Senior Counsel (with Appellate Focus)

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.

LDF seeks an experienced, creative, and highly motivated Senior Counsel with specialized expertise in practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate courts to join the Litigation Department. LDF has played a unique role in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate Courts. LDF has consistently shaped the law through appellate litigation to bring about a more inclusive and equal society. For that reason, LDF is looking for a Senior Counsel who will help strategize on U.S. Supreme Court and appellate practice for a range of civil rights matters and lead case teams across LDF’s litigation docket.

This role offers an exceptional attorney the unparalleled opportunity to engage in civil rights appellate litigation with the nation’s leading civil rights and racial justice law firm. The Senior Counsel will report to either a Director of Litigation or Deputy Director of Litigation.

LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office a minimum of two (2) days per week, unless otherwise indicated.

Candidates are expected to submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample for consideration. The writing sample should be a piece of legal writing that you authored yourself. While it may have been reviewed or edited by others, it should primarily reflect your own work. Candidates should submit a document of at least ten (10) pages, drawn from a legal brief or motion. Additionally, we ask that the submission not include or rely on AI‑generated content. 

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;
• Assisting in the management and strategic development of LDF’s U.S. Supreme Court and appellate docket with respect to both amicus and merits briefs;
• Leading and supervising legal teams in the development of cases and projects designed to protect, defend and expand civil rights protections in the U.S Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts;
• Presenting oral arguments in the federal and state appellate courts;
• Planning and participating in moots to prepare colleagues for oral arguments;
• Tracking and updating the President and Director-Counsel, Associate Director-Counsel, Director of Litigation, and legal staff on significant decisions from the Supreme Court and federal appellate courts as well as general developments and new legal rules affecting appellate practice, etc.;
• Working with LDF leadership and staff attorneys on all aspects of civil rights litigation with a special focus on the strategic development and preparation of appellate and Supreme Court briefs;
• Consulting, and advising on complex, civil rights impact cases in federal and state courts and before administrative bodies;
• Drafting petitions for certiorari, merits briefs, emergency 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 potential claims, preparing complaints, participating in motion practice, discovery, hearings and oral argumen