Legislative Fellow (Fall 2027)

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) contribution after 1st year

Paid parental leave and generous leave

Job summary

Center for Reproductive Rights in New York City or Washington, D.C. seeks a Legislative Fellow to support the Policy and Advocacy Team. The role involves tracking legislation, drafting analyses, and providing legal research across the U.S.

This is a two-year fellowship reporting to the Senior Counsel, with a hybrid work model. The Fellow collaborates with U.S. Programs and other divisions, engages in public speaking, and supervises interns.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree required.
• One to three years of post-law school experience strongly preferred but not required.
• Excellent research and writing skills.
• Some federal/state legislative, coalition, and/or political experience preferred.
• Ability to manage high volume of daily bill analysis and cohesively manage information.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate orally and in writing.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Commitment to the Center’s mission and reproductive rights law and policy work.

Responsibilities

• Track and analyze reproductive rights legislation across all 50 states and D.C.
• Provide technical assistance to advocates and partners.
• Prepare legislative analyses.
• Conduct legal research.
• Draft public education materials on legislative trends and advocacy.
• Speak publicly about reproductive rights.
• Assist in proactive and defensive legislative strategies.
• Collaborate with Policy and Advocacy, Litigation, and Corporate Engagement teams.
• Represent the Center at public events and coalitions; supervise interns.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Written communication

Oral communication

Time management

Collaboration

Travel flexibility

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

Title: Legislative Fellow (Fall 2027)

Department: Policy and Advocacy, U.S. Program Division

Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 3,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 88 countries, and 140+ law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $35 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org

The Job: The Legislative Fellow will report directly to the Senior Counsel and will work closely with the rest of the Policy and Advocacy Team as well as other members of U.S. Programs who engage in legislative and policy work. The fellow will be an integral part of the Policy and Advocacy Team work, which uses legislative and advocacy strategies to strengthen protections for reproductive rights and defeat attempts to restrict reproductive rights.

The positions will be based in the Center’s New York City or Washington D.C. offices in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office, 2 days working from home.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Tracking and analyzing reproductive rights legislation in all 50 states and D.C., with a focus on abortion, maternal health, and assisted reproduction.
• Providing technical assistance to advocates and partners.
• Preparing legislative analyses.
• Conducting legal research.
• Drafting public education materials on legislative trends and other advocacy materials.
• Speaking publicly about reproductive rights.
• Assisting in proactive and defensive legislative strategies.
• Working on additional legislative and advocacy projects primarily within the U.S. Division’s Policy and Advocacy team, but also with Litigation and Corporate Engagement.
• Representing the Center at public events, conferences, and coalition meetings, as needed.
• Supervising the work of legal interns.

Compensation: The salary for this position is $90,000 for the first year of the fellowship and $100,000 for the second year. This salary reflects a position based in New York City or Washington, D.C. This salary will be subject to a downward locality adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

Duration of Position: This is a full-time, two-year fellowship beginning in Fall 2027.

Union Status: This position is within the bargaining unit represented by UAW Local 2325, (ALAA).

FLSA Exempt Status: This is an exempt position.

Career Level: L1 – Fellow

Benefits:

• Health: The Center provides a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage.
• Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical, and community well-being. The Center provides generous leave, including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend winter holiday time with their loved ones.
• Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (*applicable only in US and Kenya).

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights.

Center policy on visa sponsorship for U.S.-based positions:

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

Qualifications:

• J.D. degree required.
• One to three years of post-law school experience is strongly preferred but not required.
• Excellent research and writing skills and ability to analyze complex legal issues.
• Some federal/state legislative, coalition, and/or political experience preferred.
• Ability to manage high volume of daily bill analysis and cohesively manage information.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate, orally and in writing.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, including ability to self-motivate, juggle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously, and provide quick turnaround of assignments while collaborating as part of a team and maintaining a positive attitude.
• Strong commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values, along with experience or knowledge of reproductive rights legal issues, reproductive justice, racial justice, or other human rights, civil rights, criminal law, or social justice issues.
• Displays a problem-solving and supportive attitude with colleagues and works to support the goals of the Policy and Advocacy Unit, U.S. Program Division, and the Center.
• Demonstrates a commitment to inclusive equity work and incorporating inclusive equitable principles into legal, programmatic, and partnership work.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the Center as well as with external partners.
• Ability to travel as needed.