skills, a healthy sense of humor, and a passion for social justice and the broader aspects of systemic reform and its policy implications. The successful candidate will be expected to perform at the highest level of practice, and to take advantage of opportunities to further develop professionally. Knowledge of children’s issues or social service systems is a plus, but not required.
Knowledge of children’s issues, social services, social justice, civil rights, racial justice, LGBTQ issues, juvenile justice and/or other areas of our work is a plus. Applicants with prior personal involvement in the systems we fight to improve and/or with other diverse life experiences and perspectives are especially encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit our website: www.childrensrights.org.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Senior Staff Attorneys will oversee and/or coordinate the work of one or more of the Staff Attorneys at Children’s Rights.
Physical and Travel Requirements:
Prolonged periods remaining stationary at a desk and working on a computer. Travel is required.
Salary and Benefits:
The salary range is from $105,100 to $114,800, commensurate with experience. Children’s Rights offers an excellent benefits package, including generous PTO, medical, dental, flex spending accounts, paid parental leave, and retirement plan.
Location: This position will ideally be located in the New York City metropolitan area.
To Apply: Please save your cover letter of interest and one recent writing sample as one file and upload to the Cover Letter upload field and upload your resume to the Resume upload field via childrensrights.bamboohr.com/jobs by October 20, 2023. If you have any additional questions regarding this position, you may send an email to info@childrensrights.org. Due to the high volume of submissions, only applicants of interest will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
Children’s Rights is an equal employment opportunity employer, and women, people of color, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people, people with disabilities, and people with unique lived experience or diverse professional or personal backgrounds and perspectives, are encouraged to apply.