Policy Counsel

Responsibilities

• Conduct policy and other forms of research.
• Monitor and respond to developing civil rights issues in proposed federal, state and local legislation or agency action relating to reform of the criminal legal system.
• Secure, draft and deliver legislative testimony at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Communicate both verbally and in well written form internally and to LDF stakeholders.
• Participate in and/or organize briefings with Members of Congress, state and local legislators, and federal or state agency officials on LDF's substantive priorities;
• Build and/or participate in national coalitions, partnerships and task forces working to advance criminal legal system reforms;
• Assume a leading and strategic role in national, state or local coalition campaigns criminal justice advocacy issues consistent with LDF's priorities, including lobbying, communications and grassroots outreach;
• Work collaboratively with LDF's attorneys, other LDF staff members, organizers and multidisciplinary teams to advance national, state and local reforms;
• and Other duties as assigned within the general scope of the position.

Qualifications

• JD degree, with five (5) to seven (7) years of policy experience with an emphasis on criminal justice and admission to the Bar of the District of Columbia, New York or Georgia Bar based on respective assigned office location.
• Advanced analysis and critical thinking skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF.
• Writing samples should be a piece of legal writing that you authored yourself. While it may have been reviewed or edited by others, it should primarily reflect your own work and should be at least five (5) pages in length.