Attorney (Temporary)

Illinois Defense Counsel; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Vacation and sick leave

Flexible spending account

Commuter benefits

Retirement plan

Disability insurance

Job summary

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) seeks a temporary Attorney to support litigation and related policy initiatives. The role covers investigations, drafting, discovery, and trial prep, with opportunities to work across multiple child rights issues.

The position emphasizes research, writing, and collaboration with a dedicated team. Travel may be required, and compensation aligns with a competitive nonprofit range.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Between 4-7 years of relevant experience since law school graduation.
• Member in good standing of the bar of at least one state.
• Understanding of and experience in children’s rights and civil rights litigation.
• Excellent research, writing, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong, clear, and persuasive oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support ongoing litigation from investigations through appeal.
• Perform legal research, develop facts, draft memos and pleadings.
• Assist with depositions, witness prep, and preparation of declarations and motions.
• Collaborate with NCYL staff and partners on litigation strategy and messaging.
• Possibly supervise paralegals and clerks; handle other related duties as needed.

Skills

Legal research

Writing

Oral communication

Analytical thinking

Detail-oriented

Independent & collaborative work

Education

Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school

Job description

Job Posting

Attorney (Temporary)

National Center for Youth Law

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) is a national nonprofit that puts children - especially those pushed to society’s margins - at the center of every fight for justice. For more than 50 years, we have partnered with young people, families, and communities in efforts to dismantle racism, discrimination, and inequity wherever they appear. We recognize that harmful policies don’t affect children in isolation. Each young person’s well-being depends on their family’s stability, their community’s resources, and the opportunities they can access. By working across all systems that shape young people’s lives in a rapidly evolving society, we advance solutions that are holistic, intersectional, and transformative.

The Team

NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team engages in impact litigation across all the issues on which NCYL works, including civil rights, youth justice, ensuring equitable education, youth healthcare access, prevention of harms from the family regulation system, access to core public benefits, among other priority areas. The team brings systemic litigation in federal and state courts to reform systems that serve children and youth, often in collaboration with other public interest legal organizations and with support from pro bono law firm partners. A description of our current cases can be found here: https://youthlaw.org/legal-advocacy-impact-litigation.

The Position

The Attorney supports the implementation and maintenance of ongoing litigation, as well as related policy and advocacy initiatives. The role assists litigation efforts in all phases, from investigations and filing complaints through trial and appeal. This work includes but is not limited to legal research, factual development, document review, drafting memos and pleadings, handling depositions, assisting with preparation of witnesses, and expert vetting.

This position is slated to last one year.

Essential Functions

• Conduct case factual and legal development to support investigations, including outreach to external partners, youth and families, and others; record and data review; legal research and drafting pre-litigation memos.
• Assist with pleading and proving case claims, including document review; preparing and handling depositions; witness preparation; communication with class members and clients; expert vetting; drafting declarations, pleadings, motions, briefs, legal memos and discovery requests and responses; presenting oral argument, as necessary; settlement negotiation preparation; and cite/ legal checks and line edits.
• Assist with implementing remedies and settlement agreements, including tracking compliance; communicating with clients, monitors, co-counsel, and opposing counsel; and drafting related motions and declarations.
• Collaborate with other NCYL staff and external partners to represent NCYL's litigation, including through communications/messaging and at conferences.
• Provide input into developing litigation strategy aligned with NCYL's mission and strategic plan.
• May direct paralegals and supervise fellows and law/policy clerks as needed.
• Assist with other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Between 4-7 years of relevant experience since law school graduation.
• Member in good standing of the bar of at least one state.

Other Qualifications

• Understanding of and experience in children’s rights, civil rights litigation, and children’s interactions with public systems.
• Understanding of the role of structural racism and bias in public systems.
• Experience building rapport and respect with diverse youth and their families.
• Excellent research, writing, analytical, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Strong, clear, and persuasive oral communication skills.
• Organized, self-motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to represent NCYL in a courteous and professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, efficiently multi-task, and produce a high-quality work product in a fast-paced environment.
• Excitement and ability to apply multiple advocacy strategies and to learn new skills in the service of advocacy goals.
• Strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the ability to apply a racial and social justice lens to advocacy while centering the marginalized voices of children, youth, and their families.
• Commitment to NCYL’s mission and goals.
• In addition to English, oral and written fluency in another language (e.g., Spanish, Hmong, Arabic, Somali) is preferred.

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Some travel will be required.

Salary, Benefits and Location

This is a full-time, exempt, temporary position with a competitive hiring range of $90,000.00 - $107,650.00 annually. Once an offer is made, the salary is not open to negotiation.

A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Boston, MA, New York City, Washington DC or equivalent metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area.

NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, generous vacation and sick benefits, flexible spending account, commuter benefits, employer contribution to a retirement plan and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

NCYL is registered to do business in the following locations: California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, and Wisconsin. Candidates who reside in these locations will have preference in the hiring process. If a candidate is hired but lives in a state where NCYL is not currently registered to do business, their start date may need to be delayed until registration can be completed in the new state. This process may take a few weeks to complete.

All positions at NCYL are at-will and paid for by grants and donations; thus, employment with NCYL will be contingent upon continued receipt of funding. Nothing in this posting changes the at-will employment relationship.

This position is part of the bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW). While a collective bargaining agreement is not currently in place, it is anticipated in the future.

We do not use AI to auto-reject resumes. A human is always involved in decision-making. We ask that candidates submit original, personally written resumes, cover letters, and writing samples. Please, no emails or calls.

If you are selected to move forward, you will be contacted for an initial phone screening.

We welcome applications from individuals with different ideas, experiences, and perspectives.

It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, reproductive health decision-making, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law. NCYL makes all employment decisions based on job-related factors.