Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

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 after the U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate courts to join the Litigation Department. LDF has played a unique role in litigation after 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 after 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 arguments, trials, and appeals;
• Supporting 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;
• Collaborating with LDF’s Communications Departments to ensure effective promotion of cases/matters, and coordinating advocacy tactics to compliment the litigation strategy;
• 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 responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor degree;
• Minimum of 10 years of litigation experience and admission to the New York, Washington, D.C. or Georgia Bar or eligibility to waive in, based on the office location;
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF;
• Be a strategic thinker;
• Strong preference for judicial clerkship experience at the appellate level;
• Be an exceptional brief writer, analytical thinker, and speaker.
• Be creative, entrepreneurial, and self-motivated in developing and litigating strategic cases;
• Broad, relevant litigation experience at the trial and appellate level; experience litigating in the U.S. Supreme Court or federal appellate courts strongly preferred;
• Federal and/or state advocacy experience related to reform for communities of color;
• Effective public speaking experience;
• The ability to work both collaboratively and independently;
• Supervisory and case management experience with an interest in and commitment to the professional development, training and support of attorneys, legal interns and administrative staff;
• Capacity to analyze and articulate legal concepts and other complex issues to a variety of audiences; and
• A vision for attacking persistent barriers to full access and equality for people of color, and Black people in particular.

The starting salary for this position is (10 years post-law school graduate):

New York: $166,000

Washington: $159,500

Atlanta: $145,500

In exceptional circumstances, LDF may consider a candidate with less experience than the range indicated above, which would result in compensation lower than the range stated above and a possible change in title.

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment, and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package. To learn more, click the following link: 2025 Benefits Overview.

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The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.

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