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Legal Counsel, Government Affairs

Lansdowne, VA; Washington D.C.

Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Locations: Lansdowne, VA / Washington D.C.

Key Responsibilities

  • Cultivate and maintain relationships with state attorneys general, their senior staff, and key officials in the federal executive branch.
  • Coordinate and advance projects with state attorney general offices, including coordinating litigation opportunities and multistate amicus curiae briefs.
  • Coordinate and advance projects with federal executive branch officials, including litigation and regulatory opportunities.
  • Represent ADF at Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) events and conferences and similar coalition and networking forums.
  • Monitor legal and policy developments at the state and federal levels relevant to ADF's Generational Wins and Strategic Plan priorities.
  • Manage special projects at the direction of senior Government Affairs and U.S. Legal leadership, requiring both legal analysis and political awareness.

Minimum Qualifications

  • J.D., active license in at least one US state bar, and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction within one year
  • 7 years of legal experience, with a preference for candidates whose background spans both government service and private or nonprofit legal practice.
  • 2-5 years of experience working in a state attorney general's office.
  • Judicial clerkship experience is a plus but not required.

Preferred Qualification

  • Familiarity with multistate litigation, amicus practice, and the role of state attorneys general and federal executive-branch officials in shaping federal and constitutional law.
  • Existing relationships within the state AG community and various legal networks.
  • Experience navigating both legal and political dimensions of government engagement.
  • Willingness and ability to travel regularly for events, meetings, and coalition activities.

Pay & Benefits

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

This salary range is reflective of a position based in Lansdowne, VA. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and office location.

Virginia Salary Range

$115,000 - $180,700 USD

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Statement of Faith

Based on our adherence to the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess with the Christian Church throughout time and around the world the faith expressed in the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Doctrinal Distinctives

Also, based on this confession, we are committed to honoring God by obeying the two Greatest Commandments, loving God and loving neighbor, and based on that commitment and derived from the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess the following as necessary for living the gospel:

  • We believe in the spiritual unity and equality of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe that the Lordship of Christ requires us as disciples to seek to conform our actions, thoughts, and desires in obedience to Him.
  • We believe God creates each person with an immutable biological sex — male or female — that reflects the image and likeness of God.
  • We believe God designed marriage as a unique conjugal relationship joining one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, life-long union, and God intends sexual intimacy only to occur within that relationship.
  • We believe God endows all human life with inherent dignity, and it must be respected and protected from conception to natural death.
  • We believe that God has endowed all humans with the natural, and inalienable right of religious freedom to believe, pursue truth, and live within ordered liberty such that no civil government may justly infringe upon it.
  • We believe that God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, calls all of us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, knowing that He promises us abundant and eternal life.
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