Staff or Senior Attorney & Editor, Red Line for Civil Rights

Position Summary:

Are you a detail-oriented and mission-driven civil rights attorney with strong analytical and writing skills? If so, Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is looking for a Staff or Senior Attorney and Editor to join the Red Line for Civil Rights team.

Red Line for Civil Rights is an oversight and accountability project led by former career attorneys of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Red Line tracks, analyzes, and explains changes in federal civil rights enforcement across subject areas including voting, policing, housing, employment, disability rights, education, criminal civil rights prosecutions, LGBTQI+ rights, and access to reproductive healthcare.

We are seeking a collaborative and strategic attorney to support Red Line’s legal analysis, written content, and public engagement efforts. This position will be responsible for researching and drafting case entries and articles, tracking enforcement trends, supporting dissemination strategies, and representing Red Line in stakeholder settings.

This position is full-time. Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging 2 times per week) for DC-based employees. Remote candidates within the United States will also be considered. If a candidate is outside of the DC area, travel to DC is expected 1–2 times per quarter.

The Staff or Senior Attorney and Editor will report to the Director of Red Line for Civil Rights and work closely with Red Line team members and colleagues across Democracy Forward.

Key Responsibilities:

Below are the key areas of responsibility for this role. The specifics of each responsibility may vary based on the needs of the organization and department.

Legal Research and Analysis:

• Draft detailed case entries analyzing developments in federal civil rights enforcement, including litigation filings, investigative findings, consent decrees, and policy guidance.
• Research and write long-form articles identifying trends across subject areas such as voting, policing, housing, employment, disability rights, education, criminal civil rights prosecutions, LGBTQI+ rights, and access to reproductive healthcare.
• Review and edit draft case entries and articles for analytical clarity, accuracy, and consistency with Red Line’s editorial standards.
• Produce rapid-response analysis of significant developments in federal civil rights enforcement.
• Monitor and analyze federal court dockets, federal enforcement announcements, executive orders, and agency guidance to identify changes in enforcement priorities and legal positions.
• Draft strategic public records requests.
• Analyze documents and data on changes to federal civil rights enforcement.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure factual accuracy, analytical rigor, and consistency in Red Line’s content.

Strategy and Dissemination:

• Support the development and execution of strategies to expand the reach of Red Line’s work beyond the website, including briefings, newsletters, media engagement, social media, and partnerships.
• Translate complex legal developments into clear, accessible analysis for public audiences.
• Contribute to the preparation of background materials, talking points, and presentations for stakeholders and partners.
• Contribute to the development of Red Line’s website and other future analytical products. 

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

Required:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• For Staff Attorney: 5-6 years of experience in civil rights law, constitutional law, or related public interest litigation or policy work.
• For Senior Attorney: 7+ years of experience in civil rights law, constitutional law, or related public interest litigation or policy work.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more federal civil rights statutes or enforcement frameworks.
• Exceptional legal research, writing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated self-awareness and ability to work independently and across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Commitment to workplace inclusion and ability to contribute affirmatively to a just and equitable workplace culture.

Preferred:

• Experience in civil rights enforcement on behalf of the federal government.
• Experience in legal journalism, public-facing writing, policy analysis, or publishing outside traditional litigation contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to translate legal developments into accessible, compelling written content for non-legal audiences.
• Excellent oral communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex legal and policy developments into clear, engaging presentations and briefings for varied audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work with data to identify statistical patterns and translate them to clear public-facing writing.
• Experience engaging with media, contributing to newsletters or digital platforms, or supporting communications strategy.
• Connections to or ability to cultivate relationships with civil rights organizations, legal advocates, and affected communities who can surface developments in civil rights enforcement.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for team retreats, conferences, or organizational meetings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

The salary range for the Staff Attorney position is $130,000-$145,000. The salary range for the Senior Attorney position is $145,000 - $165,000.  Salary is commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits.

Democracy Forward Foundation 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; LGBTQIA+ 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. 

Democracy Forward is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to recruiting@democracyforward.org or 833-391-4732.