Senior Attorney (Temp to Perm)

Description

The Senior Attorney is a key member of the Litigation team and reports to the Director of Legal & Research. This role advances the League of Women Voters’ mission to empower voters and defend democracy by partnering with LWVUS staff attorneys to assess and approve litigation requests from state and local Leagues and to develop and implement the League’s nationwide litigation strategy.

The Senior Attorney will directly support state and local Leagues in litigation and legal matters related to the League’s core and urgent issues, as determined by our membership. The League's core issue work includes voting rights, redistricting and census, improving elections, and money in politics. Our urgent policy issues include immigration, health care, climate change, and criminal justice reform. In this role, the Senior Attorney will help evaluate proposed litigation, guide strategic decision-making, and oversee effective execution of approved litigation efforts. The position represents LWVUS in coalition spaces and public-facing forums and may supervise staff attorneys, fellows, and interns.

The Senior Attorney represents the organization with internal and external audiences and must have experience representing clients and advising on, developing, and executing litigation strategy. The Senior Attorney will support the Director in organizational litigation planning and strategic prioritization. The Senior Attorney will assist in balancing the needs of our membership with the protection of our nonpartisan policy in the context of often complex electoral and civil rights issues.

This is a full-time position with renewal contingent on funding, performance, and organizational need. Remote candidates are welcome. Periodic travel to Washington, DC, and potentially other locations is required.

This role is funded through June 30, 2026, and is designed as an opportunity for a high-performing candidate to demonstrate impact, with the possibility of transitioning into a permanent position based on performance and organizational needs.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Litigation & Legal Strategy

• Manage and coordinate a multi-state docket of federal and state litigation where LWV is a plaintiff, intervenor, or amicus.
• Collaborate and coordinate with legal partners, allied organizations, and pro bono law firms on prospective and active litigation.
• Partner with the Director of Legal & Research to develop and implement LWV’s litigation strategy.
• Advise and support prospective and ongoing court litigation for state and local Leagues, including evaluation of requests and alignment with organizational priorities.  
• Oversee the Litigation team in tracking, updating, and reporting ongoing LWV litigation. 
• Advance League policy positions, strategies, and mission through coordination with allied organizations and partners. 

Training, Guidance & Member Support

• Develop and deliver litigation training, guidance, and resources to state and local Leagues on voting rights and civil rights issues.
• Identify training opportunities for League staff regarding litigation portfolio in partnership with Director and Chief.

Collaboration & Cross-Team Work

• Supports implementation of League political strategies and policy positions, primarily on election reform and voting rights issues, in collaboration with the Advocacy team. 
• Work closely with Advocacy, Communications, and other departments to ensure legal accuracy and message alignment.
• Partner with other departments to develop accessible public materials such as litigation press releases, reports, fact sheets, action alerts, talking points, issue briefs, and op-eds. 

Leadership & Supervision

• Supervise staff attorneys, fellows, and legal interns as assigned, including work review and ongoing development.
• Support a collaborative, mission-aligned culture grounded in LWV values of inclusion and belonging.

Other Duties

• Serve as an internal resource on ethics and professional responsibility.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

 EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND LICENSING:

• Licensed attorney in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Licensed in the District of Columbia or eligible and willing to waive into the DC Bar within 6 months.
• Admitted to a state bar in the United States and Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited US law school within the United States with a strong law school record.
• Minimum of five years as an attorney and managing others, including at least three years of litigation experience in either a traditional law firm, nonprofit, or government setting, is a plus. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Core Legal Qualifications

• Demonstrated excellence in legal research, writing, analysis, and management of complex legal matters.
• Possess excellent legal research and writing skills, analytical skills, strong verbal and written communications skills, attention to detail, and a customer service-oriented attitude. 

Issue Area & Litigation Expertise-Area & Litigation Expertise

• Experience with voting rights, election, or constitutional litigation in either a traditional law firm, nonprofit, or government setting is a plus. 
• Experience with civil rights or voting rights policy/legislation or campaign work is a plus.
• Ability to clearly translate legal concepts into accessible language for non-lawyers.
• Prior experience developing a range of educational and training materials, including planning webinars, communicating legal research and legal findings, and developing legal recommendations. 
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to track a high volume of information at the local, state, and federal levels. 
• Experience with strategic planning in the litigation context, preferably on civil rights or voting rights issues.
• Ability to produce consistent, high-quality work in a fast-paced environment. 

Leadership & Collaboration

• Minimum of two years of supervisory experience managing legal staff, preferably an attorney.
• A record of positive impact on direct reports and teams, including experience with positive motivation tools and effective review of work product.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams.
• Experience collaborating with volunteers or member-led organizations preferred.

Mission Alignment & DEI Competence

• Ability to work with and center historically disenfranchised communities.
• Understanding of structural racism and systemic inequities as they relate to civic participation and voting rights.
• Demonstrable commitment to working with and in diverse communities and promoting DEI in the workplace. 
• Strong personal alignment with LWV mission, values, and nonpartisan principles.

Professional Standards

• Must understand and comply with rules of professional conduct and ethics on a consistent, ongoing basis.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work on a computer for extended periods.
• Willingness to travel and work evenings or weekends as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work is typically performed indoors in a moderate-to-low-noise environment. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties and responsibilities may evolve based on organizational needs.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The League of Women Voters of the United States is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace based on equal opportunity. The League is committed to hiring staff that reflects this country's full range of racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic identity; a workplace where true diversity is fostered, and different perspectives are valued and freely exchanged. We encourage women, minorities, and individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.