Legal Fellow

On Think Tanks; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Generous vacation and sick days

Paid parental leave

Life and disability insurance

401(k) employer match

Job summary

The Cato Institute in Washington, DC, seeks a passionate Legal Fellow to join its Constitutional Studies team. This hybrid role focuses on advancing constitutional advocacy, defending individual rights, and limiting government power through research and writing.

You will edit amicus briefs for the Supreme Court and appellate courts, produce blog posts and op-eds for broader audiences, and engage policymakers and media to translate complex constitutional issues for the public.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and bar admission in at least one state or DC.
• Minimum 4 years of post-law school experience.

Responsibilities

• Edit and supervise amicus briefs in the Supreme Court and courts of appeals.
• Write blog posts, op-eds, and public commentary for broader audiences.
• Develop and execute strategic plans for limiting government.
• Engage policymakers, journalists, and the public on constitutional issues.

Skills

Exceptional legal writing skills

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Strong organizational skills

Self-starter with independent project/

Education

J.D. (Juris Doctor)

Bar admission (DC/any state)

Job description

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization – a think tank – dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution – individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people; it is an indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Cato Institute seeks a passionate Legal Fellow to join its Constitutional Studies team. Cato’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies is ground zero for cutting-edge constitutional advocacy. Whether your passion is vindicating individual rights—free speech, self-defense, occupational freedom—pushing back against expansive claims of executive and agency authority, ending the war on drugs, or confining the federal government to its enumerated powers, you’ll find serious outlets for it here. Do you think qualified immunity is an unprincipled judicial invention? That rational basis review is an unwarranted rubber stamp? So do we—and we’ve been doing something about it for decades.

This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC.

The salary range for this role is $100,000 – $140,000 per year. Compensation is based on the successful candidate’s educational background, experience, and skills.

Key roles and responsibilities

• Editing and supervising amicus briefs in the Supreme Court and courts of appeals
• Writing blog posts, op-eds, and public commentary that translate that work for broader audiences
• Developing and executing strategic plans for limiting government
• Engaging policymakers, journalists, and the public on constitutional issues

Things you will not do as a Legal Fellow: fill out timesheets, touch a document request, exchange hostile emails with opposing counsel over scheduling, or fly across the country for a ten-minute status conference. We’re serious about that last one.

Experience and skills expected of the post holder

Education/ Experience

• J.D. and a genuine commitment to vindicating constitutional limits on government power
• At least 4 years of post-law school experience
• Admission to the bar in at least one state or the District of Columbia

Skills

• Exceptional legal writing skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Self-starter who can independently manage projects and relationships

Pluses

• 5–7+ years of post-law school experience
• Deep understanding of and demonstrated commitment to classical liberal principles
• Strong academic record
• Experience at a firm, public interest organization, or judicial clerkship
• Expertise in constitutional law and/or appellate advocacy
• High EQ and the ability to engage respectfully across a wide range of people and settings

All Cato employees are provided with:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave
• Employer-provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) employer match

Please submit the following materials:

• CV/Resume
• One writing sample

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.