Counsel - Educational Opportunities Project

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is one of the nation’s leading national racial justice legal organizations. Formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real.

The Lawyers’ Committee has litigation, public policy, and advocacy programs in the substantive areas of Voting Rights, Election Protection, Digital Justice, Economic Justice, Criminal Justice, Economic Opportunities, and Fair Housing. The organization advances its mission as the premier organization marshaling the resources of the private bar alongside our own talented staff, with over 1 million pro bono hours billed to our cases and matters over the past decade.

Job Title : Counsel, Educational Opportunities Project
Location : Washington, DC
Job Type : Full-Time
Union Affiliation : Union
Accountable to : Director, Educational Opportunities Project

About the Role :
The Educational Opportunities Project (EOP) Counsel supports the organization’s racial justice mission by advancing equal and equitable educational opportunities in PK-12 and higher education for and in partnership with Black communities and other historically marginalized communities of color. The position requires a demonstrated commitment to achieving this overarching goal by engaging partners through a three-pronged approach involving cutting-edge impact litigation, policy, and advocacy.
The Counsel works on assigned legal matters under the supervision of the Director for the Educational Opportunities Project.

What You’ll be Doing:
Essential responsibilities of the Counsel, Educational Opportunities Project include, but are not limited to the following:
- Engage in complex litigation and legal advocacy matters in federal and state courts, including appellate matters.
- Conduct and synthesize complex legal and factual research; identify emerging legal issues; frame options; and prepare well-reasoned recommendations that account for litigation, policy, advocacy, client, and organizational considerations.

- Develop potential matters through client and witness interviews, document review, factual investigation, legal research, and strategic assessment; identify potential claims, defenses, risks, and next steps.

- Draft and revise complex pleadings, briefs, legal memoranda, discovery requests and responses, motions, comments, testimony, policy analyses, reports, toolkits, and public-education materials with appropriate review.

- Handle major components of litigation and administrative matters, including discovery, depositions, hearings, negotiations, evidentiary presentations, and oral advocacy, consistent with experience and applicable court requirements.

- Counsel clients regarding legal options, risks, and strategy; maintain confidentiality; communicate respectfully through difficult decisions; and incorporate client and community knowledge and goals into the work.

- Develop legal and policy analysis that advances EOP litigation and advocacy priorities and collaborate with the Policy Project and other internal teams on federal, state, and local policy initiatives.

- Contribute to discrete cross-functional, coalition, or pro bono workstreams; coordinate deliverables among co-counsel, investigators, experts, interns, communications and policy staff, and community partners; and address routine collaboration issues promptly.

- Represent the Lawyers’ Committee in assigned legal proceedings, negotiations, coalitions, trainings, panels, meetings, and public forums, and communicate the organization’s positions accurately and effectively within the assigned subject-matter scope.

- Cultivate and maintain trusted relationships with community organizations, clients, coalition partners, government agencies, and pro bono or nonprofit co-counsel to identify emerging issues and advance shared priorities.

- Develop and own matter plans, timelines, roles, documentation, deadlines, and risk tracking for assigned work; communicate status and risks promptly; and anticipate relevant compliance, resource, budget, and reputational implications.

- Mentor junior attorneys, fellows, interns, or other contributors on defined assignments; provide useful feedback; develop reusable legal resources; and strengthen team quality, documentation, security, and knowledge-sharing practices.
- Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within and outside the office and implement a client-centered, community-informed approach to the work.

Minimum Requirements and Competencies:
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
- Generally, three to seven years of relevant post-JD legal experience, including experience leading legal matters with increasing independence; equivalent combinations of relevant experience may be considered consistent with the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
- Active membership in the bar of at least one state and admission to the District of Columbia Bar, or eligibility to waive into the District of Columbia Bar.
- Demonstrated commitment to civil rights, racial justice, diversity, and community-centered advocacy; experience in education law or policy is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to independently work on complex legal matters or major components of litigation, policy, or advocacy work and to seek guidance regarding significant strategic, ethical, or risk-related decision points.
- Strong legal research, analysis, and judgment, including the ability to integrate legal, factual, procedural, client, community, and strategic considerations and develop defensible recommendations.
- Strong written advocacy skills and the ability to develop persuasive, well-supported work for courts, agencies, policymakers, clients, partners, and the public.
- Effective oral advocacy, interpersonal, and public communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly and respectfully to diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted client and community relationships, protect confidentiality, anticipate ethical and privilege issues, and recommend practical risk controls.
- Strong project and matter management skills, including the ability to manage scope, roles, timelines, resources, documentation, deadlines, and risk across competing assignments while producing accurate, timely work.
- Ability to collaborate across disciplines, influence without formal authority, coordinate external contributors, resolve routine collaboration challenges, and contribute to an inclusive and respectful team culture.
- Working proficiency with legal research, citation, document-management, filing, security, and collaboration tools, with the ability to improve repeatable workflows and knowledge-sharing practices.
- Ability to travel for litigation, conferences, speaking engagements, coalition meetings, and client or matter development, as needed.

Supervisory Responsibility : This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Ready to Make an Impact? If you are passionate about civil rights, racial justice, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, we want to hear from you. Join our mission to drive positive change and contribute to our dynamic team!

Apply Today: Be part of the force for civil rights and make a lasting impact. Submit your application to help us create a more equitable and inclusive world.

Benefits: The Lawyers' Committee offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes healthcare coverage (medical, dental & vision), parental leave, 403(b) contribution with employer match contributions, voluntary short- and long-term disability and an employer paid monthly cell phone stipend.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: The Lawyers’ Committee embraces diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We strongly encourage candidates of color and candidates from underrepresented communities to apply. The Lawyers’ Committee does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, parental status, family responsibility, personal appearance, genetic information, matriculation, immigration status, union activities, political affiliation, military veteran status, credit information or any other status protected under law.

Reasonable Accommodation: The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws. If you require an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] (/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection).

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union. Employment terms, including wages and benefits, are subject to collective bargaining agreements.

The expected range for this role will be: $104,000 - $113,000