Senior Counsel

Whistleblower Aid; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Whistleblower Aid is seeking a senior counsel to lead a small legal team and manage casework for whistleblower clients in Washington, DC. The role emphasizes discretion, professional handling of sensitive matters, and cross-functional advocacy with regulators and media.

Requirements include a J.D. and bar admission, 7+ years of direct representation, and supervisory experience. The position is full-time, hybrid, with in-office presence in Washington, DC at least two days per week.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of legal experience, including direct client representation.
• J.D. and at least one state bar membership.
• Some supervisory experience, including managing junior lawyers or paralegals.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills, including ability to review others' work.
• Ability to multitask and direct workflows in a fast-paced small team.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned whistleblower cases and legal representation of clients.
• Coordinate client intake and responses for new engagements.
• Draft and edit legal documents such as letters, disclosures, affidavits, filings.
• Oversee case documentation, factual development and evidence management.
• Conduct legal research and advise on case needs.
• Manage client relationships with regulators, investigators and media.
• Support advocacy and communications strategy with leadership and stakeholders.
• Supervise associate counsel and paralegals.
• Contribute to organizational legal risk assessment and thought leadership.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Client relationship management

Discretion & confidentiality

Supervisory experience

Time management

Multitasking

Education

J.D. degree

Bar admission (state)

Tools

Legal citation

E-discovery tools

AI tools for legal work

Job description

Whistleblower Aid is seeking a motivated senior counsel to support our expanding casework. This role will help manage a small legal team with core activities including drafting legal disclosures, managing cases and clients, factual development and legal research. The senior counsel will take a leading role in case communications and advocacy work as well as support organizational legal needs. Whistleblower Aid’s work is highly sensitive and this position requires absolute discretion and professionalism.

This is a full time, at will, employee position. This role is hybrid, serving our office in Washington, DC with a minimum two days in office per week.

Responsibilities:

• Lead assigned whistleblower cases and legal representation of clients.
• Conduct client intake, including Coordinate responses for denials, referrals and development of new client engagements.
• Plan client engagement, including drafting and editing legal documents such as correspondence, disclosures, affidavits, and other filings.
• Oversee case documentation, factual development and evidence management, including leading e-discovery review.
• Conduct legal research and make recommendations on case related needs.
• Manage client relationships with external parties, including overseeing client interviews with regulators, investigators, oversight bodies, and media.
• Work with the leadership team in the design and execution of case and issue advocacy and communications strategy in service of clients, including coordination with media, Congress and other stakeholders.
• Manage relationships with co-counsel, contractors, investigators and other third parties to support cases.
• In coordination with the Chief Legal Counsel, help manage the organization's case docket.
• Supervise and mentor associate counsel and paralegals.
• Contribute to other organizational needs such as; organizational legal risk assessment, thought leadership development, public representation of the organization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job requirements :

• A deep commitment and track record of public service
• Mission driven, with an interest in justice, resilient democracy, and corporate accountability
• 7+ years of legal experience, including direct client representation
• J.D. and at least one state bar membership
• Some supervisory experience, including managingjunior lawyers or paralegals
• Excellent legal research and writing skills, including a proven ability to review the work of others
• Hands-on experience producing and editing legal work product including under time-sensitive pressure
• Ability to multitask, solve problems, and take initiative while directing workflows and work-product development in a dynamic and fast-paced small team environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including client relationship building and empathy
• Excellent organizational skills with high attention to detail
• Advanced analytical skills including issue spotting and problem solving
• Competency with legal citation and comfort with artificial intelligence tools
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, trust, and exercise discretion
• Preferred work experience with or opposite federal or state prosecutors, offices of inspector generals, agency general counsel offices, federal agencies with investigative or civil enforcement authority, or congressional investigations teams
• Preferred work experience in oversight or whistleblower related work areas.

Benefits:

• fully employer-paid health insurance
• employer-sponsored retirement plan with company match
• life insurance
• generous paid time off policy

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

About Whistleblower Aid:

Whistleblower Aid is a pioneering 501(c)(3) non-profit legal organization that helps government employees and private-sector workers report and expose wrongdoing. Our clients come forward at great personal risk to bring the transparency needed for public accountability and reform. Whether holding the government to account, protecting our democracy, defending the Constitution, safeguarding our national security, or reporting corporate malfeasance harming the public, our clients’ truth-telling is driving much needed changes across industries and agencies and their impact is felt around the world.

We are a small team of lawyers, strategists and communications professionals who work tirelessly to keep our whistleblowers safe and their disclosures legal and effective.