Senior Staff Attorney

Local Progress is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney

Position Location: Remote, U.S.

About Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab

Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab work collectively to advance a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of government. Local Progress (LP) is a movement of more than 1,800 local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government.

The Local Progress Impact Lab (the Impact Lab) brings together local leaders, partners, and experts to build the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to advance racial and economic justice at the local level.

About the Position

Working as part of a national legal and policy team, the Senior Staff Attorney will provide legal, policy, and research support to local elected officials in a variety of geographies, with particular emphasis on the organization’s priority issue areas, which include immigrant justice, economic justice and worker power, reimagining public safety, home rule and local democracy, and advancing housing justice for all.

In light of growing attacks on democracy and marginalized communities, the Senior Staff Attorney will be tasked with leading and supporting a number of strategies and tactics which include, for example, providing legal analysis on specific local policies, drafting amicus briefs and other litigation tactics, and coming up with creative policy solutions for local leaders to govern despite state and federal preemption.

The Senior Staff Attorney will play a leading role in driving the organization’s work on advancing immigrant justice. This role will collaborate with national, state, and local partners to advance shared goals of protecting immigrant communities from federal attacks and advancing a proactive vision of full immigrant inclusion.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is eager to build the policy and legal capacity of the Local Progress network, which is comprised of elected officials serving in cities, counties, and school boards, as well as closely collaborate with these members in working hand-in-hand with impacted communities to win transformational local policy on some of the most pressing issues facing communities today.

This role will provide timely resources, strategy, and collaboration to Local Progress members on the forefront of these efforts, and lead the organization’s Immigrant Justice Steering Committee to set and implement network-wide goals and programming..

The Senior Staff Attorney will report to the Managing Director, Legal and Policy.

Location: This is a remote position based in the U.S. with no in-office requirement.

Travel Requirement: This position is required to travel to in-person events up to six days a month.

Primary Responsibilities.

Legal and Policy

Produce, edit, and review legal memos, amicus briefs, and other legal documents; manage and oversee the production of such documents by partners.

Lead development of resources that enable us to move members into action across the full diversity of our network, test and popularize bold policy ideas, and model collaborative governance in our work, including policy briefs, campaign toolkits, template resolutions, and training curricula.

Engage with LP staff, members and partners to assess and advise on policy and legal questions, and perform research and policy analysis to respond to those questions, sometimes in rapid response situations.

Issue Area Programming

Serve as the expert and lead strategist for the organization’s work on immigrant justice.

Envision, plan, and implement program offerings to advance immigrant justice, both in-person and virtual. LP and the Impact Lab’s programs include webinars, interactive meetings, virtual working groups, in-person gatherings, site visits, and large-scale conferences involving anywhere from a few to several hundred elected officials, government staffers, and allies. Find examples here, here, and here.

Staff the Immigrant Justice Steering Committee comprised of Local Progress members and develop the leadership of the Steering Committee’s members

Build and maintain strong working relationships with external partners on immigrant justice.

Additional issue area policy leadership as needed, including potentially land use, procurement, legal authority of counties, and first amendment / democracy protections.

Support Local Progress and the Impact Lab's work

Collaborate across Local Progress teams to support organizational activities and infrastructure including caucus work, state chapter activities, Collaborative Governance Academy trainings, reports, convenings, web products, etc.

Play a supporting role in maintaining funder relationships and identifying new opportunities for expanding support.

Required Qualifications

A juris doctor degree and admission to a state bar.

At least 9 years of relevant policy or legal experience and at least 4 years working on immigrant justice issues via policy, organizing, direct legal representation, impact litigation, etc..

Experience with organizing and campaigns, including working with organizers or movement lawyering.

Strong attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey and translate complex information for a variety of audiences.

Ability to manage multiple projects, create and execute work plans, anticipate obstacles and identify ways to navigate challenges, and identify and involve stakeholders appropriately.

Awareness of and ability to address issues of power, race, class, gender, and other forms of privilege within the internal dynamics and culture of a workplace.

A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and interest in local policy, politics, and government.

Experience in relational organizing and an ability to relate to and move to action a diverse group of people from a variety of local contexts and backgrounds, including in a virtual setting.

Ability to take initiative and exercise strategic judgment.

Ability to travel monthly.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

Experience with “inside/outside” strategies and movement governance that features deep partnership between “outside” organizing and “inside” elected officials.

Litigation experience.

Familiarity with core municipal authorities including land use, zoning, and procurement.

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be determined according to a salary scale which takes into account years of experience and advanced degrees, and will be between $108,600 and $111,000.

This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment will be subject to a collective bargaining agreement. With a collectively bargained salary scale, we are not able to negotiate once a salary offer is calculated based on the factors that determine placement on the scale.

We operate with a default schedule of Monday through Thursday. We have a generous benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, five weeks of vacation per year, 20 sick days per year, paid holidays, and contributions to individuals’ 403(b) plans. The Local Progress office is closed between December 24 and January 1 annually.