Paralegal & Litigation Specialist

Protect Democracy; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 84,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first setup

Travel opportunities

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Protect Democracy is seeking Paralegal & Litigation Specialists with at least three years of civil litigation filing experience to support impact litigation and legal advocacy projects against authoritarian overreach. This remote-friendly role involves managing case files, preparing pleadings, coordinating court filings, drafting memos, and collaborating with clients and partners across the US.

Travel is required; a strong commitment to democratic norms is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of filing experience in civil litigation.
• Strong writing, researching, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Experience managing litigation projects and coordinating with clients and counsel.

Responsibilities

• Support litigation by organizing case files and documents.
• Prepare and finalise legal memos and pleadings.
• Coordinate court filings and assist with discovery.
• Draft external communications and public-facing materials.
• Project manage components of litigation projects and track progress.
• Maintain information management systems across impact teams.

Skills

Filing experience in civil litigation

Strong writing and research

Project management in legal context

Tools

Filevine

Everlaw

Relativity

Job description

Protect Democracy seeks several experienced, mission-driven Paralegal & Litigation Specialists. For these particular roles, we are only considering candidates with three or more years of filing experience in civil litigation.

By joining Protect Democracy as a Paralegal & Litigation Specialist, you’ll support multi-faceted litigation and legal advocacy projects focused on preventing authoritarianism, including work aimed at:

• Pushing back against unlawful executive actions and egregious administrative overreach;
• Defending advocates, journalists, and institutions from government censorship or unlawful discrimination; and/or
• Challenging illegal voter purges, voter intimidation by law enforcement, and unauthorized compilation of voter data.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced paralegal who wishes to hone their skills in all stages of impact litigation, case management, writing and research, and communications—over time, developing expertise in one or more area(s) of our legal work.

An ideal candidate for this role brings a flexible, action-oriented mindset; excellent writing, research, and communication skills with a keen eye for detail; and a collaborative, team-oriented approach. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply. A commitment to our mission and cross-ideological strategy for defending our democracy is essential.

The priority deadline to apply for this role is October 15, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis.

We can work remotely from nearly any location in the United States*; travel is required and may, at times, be for extended periods.

As Paralegal & Litigation Specialist, your responsibilities are to:

• Support litigation by:
  • Managing and organising case files and documents,
  • Preparing and finalising legal memos and pleadings,
  • Coordinating court filings, and
  • Help lead the discovery process;
• Conduct research, synthesise findings, and draft related memoranda, reports, and other communications;
• Cite-check and Bluebook, fact-check, proofread, and assist with drafting court filings, letters, and other public-facing documents;
• Engage professionally with clients, opposing counsel, partner organisations, and other external stakeholders;
• Draft external-facing communications materials, including press releases, social media, talking points, outreach emails, op-eds, and blog posts;
• Coordinate logistics for calls, including creating agendas, and drafting internal-facing communications (i.e. emails, presentations);
• Project manage components of litigation projects, including developing work plans, tracking and communicating progress toward goals, and offering and soliciting feedback along the way;
• Maintain and, at times, create information management systems, processes, and tools within and amongst impact teams;
• Strategise with other team members—actively contribute ideas during impact and litigation project brainstorming sessions and propose projects to advance Protect Democracy’s mission;
• Contribute to culture-building initiatives across the organization.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate brings:

• A minimum of three years of filing experience in civil litigation, including familiarity with:
  • Supporting litigation through preparing, finalising, and filing pleadings in court, cite checking and Bluebooking documents, drafting discovery materials and correspondence; and preparing administrative documents like pro hac vice applications;
  • Navigating federal rules of civil procedure and state/local court rules;
  • Case management/litigation administration (including managing large quantities of documents and case file and folder organisation);
• Strong writing, researching, editing, and proofreading skills;
• Experience project managing, ideally in a legal context;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Comfort giving feedback and managing “up, down, and sideways”;
• Nimbleness and an ability to perform well in a rapid‑paced environment;
• Eagerness to learn new research, communications, legal and policy skills and processes;
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships and work in a team environment with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives;
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution;
• Ability to track, prioritise, and balance a diverse set of responsibilities;
• A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color.

Preferred, but not required:

• Paralegal certification;
• Experience with Filevine;
• Experience with e-Discovery systems (i.e. Everlaw, Relativity).

Compensation

This position is FLSA Non-Exempt and eligible for overtime pay. The starting salary range for this role is $84,300 - $99,200 commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience, capabilities, and skills, and in alignment with internal equity.

About Protect Democracy

• Flexible location. We are a remote‑first organization based exclusively in the United States, meaning our staff work within the US and primarily virtually. We also offer shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment. We are established for remote work in many states across the country, and while candidates based anywhere in the United States are welcome to apply, we may not be able to offer employment in your current location. If you proceed in the hiring process, we will discuss where you currently live and what is possible in our initial interview. All staff are also required to travel at least two times per year to team retreats, and this role also requires periodic travel. (Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.)
• Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthens our ability to analyse problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
• Phenomenal benefits. Our benefits package includes generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy where we encourage team members to take 4-5 weeks every year, along with 12 paid holidays, 6 weeks of paid family medical leave, and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately. Additionally, we cover employee medical premiums at 100% (with up to 95% coverage for dependents depending on plan selection), and employee and dependent’s dental/vision at 100%. All employees have access to long‑term disability and life insurance, fertility benefits, a home office stipend, and bonuses at the discretion of the Executive Director.
• Ample opportunities for personal & professional development. Candidates who do not meet all listed criteria should still apply, as our organisational structure focuses on providing mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.

Important notes

• Contact [e-mail] if you require specific accommodations at any point in the hiring process.
• Keep an eye on your promotions/spam folders to avoid missed communication.
• A note on fair hiring and automated tech: To help our small team review applications efficiently and fairly, we use automated screening tools to assist with resume and response review. Every candidate flagged by our system is reviewed by a member of our recruiting team; we never rely on automated scoring alone to make hiring decisions. If you have questions about this process, or need an alternative application path as an accommodation, reach out to us at [e-mail].
• We are unable to provide status updates for each application we receive. If you reach out and do not hear back, please know it is not for lack of appreciation or interest, but simply for lack of staff capacity to respond to individual inquiries.
• The application will include a voluntary EEO survey so that we can monitor the applicant pool as a whole for representation and equal employment opportunities, and to evaluate our progress as an organization toward a diverse and inclusive workforce, which we believe is a pillar of a thriving democracy. The categories used by the EEO survey are limited and may not reflect your lived experience; please feel free to opt out of any of the questions. Your responses to this survey are entirely separate from your application materials, are not accessible to those responsible for hiring decisions, and will not affect your candidacy in any way.