Senior State Courts Counsel

Alliance for Justice is a national association of more than 130 organizations dedicated to advancing justice and democracy. For over 40 years, we have been leaders in the fight for a more equitable society on behalf of a broad constituency of environmental, consumer, civil and women’s rights, children’s, senior citizens and other groups. Alliance for Justice is premised on the belief that all Americans have the right to secure justice in the courts and to have our voices heard when government makes decisions that affect our lives. Alliance for Justice Action Campaign (AFJAC) is the 501(c)(4) affiliate that promotes a national conversation about the importance of the courts through advocacy, research, and mobilizing progressive advocates and voters.

Job Purpose

AFJ/AFJAC is seeking a Senior State Courts Counsel. State courts are critical to our justice system. In general, they handle over 95% of the nation’s cases, more than 70 million cases every year. They are also the source of more than 30 percent of federal judges. And now, because conservatives hold a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and scores of lower courts, state courts are increasingly vital to protect our essential rights, including the right to vote, and our democracy.

AFJ/AFJAC is committed to defending our state courts with as much vigor as they defend us.

The Senior State Courts Counsel will oversee AFJ/AFJAC’s work to raise awareness about the importance of the state judiciary; to develop strategy, leverage relationships and networks; and to directly engage in state court campaigns. State courts have become increasingly political, with conservative money pouring into state races at unprecedented rates.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior State Courts Counsel will be familiar with the landscape of state supreme court judicial selection across the country and ideally direct experience engaging in selection advocacy or elections. The person serving in this position will:

• Develop strategy and set AFJ/AFJ Action Campaign program priorities related to promoting the importance of state supreme courts and the justices who sit on them.
• Direct AFJ/AFJAC’s advocacy related to state courts, including engagement in judicial campaigns and advocacy with merit selection commissions, gubernatorial selection, or other selection methods. 
• Oversee research and materials development, working with Communications, Outreach, and other AFJ/AFJAC teams, for all AFJ/AFJAC projects related to the state courts, including projects connected to specific judicial candidates. Substantive materials include reports, vetting documents, op-eds, blog posts, fact sheets and other materials for grassroots and voter education, media, and other audiences for AFJ/AFJAC programs and campaigns.
• Maintain public facing research and campaign content such as online State Courts Action Hub to ensure materials are timely and accurate;
• Work with Outreach team to strengthen and expand AFJ/AFJAC’s engagement with organizations and individuals in key states. Represent AFJ/AFJAC to other organizations as part of coalitions on issues related to state courts.
• Lead, working across Outreach and Justice teams, convenings of national and state-based progressive groups engaged in the courts;
• Speak at legal and policy conferences, serve as a media surrogate on behalf of AFJ/AFJAC, and brief policymakers, academics, member organizations and other audiences.
• Work with development and executive teams to secure funding for AFJ/AFJAC state court programs.
• This position will be a supervisory position that will have direct reports; ensuring staff is empowered and supported in meeting team and organizational goals as well as growing in their responsibilities and maximizing professional development.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• J.D. and five plus years of experience in legal policy or advocacy work;
• Familiarity with landscape of state supreme court judicial selection, with experience in advocacy or state level political elections preferred;
• Demonstrated experience breaking down legal topics to non-legal audiences;
• Exceptional analytical, writing and speaking skills;
• Demonstrated commitment and experience in public interest law;
• Management experience, including hiring and supervising experience;
• Ability to work quickly under pressure, with shifting deadlines and priorities;
• Attention to detail;
• Long hours and some travel required;
• Ability to inspire and work collegially with others; and
• Strong interpersonal skills and positive attitude.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range is $120,000-$155,00, is highly competitive in the field and commensurate with experience.

We offer a comprehensive and generous benefits program, including:

Health

We offer medical, dental, vision benefits, as well an employee assistance program for physical and mental well-being.

Savings

Save for retirement with our 401K plan with employer matching. Other insurances include life and disability.

Time

We have a generous paid time off policy.

Family

We provide a range of paid and unpaid family leave programs that allow our employees to bond with and care for their children and other dependents.

Work Environment

This job operates in high-pressured, fast-paced working environment with significant telephone and personal disruptions. 

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with staff, other departments, and outside organizations.  The employee must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.  The person in this position will also need to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, and other equipment; and will be constantly required to operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and computer printer.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position.  Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This is a union position covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, CWA Local 32035, which includes salary minimums based on job position category. This position is in Group 6 and has a salary minimum of $104,000.”

Racial Equity

Our employees share our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture.

How to Apply

To apply, candidates should submit a resume and cover letter describing their interest, skills and experience.  Please email your application with “Senior State Courts Counsel” in the subject line to allianceforjustice.jobs@afj.org (NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE).  Applications are being accepted now and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Alliance for Justice provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual

orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Disclaimer

This description is intended to provide an overview of this position and is not all-inclusive.  The incumbent in this position will be expected to perform other duties as required. Responsibilities may change over time. This description is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.