Attorney, Center for the American Future

Texas Public Policy Foundation; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Excellent health insurance

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

Retirement contribution matching

Job summary

A leading nonprofit advocacy organization in Austin is seeking an experienced attorney to join its legal team. The role requires at least five years of litigation experience and a passion for defending individual liberty and challenging governmental overreach. Candidates should possess strong legal writing skills, strategic thinking, and be able to work remotely or from the Austin headquarters. The organization offers competitive salaries, excellent health benefits, and a comprehensive paid time off policy.

Qualifications

• Innovative and independent thinker.
• Ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly.
• Experience in trial and appellate courts.
• Licensed to practice law in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Execute the Foundation’s legal work plan.
• Participate in complex litigation, including appeals.
• Build and manage a robust legal docket.

Skills

Self-starter

Polished legal writing

Strategic thinking

Litigation experience

Leadership

Optimistic attitude

Education

Juris Doctorate

Job description

Job Description

The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for the American Future is seeking to hire an attorney—who may work fully remote or at our Austin, Texas, headquarters—with at least five (5) years of litigation experience to join our growing team as we litigate against government overreach. The ideal candidate will be ready to hit the ground running and be excited about defending individual liberty, enforcing constitutional limits on the government, and promoting a vision of America where individuals are free to flourish. He or she will immediately become an important part of a close‑knit legal team of approximately eight attorneys, as well as the larger TPPF organization.

About TPPF

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research‑based think tank in Austin, Texas. Established in 1989, TPPF promotes conservative principles and develops free‑market approaches to public policy challenges affecting Texans and all Americans. To achieve its mission, TPPF analyzes complex issues, creates legislative policy solutions, and advocates for those solutions at the Texas Legislature, Congress, and other public forums.

Life At TPPF

The Foundation offers a unique opportunity to be part of an organization that shapes the future of Texas & beyond through innovative thought leadership. At TPPF, you will have the opportunity to be part of an engaged team whose mission is to create a freer future for all Texans and Americans. We look for individuals who are passionate about advancing conservative public policy and embody servant leadership. With a strong belief in personal responsibility, we trust our people and want to empower them to make the right decisions for the right reasons – this is why it is crucial we bring the right people on board. We value our team and work to cultivate a culture of hard work, entrepreneurship, intellectual curiosity, and collaboration. As a team, we support one another and strive to create an environment in which our team members are inspired to excel, motivated to innovate, and empowered to be servant leaders for the cause of liberty.

The Role: Description

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is seeking an aggressive and innovative litigator with experience in the federal judiciary as an Attorney for the Center for the American Future. The qualified applicant will possess a strong love of liberty as the foundational purpose of government, an enthusiasm for Texas as the keystone of the American Dream, and an eagerness to challenge precedent and convention within the legal sphere in the defense of both.

The Center for the American Future defends the Constitution through legal opposition to government overreach. The Center launches legal challenges at the administrative, district, and appellate court levels on behalf of ordinary people whose lives, liberty, and property are threatened by government action in defiance of the Constitution.

This position can work in our Austin, Texas headquarters, or fully remote with the understanding that a moderate amount of travel will be required.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To

This candidate will report to the Center’s Director and be called upon to execute the Foundation’s legal work plan as part of a two‑person team that is managed by one of our Senior Attorneys. This includes building a robust docket and advancing the Foundation’s strategic priorities. The Attorney will be an active participant in complex litigation, including the discovery process, briefs, trials, appellate work, and amicus briefing.

Qualifications

• A self‑starter. The Attorney must be willing and able to conceive and develop innovative ideas independently and often – and bring them to fruition.
• A polished legal writer. The Attorney must possess the aptitude for graceful prose that conveys complicated concepts convincingly.
• A strategic thinker. Specifically, the Attorney must be a strategic legal thinker, with a Juris Doctorate, able to grasp Constitutional law sufficient for handling complex litigation matters and authoring amicus briefs that advance the strategic vision of the Foundation.
• An advocate. The Attorney must bring to the table litigation experience in trial and appellate courts, administrative law, policymaking, legislation, and/or media – and a proven record of accomplishment.
• A leader. The Attorney must be willing to work with tact and persuasion to assist in assembling a coalition of activists, thinkers, and citizens in several states to challenge Washington, D.C., overreach on several fronts.
• Optimistic and good‑humored. The Center for the American Future highly values its “happy warrior” ethos. This work is not for the faint of heart. An optimistic, positive approach to challenges – as well as the ability to take one’s work seriously without taking oneself too seriously – is critical.
• Applicants must be licensed to practice law in the United States.

The position’s salary will be commensurate with the experience, expertise, and skills of the Attorney who takes the position.

Benefits At TPPF

TPPF values our team members and strives to provide a comprehensive benefits package so that our people can focus on achieving the mission. We offer competitive salaries and excellent health insurance, for staff & dependents. In addition, we have generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policies, including holidays and parental leave, and retirement contribution matching.