Associate Legal Fellow

Foundation for Government Accountability; United States; On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Quarterly in-person meetings

Retirement match 6%

Health benefits

Paid leave

Job summary

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) seeks an Associate Legal Fellow to advance conservative reforms at the state and federal levels. You will conduct legal research, assist in drafting legislative and executive documents, and track court cases across the country, with a focus on Florida and other priority states.

FGA's Legal Team produces legal writing that informs legislation, executive orders, and amicus briefs.

Qualifications

• 0-3 years of experience in legal research, policy drafting, litigation support, or related legal work.
• J.D. required; admitted to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.

Responsibilities

• Research state and federal law on priority reforms and produce memos, one-pagers, amicus brief contributions, and presentation materials for internal teams and external allies.
• Assist in drafting legislation, executive orders, regulations, agency comments, and sub-regulatory guidance to advance FGA reforms at the state and federal levels.
• Maintain a tracker of state and federal court cases tied to FGA priorities and lead multi-state policy surveys.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Policy drafting

AI tools usage

Communication

Education

J.D. required

Tools

AI drafting tools

Job description

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA)is hiring anAssociate Legal Fellowto help advance conservative reforms at the state and federal levels. In this role, you'll conduct legal research, assist in drafting legislative and executive documents, and track court cases and policy developments across the country, with a focus on Florida and other priority states.

FGA's Legal Team produces legal writing that ends up in legislation, executive orders, and amicus briefs.If you're a sharp legal mind who wants to tackle hard questions, work with a team of experts, and see your work shape the law, you'll thrive here. FGA's federal legal work has grown fast. Any given day in this role may include drafting legislative provisions, filing regular public comments on administrative rules, or analyzing and helping develop policy at every level.

A J.D. is required.Recent law school graduates and attorneys with a few years of experience in legal research, policy, or litigation are encouraged to apply.

CULTURE AND FIT

The people who consistently succeed at FGA are those whose actions and behavior reflect our five Core Values. If you adhere to these values and answer “yes” to each of the following questions, you may be a fit.

1)Candid to Solve: Being willing to have tough conversations in order to solve issues and build trust.

• Do you seek out constructive feedback—and provide it to others—to solve issues and build trust with coworkers?

2)Grow or Die: We don’t have a neutral gear; we must consistently challenge ourselves and each other to grow in our talents and skills.

• Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and do you seek out complementary skills and growth in order to mitigate your weaknesses?

3)Politically Savvy:Policy doesn’t change in a vacuum, but in a political reality that we must understand and account for.

• Do you agree that embracing the realities of politics is necessary to change public policy?

4)Partnership-Oriented: Internal and external relationships are not transactional. That starts with our team members and the perspective that we need the rest of the team to succeed in order to win personally.

• Are you comfortable creating your own structure for work, such as setting work hours, your own priorities, and creating clarity and a work plan from a broad goal?

5)Bought in to Win: We’re at FGA because we want to change policy. No one is counting hours or widgets. We are here to get results, and sometimes that will require going the extra mile or doing a job that isn’t technically ours.

• Do you fully support FGA’s mission and believe that lives are improved through work, not welfare, and that free markets create more freedom and opportunity than government control?

The vast majority of those who don’t get hired (or don’t last) at FGA are due to a lack of fit with these values. Be prepared to have very candid conversations about them in our interview process.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Associate Legal Fellow will have three primary areas of responsibility:

1. Research, Brief, and Produce Legal Work Product

• Research state and federal law on FGA priority reforms and produce memos, one-pagers, amicus brief contributions, and presentation materials for internal teams and external allies.
• Source and verify citations, summarize litigation documents, and draft state and federal products.

2.Help Draft Legislation and Executive Branch Materials

• Assist in drafting legislation, executive orders, regulations, agency comments, and sub-regulatory guidance to advance FGA reforms at the state and federal levels.
• Research existing legislative language to inform new drafts that are legally sound, jurisdictionally accurate, and ready for FGA's government affairs and policy teams to deploy.

3.Track Court Cases and Lead Policy Surveys

• Maintain a tracker of state and federal court cases tied to FGA priorities, flagging parallel litigation across federal courts on the same issue.
• Lead multi-state policy surveys, fulfill all survey requests on time, and keep the FGA Stoplight Chart accurate and current.

REQUIREMENTS

• 0-3 years of experience in legal research, policy drafting, litigation support, or related legal work.
• J.D. required; admitted to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (or eligible for admission within a reasonable timeframe).
• Exceptional legal writing skills with the ability to translate complex statutory and regulatory material into clear, actionable work product for internal and external audiences.
• Fully remote with four in-person, all-team meetings per year.
• Adept at using AI tools (e.g., research, drafting, and review platforms) to enhance legal workflows.
• Match FGA’s Core Values (described above).

TIMING, LOCATION, AND COMPENSATION

FGA is seeking to fill this position as soon as possible.While our headquarters are in Naples, FL, nearly all FGA staff work remotely.

FGA has built ahighly successful remote work culturewith clear systems, strong communication, and a commitment to helping each team member excel. Key elements of the environment include:

• Quarterly in-person team meetingsat which you’ll build deeper relationships, set clear goals aligned with FGA’s big vision, and brainstorm how to seize new opportunities.
• An intensive 90-day orientationto familiarize you with the FGA team, our policies, and how we operate.
• Home office setup, including equipment and communication tools you need to hit the ground running.

FGA offers a competitive salary between $75,000-$95,000, depending on experience and qualifications, along with a benefits package that includes asix percent retirement match, health benefits, and generous paid leave.