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Legal Administrative Assistant

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Democracy Forward seeks a highly collaborative Legal Administrative Assistant to join its Oversight team. The Legal Administrative Assistant will contribute to an array of the Oversight team’s work, including filing and tracking public records requests & responses, as well as helping maintain and develop Democracy Forward’s data systems and databases.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for Democracy Forward’s mission, and will work collaboratively across all teams and functions.  The ideal candidate will have:

  • Familiarity with the legal system and litigation and federal, state, and local laws and policies
  • Excellent data management skills and attention to detail
  • A commitment to Democracy Forward’s values of excellence, inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and impact. 

Responsibilities and Qualifications

Responsibilities:

  • Prepare final copies of records requests and handle filing them with agencies
  • Manage records request email inboxes and handle or coordinate correspondence
  • Prepare and organize document productions sent in response to records requests for review
  • Organize content with internal databases, and create new systems as needed
  • Provide litigation support for attorneys, including organizing and maintaining files and calendars
  • Manage databases for various research tracking needs 
  • Process access requests by external partners for password-protected resources, including creating accounts, troubleshooting issues, etc.
  • Provide ad hoc support for items such as formatting documents, creating tracking systems for event registration and participation, creating google surveys, etc

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • 1+ years of experience in professional environments related to legal work, government, or policy
  • Experience with legal, policy, and media databases and tools, including Westlaw, Docket Alarm, PACER, AirTable, Muck Rack, Twitter, and Google News.  
  • Experience working on teams in a collaborative structure
  • Demonstrated excellence in organizational and communication skills
  • Excellent data management and writing skills and attention to detail 
  • Ability to manage multiple, competing deadlines and priorities
  • Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and accountability
  • Demonstrated commitment to democracy and social progress 

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. The salary range for this position is $55,000 – $65,000 commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. 

Meet some but not all of our qualifications? Don’t let that deter you from applying. If you believe that you could excel in our organization and believe in our mission, we hope you apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to non-profit or legal work, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we hope to hear from you. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in our work and what you would bring to the role for which you are applying.

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia. 

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement.  If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar.  Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying. 

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