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Company

American Oversight · 6 hours ago

Counsel (Remote)

Washington, DC

Full-time

Remote

Entry, Mid Level

$117K/yr - $125K/yr

2+ years exp

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Responsibilities

Litigate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in federal court, state open records law requests in state court (pro hac vice), and other litigation matters as assigned, on behalf of American Oversight and other clients, including:

Serve as lead or second counsel across a diverse caseload, helping to set litigation strategy and handling day-to-day case management

Oversee, project manage, and partner with local counsel for open records, open meetings, or similar lawsuits in state courts

Research, draft, and edit court pleadings, including complaints, motions, and briefs at the trial and appellate levels, including amicus briefs

Conduct discovery where permitted, including written discovery and depositions, as well as participate in evidentiary hearings

Conduct oral arguments in federal and state courts at the trial or appellate level

Draft, as needed, non-investigative or advocacy materials, e.g., demand letters, administrative complaints, and other tools for demanding accountability

Propose ideas or candidates for future cases, including novel or creative litigation and non-litigation strategies for accountability and transparency

Work with the research team to research and develop investigation strategies and opportunities consistent with relevant federal and state open records and other relevant laws

Negotiate with the federal executive branch and state or local open records officials in connection with a high volume of pending open records requests

Acquire and maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of FOIA and state open records and open meetings law to advise internal and external stakeholders, brief and argue legal issues, and fulfill other job responsibilities. Develop and maintain expertise in FOIA and the open records and open meetings laws in assigned states by monitoring legal developments and through targeted research projects

Partner with AO’s communications and research teams to develop messaging materials, blog posts, or other non-legal advocacy materials, as needed

Represent AO in meetings with partners, coalitions, presentations, training, and meetings with congressional committees, consistent with AO’s 501(c)(3) status

Participate in internal organizational development initiatives, events, and/or committees

Participate in the recruitment and mentoring of law student interns, as needed

Other relevant duties as assigned

Qualification

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Litigation experienceLegal ResearchFOIA knowledgeState open records lawProject ManagementPublic interest advocacyNonprofit experienceCivil rights knowledgeElection administration knowledge

Required

Juris Doctor degree and admission to practice in at least one state (with eligibility to join District of Columbia bar)

2+ years of litigation (civil or criminal) experience

Self-starter who excels at identifying opportunities, taking ownership, and delivering results with minimal supervision

Experience working in and/or desire to contribute to workplaces with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Exercises a high degree of confidentiality and discretion, professionalism, integrity, diplomacy, and ethics

Position is located in the United States; must be available to work East Coast business hours with occasional evening and weekend hours, as needed

Problem Solving & Critical Thinking: Identifies issues and surfaces creative solutions to achieve desired outcomes; scans the landscape and connects dots among many disparate data points and situations

Collaboration: Is an inclusive, highly engaged team player; proactively seeks and provides thought partnership, assistance, and/or resources with/to colleagues

Judgment and Decision Making: Makes sound, well-reasoned decisions that support highly impactful outcomes in litigation, investigation, or communication targets; escalates and addresses concerns or challenges appropriately and in a timely manner

Project Management: Drives, tracks, and reports on the status of projects; understands and engages the necessary stakeholders, tools, resources, and information to produce desired results; is responsive and able to move nimbly among a variety of projects with varying timelines; manages expectations; is curious, asks questions early; anticipates and prepares next steps and outcomes

Exceptionally strong skills in the following areas: Legal Research: Demonstrated ability to efficiently identify relevant legal authorities, accurately distill and effectively convey relevant and complex legal principles, and appropriately analogize to and distinguish from relevant facts

Negotiation: Effectively represent AO’s interests—e.g., in connection with pending records requests, coalition working groups, litigation settlement discussions—to achieve the organization’s goals while fostering our reputation for professionalism and integrity

Communication: Written: Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, public-facing work with limited supervision; adapt language or style to target audiences; and convey information with clarity and accuracy that is free from grammatical or spelling errors

Communication: Oral: Effective and professional interpersonal oral communication with internal staff, opposing counsel, or government officials

A keen interest in American Oversight’s mission of government accountability and transparency; commitment to public interest advocacy

Preferred

Familiarity with pro-democracy issues, including but not limited to voting rights, election administration, civil rights and civil liberties, or threats like abuse of power, corruption, or undue influence

Demonstrated commitment to public interest work

Experience (before, during, or after law school) in a nonprofit environment

Knowledge of the federal FOIA, state open records or open meetings laws, or government ethics laws

Experience with fast-paced, active litigation in multiple federal or state courts