Paralegal & Litigation Specialist

Summary

Protect Democracy is a remote-first organization focused on defending democratic norms and institutions through legal advocacy and impact litigation. The Paralegal & Litigation Specialist will support litigation and legal advocacy projects by managing case files, preparing legal documents, conducting research, coordinating filings and discovery, managing projects, and developing external and internal communications.

Responsibilities

• Support litigation by: Managing and organizing case files and documents, Preparing and finalizing legal memos and pleadings, Coordinating court filings, and Help lead the discovery process
• Conduct research, synthesize findings, and draft related memoranda, reports, and other communications
• Cite-check and Bluebook, fact-check, proofread, and assist with drafting court filings, letters, and other public-facing documents
• Engage professionally with clients, opposing counsel, partner organizations, and other external stakeholders
• Draft external-facing communications materials, including press releases, social media, talking points, outreach emails, op-eds, and blog posts
• Coordinate logistics for calls, including creating agendas, and drafting internal-facing communications (i.e. emails, presentations)
• Project manage components of litigation projects, including developing work plans, tracking and communicating progress toward goals, and offering and soliciting feedback along the way
• Maintain and, at times, create information management systems, processes, and tools within and amongst impact teams
• Strategize with other team members—actively contribute ideas during impact and litigation project brainstorming sessions and propose projects to advance Protect Democracy’s mission
• Contribute to culture-building initiatives across the organization

Skills

• We are only considering candidates with three or more years of filing experience in civil litigation
• A minimum of three years of filing experience in civil litigation, including familiarity with:
• Supporting litigation through preparing, finalizing, and filing pleadings in court, cite checking and Bluebooking documents, drafting discovery materials and correspondence; and preparing administrative documents like *pro hac vice* applications
• Navigating federal rules of civil procedure and state/local court rules
• Case management/litigation administration (including managing large quantities of documents and case file and folder organization)
• Strong writing, researching, editing, and proofreading skills
• Experience project managing, ideally in a legal context
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Comfort giving feedback and managing “up, down, and sideways”
• Nimbleness and an ability to perform well in a rapid-paced environment
• Eagerness to learn new research, communications, legal and policy skills and processes
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships and work in a team environment with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution
• Ability to track, prioritize, and balance a diverse set of responsibilities
• A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color
• Paralegal certification
• Experience with Filevine
• Experience with e-Discovery systems (i.e. Everlaw, Relativity)

Qualifications

Must Haves

• we are only considering candidates with three or more years of filing experience in civil litigation
• A minimum of three years of filing experience in civil litigation, including familiarity with:
• Supporting litigation through preparing, finalizing, and filing pleadings in court, cite checking and Bluebooking documents, drafting discovery materials and correspondence; and preparing administrative documents like *pro hac vice* applications
• Navigating federal rules of civil procedure and state/local court rules
• Case management/litigation administration (including managing large quantities of documents and case file and folder organization)
• Strong writing, researching, editing, and proofreading skills
• Experience project managing, ideally in a legal context
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Comfort giving feedback and managing “up, down, and sideways”
• Nimbleness and an ability to perform well in a rapid-paced environment
• Eagerness to learn new research, communications, legal and policy skills and processes
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships and work in a team environment with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution
• Ability to track, prioritize, and balance a diverse set of responsibilities
• A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color

Nice to Haves

• Paralegal certification
• Experience with Filevine
• Experience with e-Discovery systems (i.e. Everlaw, Relativity)

Benefits

• Eligible for overtime pay.
• Generous sick leave.
• Flexible vacation policy; team members are encouraged to take 4-5 weeks every year.
• 12 paid holidays.
• 6 weeks of paid family medical leave.
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately.
• Employee medical premiums covered at 100%, with up to 95% coverage for dependents depending on plan selection.
• Employee and dependent dental/vision coverage at 100%.
• Long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Fertility benefits.
• Home office stipend.
• Bonuses at the discretion of the Executive Director.
• Remote-first work arrangement.
• Shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment.
• Mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.