Assistant or Senior Counsel, Litigation

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, public policy advocacy, 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. LDF continues to make an impact in the area of public service and was recognized by Fast Company as one of its 2023 Brands That Matter under its public service category.

The Litigation Department at LDF seeks an experienced attorney with at least seven years of experience to join LDF as Assistant or Senior Counsel. The Assistant or Senior Counsel will litigate and strategize on a range of civil rights matters across LDF’s litigation docket. The Litigation Department is particularly interested in Assistant or Senior Counsel who have significant experience leading litigation teams. The Assistant or Senior Counsel will report to either a Director of Litigation or a Deputy Director of Litigation.

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.

Responsibilities: 

• Litigating the full range of racial justice issues, including: educational opportunity, diversity, adequacy, access and retention; employment and housing discrimination; voting rights; and criminal justice; 
• Leading and supervising teams to develop and litigate complex, civil rights impact cases in federal and state courts and before administrative bodies; 
• Drafting petitions for certiorari, merits briefs and amicus briefs in the United States Supreme Court, other federal courts, and state courts that bear significantly on the civil rights of Black people; 
• Investigating, developing, consulting, and advising on potential claims, preparing complaints, participating in motion practice, discovery, hearings and oral arguments, trials, and appeals; 
• Collaborating with LDF’s policy team in developing and implementing strategies to advance LDF’s policy agenda related to the substantive subject matter areas; 
• Supervising, managing, and assisting litigation teams that include LDF staff attorneys, organizers, cooperating counsel, fellows, legal interns, and others from within and outside of LDF; 
• Directly supervising legal fellows, research associates, legal interns, and/or administrative assistants;  
• Serving as a public thought leader on issues confronting Black communities; 
• Representing LDF in the media, at conferences, and in other public venues; 
• Developing and maintaining relationships with community partners, coalition members, and legal allies; 
• Assisting in creating and implementing multi-pronged strategic plans using litigation, organizing, public education, legislation and policy advocacy; 
• Preparing policy reports, memoranda, briefing papers, public education materials, and talking points for internal and external use; 
• Assisting LDF colleagues in developing skills in impact litigation and the other interdisciplinary advocacy strategies necessary to effect change; 
• Fostering relationships with other advocates, lawyers, and civil rights organizations; 
• Travel as necessary, when conditions permit; and 
• Other responsibilit