Counsel or Senior Counsel, Education & Workplace Justice

The Position

The National Women’s Law Center seeks a Counsel/Senior Counsel for to join the Education & Workplace Justice team. The Counsel/Senior Counsel’s work will be centered on efforts to protect the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals at work and at school through the use of a variety of legal and advocacy strategies as well as public education efforts. Potential areas of focus include advocating for strengthened state and federal protections against discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity through legislative and regulatory initiatives; defending against anti-trans policies in state legislatures and at the federal level; promoting trans-inclusion in education, employment, and in public life; seeking to limit the use of religion as a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, women, and girls; and other projects focused on organizational priorities, as assigned.

This is a full-time, exempt position of 37.5 hours per week.

About the Organization

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society—working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.

We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us—especially women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.

For almost 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women. Find out more at NWLC.org.

Responsibilities

• Engage in advocacy before Congress, state legislatures, and relevant administrative agencies;
• Provide technical assistance to state and federal partners;
• Represent NWLC in coalitions and at external meetings with other stakeholders to identify and advance policy goals;
• Research and analyze policy and legal issues and draft a variety of written materials for a variety of audiences, such as memos, fact sheets, reports, know your rights and other outreach materials, and blog posts;
• In coordination with key staff at NWLC, identify litigation opportunities related to education and workplace justice priority areas, and engage in litigation activities;
• Develop, draft, and edit amicus briefs, including in collaboration with other NWLC teams, pro bono counsel, and organizational partners;
• In collaboration with the broader Education & Workplace Justice team, help shape program strategies and priorities;
• Monitor relevant legal trends in the Supreme Court and lower courts;
• Represent the Center in the press and in public speaking opportunities;
• Supervise interns/externs ;
• Coordinate with others on the Education & Workplace Justice team, the Campaigns and Communications team, and the Research team to strategically and collectively further the Center’s work; and
• Other related duties as assigned

Expectations of a Counsel:

• Produces accurate and responsive work products in a timely fashion
• Effectively manages assigned matters with appropriate supervision
• Demonstrates growing legal expertise
• Builds credibility and strong working relationships with internal team members, clients, and external stakeholders

Expectations of a Senior Counsel:

• Produces thorough, reliable, polished work products
• Strategically advances assigned workstreams
• Demonstrates issue area expertise, including with external stakeholders
• Manages relationships with coalition partners, policymakers, and other external stakeholders

Qualifications

A candidate must possess:

• A law degree and membership in the D.C. Bar or a state bar with ability to waive into the D.C. Bar if not already admitted;
• Candidates with under 4.5 years of experience are considered at Counsel level;
• Candidates with a minimum of 4.5 years experience are considered at Senior Counsel level;
• Experience working on workplace policy issues, educational justice issues, LGBTQI+ issues, or antidiscrimination law;
• Strong analytical, oral, and written communications skills;
• Attention to detail and excellent time management and organizational skills;
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues, coalition partners, and outside law firm partners;
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-based environment;
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering diverse LGBTQI+ communities in their approach to work;
• Willingness to travel approximately 5-10% of time; and
• A commitment to the mission of the Center.

Additional preferred skills and knowledge:

• A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience strongly preferred;
• Experience or familiarity with Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
• Experience providing direct legal representation or otherwise working in a litigation-focused counsel position;
• Experience working in organizational coalitions.

Key Relationships

The Counsel/Senior Counsel for LGBTQI+ Equality will be a member of the NWLC Education & Workplace Justice team and report directly to the Director of LGBTQI+ Equality. The Counsel/Senior Counsel is expected to work collaboratively with other Education & Workplace Justice team members, including the Senior Director of Litigation, to advance the work of the team, and with other NWLC staff on cross-cutting LGBTQI+ legal issues. May have supervisory opportunities with interns.

Compensation & Benefits

A salary within the range of $96,411-$105,967 will be provided to the successful Counsel candidate with zero to up to 4.5 years of experience directly relevant to this role, or a salary within the range of $111,735-$151,522 will be provided to the successful Senior Counsel candidate with 4.5 and over years of experience relevant this role, consistent with the National Women’s Law Center’s compensation framework . The successful candidate’s salary within this range will be determined by the number years of relevant experience they bring to the role.

The Center offers a comprehensive benefits package, and four weeks of annual vacation. NWLC is a non-profit organization whose headquarters and staff are based in Washington, D.C. at 1350 Eye Street N.W.  This role is based in D.C. and will be eligible for some telework while also being expected to work in person on a regular basis. The successful candidate will need to live in or relocate to the DMV (broadly defined as DC, Maryland, or Virigina). 

The first 90 days of employment will be considered a probationary period.

Classification

NWLC recognizes a staff bargaining unit, NWLC United, affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union/IFPTE Local 70, a union for non-profit workers. This position is included in NWLC’s bargaining unit. Specific employment terms are subject to collective bargaining.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume. Resumes should include exact start and end dates (month and year) of employment, as well as the number of hours worked in each role. Applications accepted until position is filled.

Applicants will be contacted if selected for an interview. We kindly request that interested parties refrain from calling, emailing, or visiting NWLC’s offices to express interest or check on the status of their application.

The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all genders, gender identities and sexual orientations; people of color; and veterans.

At NWLC, our diversity is our strength, and the variety of lived experiences that connect our teammates to the mission of gender justice is our superpower. We know that members of marginalized groups tend to apply for positions only if they believe they are a 100% match for the role. If you are passionate about NWLC’s mission and think you can be successful in this role, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Reasonable Accommodations

If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email nwlchr@nwlc.org.