Counsel, Litigation

Common Cause; Washington; On-site; USD 111,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare & benefits package

Paid time off & holidays

401k with employer match

Job summary

Common Cause is seeking a Counsel, Litigation to lead its work protecting the four policy pillars in Voting & Fair Representation, Anti-Corruption & Accountability, Media & Technology, and Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. Based in Washington, DC, the role requires coordinating with partner organizations, pro bono firms, and potential clients across the pro-democracy space.

The position reports to the Vice President, Litigation and starts in October.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree and active bar membership in good standing in the District of Columbia or another state.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex advocacy litigation.
• Experience drafting complaints, pleadings, or other dispositive motions.
• Experience leading organization-wide change initiatives.
• Ability to manage coalitions and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead litigation strategy and case management across multiple actions.
• Coordinate with external counsel, supervise discovery timelines, and track case progress.
• Develop and pursue creative litigation opportunities with partners and clients.
• Collaborate with state teams and coalition partners to align with organizational goals.
• Prepare materials for internal and external speaking engagements.

Skills

Litigation strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Legal analysis

Advocacy

Coalition building

Project management

Communication skills

Time management

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Research databases

Zoom

Job description

We are looking for a Counsel, Litigation to lead Common Cause’s work in protecting our four policy pillars in Voting & Fair Representation, Anti-Corruption & Accountability, Media & Technology, and Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. This individual will contribute to impactful legal litigation in collaboration with partner organizations, pro bono law firms, and potential clients across the pro-democracy space.

This is a full-time role, reporting to theVice President, Litigation. This role is based in Washington, DC, with an expectation to come into our office at least two days per week. We hope our newCounsel,Litigation will start in October.

Responsibilities

Litigation Strategy & Case Management

• Lead Common Cause’s litigation and advocacy efforts through expertisein legal analysis, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external counsel, overseeing day-to-day case management including assignment of reviews, coordination of discovery timelines, and overall case progress
• Identify, develop, and bring forward creative litigation pursuits byidentifyingopportunities with partner organizations, pro bono law firms, and potential clients
• Work on various legal actions including administrative complaints, regulatory comments, and open records requests
• Maintain meticulous tracking of case progress and provide regular updates to team members and leadership

Internal Collaboration & Advisory

• Collaborate and work closely with State teams and coalition partners to develop clear case theory, coordinate litigation strategy, share legalexpertise, and ensure alignment with organizational goals
• Review substantive pleadings and briefs critically, providing insightful comments to strengthen legal positions
• Developproficiencyin emerging issue areas, applying creative, rigorous, and analytical approaches to address complex challenges
• Offer sound legal counsel to theVice Presidentof Litigation, contributing legal insights to strategic decision-making

External Relationships & Partnerships

• Build and sustain relationships with counsel and partner organizations byinitiatingnew collaborations and fostering a network of reliable legal and organizational allies.
• Develop, manage, andparticipatein coalitions and represent Common Cause at conferences and external events
• Prepare and present legal materials for internal and public speaking engagements

Qualifications

You will thrive in this role if you have:

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda
• A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others
• A track recordof working with others,with the ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests
• Ability to navigate organizationalandpower dynamics, respectfully navigate conflict whilemaintainingyour values, and influence others to adopt changes to meet common goals
• Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solve problems
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short-and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail; strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage your time independently
• Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences
• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth
• Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Zoom

The following is required:

• Juris Doctor degree and active bar membership in good standing in the District of Columbia or another state
• Demonstrated experience leading complex advocacy litigation; ideally, you have litigated on behalf of or against federal or state governments
• Substantiveknowledgeof orexperience in one or more of the following pro-democracy areas: voting and fair representation, including election law; civil rights and civil liberties; media and technology; anti-corruption and accountability; or constitutional law
• Experience drafting complaints, pleadings, or other dispositive motions, with the judgment to know when litigation is the right tool to meet the moment
• A track recordof leading organization-wide change initiatives
• Experience managing coalitions or groups thatrepresentstakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a goal
• Research and analytical skills, asdemonstratedthrough an internship, clinical experience, or other work experience

Additional information about this role:

• This position is included in a union-represented collective bargainingunitand specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations
• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US

$111,395 - $132,613 a year

Note that as this role is based in Washington, D.C., there would be a 3% increase on the offered salary as part of our geographic adjustment.

In order to ensure greater equity and transparency as an organization, Common Cause sets salary ranges consistently based on job responsibilities, and we determine salary for each staff member based on relevant years of experience (you can read more about our approach to compensation here, including where we offer geographical adjustments).For these reasons, we do not negotiate on our salary ranges or our specific salary offers.

In addition to salary, we also offer a generous benefits package, including:

• A robust healthcare plan that covers 97% of employee’s medical care, 100% of employee’s vision and dental benefits, and 75% of family medical care and 100% of family vision and dental benefits
• Long-term disability and life insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off including 20 Days of Vacation and 10 observed Holidays per year, andadditionaldays off for Thanksgiving and Winter break
• 16 weeksof paid parental leave
• Flexible spending accounts
• A 401k retirement savings plan, with immediate Employer Match
• Dependent Care and Pet Care Support when you travel for work
• Funds for professional development
• And more! See more details here: https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.