Sr. Counsel

Brady: United Against Gun Violence; Maryland; On-site; USD 132,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) plan with employer match

Headspace subscription

16 weeks paid parental leave

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Brady seeks a mission-driven attorney to join the organization’s legal team in its Washington, D.C. office.

The role focuses on impact-driven affirmative litigation against gun violence, working with public entities and victims, and coordinating with Brady’s broader mission across policy and social norm change. Responsibilities include litigation at all stages, policy and regulatory work, and collaboration with donors and allied organizations to end gun violence.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• 8+ years of civil litigation experience (judicial clerkships may be included).
• Strong writing, research, oral advocacy, coordination, and team participation skills.
• Demonstrated interest in gun violence prevention.

Responsibilities

• Lead or assist in civil litigation on behalf of public entities and gun violence victims.
• Manage pro bono counsel and Brady attorneys and staff.
• Defend gun laws and regulations on constitutional and statutory grounds.
• Conduct legal research and drafting on litigation, policy positions, and regulatory matters.
• Build relationships with supporters and strategic partners to fund Brady’s legal work.

Skills

Strong writing

Oral advocacy

Collaboration

Client relations

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence.

Each year, thousands of people in the U.S. die from gun violence. We can change that. No organization has a more comprehensive and systematic approach to ending America’s gun violence epidemic. They say it can't be done. But we know Americans can do anything; they can even end this epidemic of gun violence. For we are more powerful than any problem when we work as one. Now is the time to unite people, from coast to coast, young and old, liberal and conservative, fed up and fired up, and free our country from what is killing us. It's in our hands.

For over 35 years, Brady Legal has been the nation’s leading public interest law group dedicated to fighting in the courts and in the realm of public communication on behalf of public entities and victims of gun violence to reduce gun deaths and injuries, and reform the gun industry through high-impact, cutting-edge liability actions. Brady has litigated in over 40 states, won landmark rulings from Alaska to Hawaii to Virginia to Kansas to California, and helped win importantconstitutionalrulings, and obtain injunctive relief.

Brady’s legal team is one of the most effective and cutting-edge public interest law practices. The job involves numerous opportunities to affect our society’s laws, public policy, and well being with the overall goal of making our country safer for its people.

Job Summary:

Brady seeks a creative, accomplished, dedicated, and experienced attorney to join the organization’s legal team in itsWashington, D.C. office. This is a rare opportunity to be a part of Brady’s legal work, which includes, among other responsibilities, impact driven affirmative litigation focused on gun industry accountability and ending gun violence with public entities as clients. Besides that important affirmative litigation, the work will at various times also include: affirmative litigation on behalf of individual gun violence victims seeking justice for industry misconduct; defensive litigation addressing statutory and constitutional issues (particularly those involving Second Amendment claims); investigations; addressing regulatory and legislative proposals; strategic advising; coordinating with allied public interest organizations on joint concerns; participating in conferences; explaining our work to donors and other supporters; and public speaking and writing. These activities would all be geared toward ending gun violence. Much of the effort will be spent partnering with other parts of Brady, individuals and organizations with like-minded goals, state and local officials, and allied private law firm attorneys.

We are looking for a mission driven attorney who is collegial; takes the work seriously, but not themselves; has a sense of humor; a collaborative and “can do” attitude; enthusiasm; sensitivity; dedication; and a willingness to work hard to achieve an overwhelmingly important goal that will benefit our entire society.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leading or assisting in civil litigation at all phases in courts throughout the country on behalf of public entities and victims of gun violence, including case development, investigation and discovery both before and during litigation, depositions, writing and arguing motions at trial and on appeal, and presenting our cases at trial.
• Managing, directing, assisting, and/or supporting pro bono counsel and Brady attorneys and paralegals in representing victims and governmental entities in civil litigation.
• Defending gun laws and regulations that are challenged on constitutional and statutory grounds, including helping prepare amicus briefs and writing on constitutional issues.
• Performing research and writing on areas of the law related to litigation, developing policy positions, engaging in administrative law work, and regulatory matters.
• Building relationships with supporters and other strategic partners; in partnership with Brady’s Development team, securing support for Brady’s legal work from institutional and individual donors.
• Partnering closely with other Brady functions, including policy, programs, and the Office of the President, to connect Brady’s legal work to policy, programs and social norm change about the role of guns in our society.
• Strategic advising, public communication, participating in conferences, public speaking, and writing on gun industry accountability.

Qualifications:

• A law degree (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• At least eight years of civil litigation experience (judicial clerkships may be included in these years), and at least 12 years of legal work. (Individuals with more experience are strongly encouraged to apply.) Title and compensation will be determined by the nature and years of experience.
• Strong writing, research, oral advocacy, coordination, and team participation skills.
• Demonstrated interest in gun violence prevention.
• Experience building coalitions, engaging with clients, and/or managing multiple stakeholders.
• Experience developing client relationships, whether in private legal practice or otherwise, and/or experience seeking litigation financing.
• The candidate should work well with others, be self-motivated and focused, and possess a strong sense of collegial esprit de corps. The candidate should be enthusiastic to learn and further develop expertise in high-impact litigation strategy and implementation.
• Specific experience litigating gun violence prevention cases is not required.

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Writing sample (a piece of legal writing no longer than 40 pages)

The salary range for this position is $132,000 to $170,000 annually, with the exact salary depending on experience. Competitive benefits include employer-funded health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; pre-tax parking and transit accounts; 403(B) plan with employer match; Employer-paid basic life and AD&D coverage; reimbursement for cell phone use; Headspace subscription; 16 weeks paid parental leave; unlimited PTO plus paid week closure at the end of the calendar year; and eleven paid federal holidays.

Brady is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and believes in driving equality in our communities and workplace. Brady is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, and providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected class according to local, state, and federal law. We also provide reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. To request an accommodation during the interview process, please email: [e-mail].

Brady understands that gun violence disproportionately harms communities that have long faced systemic racism and inequities, including Black, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ people. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities and lived experiences.