Legal Assistant

Democracy Forward; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Democracy Forward Foundation seeks a detail-oriented legal assistant to support its Litigation team in Washington, DC. The role involves collaborating with paralegals and case managers to ensure smooth case operations and requires strong organizational and analytical skills. Candidates who are motivated, dedicated to equity, and eager to learn are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in legal, government, or nonprofit setting.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail required.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Assist in preparing and organizing litigation documents.
• Provide support for case teams and legal department.
• Conduct legal research and assist with case management.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Research skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Adobe Acrobat

Airtable

SharePoint

Slack

Job description

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Position Summary:

Democracy Forward Foundation seeks a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented person to support our Litigation team as a legal assistant. Democracy Forward is a fast-paced and highly collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will have an organizational mindset and thrive when engaging in both rapid response and long term projects, and working across the organization to produce excellent work.

The candidate will also be resourceful, demonstrate strategic thinking, and have a demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and justice. Democracy Forward is in an exciting period of growth, which will present opportunities to develop new skills and work on nationally-relevant projects and own and manage projects in a highly collaborative environment. Candidates who are seeking to hone and expand their skills and grow professionally alongside the organization are highly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities:

• Assist Paralegals and Case Managers in preparing, cite-checking, reviewing, filing, and organizing litigation and regulatory documents such as pleadings, briefs, motions, declarations, and comments on rulemakings.
• Assist Paralegals and Case Managers in providing substantive and logistical support for case teams and the legal department at large, such as maintaining case files, updating database entries, and more.
• Assist Paralegals, Case Managers, and Case Teams in conducting, analyzing, and organizing legal, factual, and other non-legal research for use in litigation.
• Assist in handling attorney appearances, admissions, and PACER/ECF accounts.
• Assist Paralegals and Case Managers in tracking public and internal deadlines and updating the legal calendar.
• Assist Democracy Forward with general administrative support, including in-office support.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent skills or experience in a legal, government, or nonprofit setting.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, problem-solving, and/or research skills.
• Ability to work independently, within a team, and under deadlines.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Willingness and ability to quickly learn skills necessary to support the Litigation team, e.g. cite-checking, legal research.
• Highly motivated, able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and see them through to completion.
• Prepared and willing to meet litigation deadlines which are often late-breaking and quick turn around.
• Organizational mindset and willingness to be flexible and support organizational priorities as they emerge.
• Strong computer skills. Knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly formatting in Word, using and creating spreadsheets in Excel. Experience with Google Workspace, Adobe Acrobat, Airtable, SharePoint, and Slack are useful.
• Must be based in the Washington, DC area and be available in Democracy Forward Foundation's Washington, DC offices multiple days a week.

The salary range for this position is $55,000 - $65,000 plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. The position pays overtime which is sometimes necessary to meet needs.

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia.

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar. Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.

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