Program Assistant, Lawyers for Reporters

NYC Bar Association; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance options

401K

Life Insurance

Commuter benefits

Job summary

The NYC Bar Association, through the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, seeks a Program Assistant for Lawyers for Reporters in a hybrid Midtown, NY setting. You will handle client intake, scheduling, and file management to support pro bono journalism initiatives.

Responsibilities include preparing engagement letters, coordinating events, maintaining KPIs, and updating website content. The role offers a 35-hour week, competitive benefits, and opportunities to support public interest

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years relevant experience in a professional setting/office environment.
• Ability to work independently and with a team.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, attention to detail, time management, and ability to multi-task.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with potential clients and assist with intake meetings.
• Schedule meetings, draft agendas, and prepare supporting materials.
• Organize electronic client files and track KPIs and program data.
• Prepare engagement letters and project descriptions for co-counsel.
• Assist in planning programs and events.
• Update website content and other communications.
• Perform general administrative duties and handle special projects as needed.

Skills

Independent work

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Microsoft 365

Salesforce

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft 365 Suite

Salesforce

Website management software

Job description

POSITION

Program Assistant, Lawyers for Reporters

DEPARTMENT

Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice

POSITION REPORTS TO

Managing Attorney

LOCATION

Hybrid (Midtown, NY)

FLSA STATUS

Non-exempt

The Vance Center advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. A non-profit program of the New York City Bar Association, we bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs. In 2025, the Vance Center represented 174 clients in 235 matters, collaborating as co-counsel with 844 lawyers from 164 law firms across 69 countries.

PROGRAM FUNCTION

The Vance Center launched Lawyers for Reporters in March 2020 to provide pro bono legal representation to early-stage local journalism and other reporting organizations in the United States. Since our establishment in 2020, we have assisted 433 clients in 46 states and D.C.

Lawyers for Reporters’ clients include creators and publishers of local and public interest reporting in many media formats, investigative, advocacy, and academic publishers of public interest content, and journalism support organizations. Lawyers for Reporters provides a broad range of advice and representation that news and public interest reporting entities need -- from inception through establishment as functioning reporting entities. Services include corporate, transactional, employment, and regulatory compliance advice, as well as newsroom-related advice. Lawyers for Reporters also advises clients regarding obtaining tax-exempt nonprofit status and in establishing and managing subscriber/membership programs.

Based on the successful model of the Vance Center, Lawyers for Reporters works in tandem with lawyers at dozens of law firms around the country in various areas of expertise, all engaged on a pro bono basis. Since its launch, more than 300 lawyers from dozens of law firms have co-counseled with Lawyers for Reporters to serve clients.

Among its other activities, Lawyers for Reporters serves as the US/Canada coordinator for Reporters Shield, an international membership program established in 2023 that protects participating investigative reporting organizations from SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). In this role, working closely with Reporters Shield staff, Lawyers for Reporters coordinates the engagement, monitoring and compensation of paid legal counsel to represent Reporters Shield members in the United States and Canada against libel and related legal threats and claims.

JOB FUNCTION

• Communicating with potential clients and assisting with client intake meetings and communications;
• Helping schedule meetings, drafting/circulating agendas and supporting materials;
• Compiling, organizing, and creating electronic client files; compiling and organizing detailed KPIs and other data about program activities;
• Preparing and sending engagement letters to clients and project descriptions to potential co-counsel;
• Assisting in planning and executing programs and events;
• Assisting with updating website content and other communications;
• Other general administrative assistant work;
• Handling additional responsibilities/special projects as needed

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum 2 years relevant experience, preferably in a professional setting/office environment
• The ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively with a team
• Strong organizational and project management skills, attention to detail, time-management skills and demonstrated ability to anticipate needs and efficiently multi-task and prioritize workload
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to maintain a courteous and professional demeanor with a diverse range of clients, co-workers, volunteers, and other stakeholders
• Strong computer skills, including intermediate knowledge of the Microsoft 360 suite, (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Salesforce, and website management software

Additional Experience Preferred

• Experience and/or general knowledge of journalism or nonprofit/public interest legal work.
• Experience with the U.S. legal market, including pro bono legal services.
• Ability to develop and/or work with legal professionals

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

This position will have a hybrid work schedule, with three (3) in-person days required per week. This role’s schedule is Monday-Friday, 9:30AM-5:30PM. The annualized salary for this role is in the $55,000-$60,000 range based on a 35-hour work week, plus additional pay for hours worked over 35 each week. We provide a competitive benefits package including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including office closure during the last week of the calendar year through New Year’s Day, day off for volunteer work, extra time off in summer), choice of medical plans (some offered at almost no cost), dental, vision, eligible for 401K when employment begins (with discretionary employer match up to 3% after 1 year), life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, free New York City Bar Association membership and CLE programs, employee discounts, and more!

We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and unique experiences to apply. We welcome diversity of all kinds. It is the policy of the City Bar to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.