Pro Bono Attorney

The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden is accepting applications for a Pro Bono Attorney to serve a three-year term beginning in late Summer/early Fall 2025.

The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center offers attorneys a unique opportunity to work on public interest impact litigation and appellate advocacy within a law firm setting. The Pro Bono Attorney will participate as a full member of the legal team with significant responsibility and will work closely alongside the Center’s Director to promote and supervise the pro bono work of other lawyers at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. By participating in a variety of coalitions, the Pro Bono Attorney will develop close working relationships with public interest lawyers, advocates, and organizations.

Job duties include the following:

• Serve as lead counsel or co-counsel in federal and state courts on cases promoting the Center’s mission, including developing legal theories and litigation strategy and carrying out all aspects of litigation from case initiation through appeal.
• Represent parties and amici curiae before state and federal appellate courts, including drafting briefs and presenting oral arguments.
• Draft legal briefs, legal memoranda, complaints, dispositive motions, motions for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, OPRA/FOIA requests and objections, position papers on legislation, and petitions for rulemaking.
• Nurture and develop relationships with clients, coalition partners, and firm attorneys.
• Speak at public events, present on panels or at conferences, and interact with media.
• Assist with administrative functions regarding the operation of the Center, including drafting marketing materials, tracking and summarizing cases, and supervising firm attorneys.

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing in the New Jersey state and federal bars. Membership in other state and federal bars is a plus.
• At least five years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience litigating matters in federal court with an emphasis on legal analysis, writing, and oral advocacy.
• Familiarity with legal doctrines applicable to litigation involving federal and/or state governments, including qualified immunity, the Tort Claims Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act.
• Strong knowledge of and experience with federal civil procedure and federal appellate practice.
• Excellent research and writing skills, a strong passion for impact litigation and appellate advocacy, and a demonstrated interest in and deep commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.
• Subject matter experience in one or more of the following issue areas: First Amendment/free speech, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, media law (defamation, Shield Law, anti-SLAPP); transparency (OPRA/FOIA), and criminal defense.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to handle multiple concurrent assignments in light of the current legal landscape.
• A prior federal clerkship is a plus.

Term and compensation:

The Pro Bono Attorney will commit to a full-time, three-year term, with the opportunity to apply for a position at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden at the end of the term. The Pro Bono Attorney will receive an annual salary of $125,000-$140,000 depending on experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, flexible working arrangements and a matching 401(k) Plan, which is available 6 months from an employee’s start date.

About The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center:

Established in 2019, the Stein Public Interest Center is dedicated to a broad range of public interest impact litigation and appellate advocacy that advances social, racial, and economic justice, protects civil liberties and constitutional rights, and promotes an open and transparent government.

The Center is named after retired New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein in recognition of his distinguished career of dedicated public service and contributions to the legal profession. During his remarkable 17-year tenure on the Court, Justice Stein helped shape the law for generations to come. In honor of his legacy, the Center is dedicated to advocating for the rights and liberties of all individuals.

The establishment of the Center reflects the long-standing commitment of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden to lean in and to leave an imprint on the most important public interest issues of our time. Throughout the firm’s history, attorneys at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden have participated in New Jersey’s most significant public interest lawsuits and landmark appellate court cases, remaining at the forefront of issues such as government transparency, free speech, voting rights, criminal justice, and the integration of the state’s public schools.

Under the leadership of the Center’s Director, CJ Griffin, the Center partners with local, regional, and national organizations to promote and advance justice. Since the Center’s launch in 2019, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden attorneys have participated in nearly 100 cases that have resulted in published opinions by the New Jersey Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court. These cases involved public access to police internal affairs reports, violations of Miranda warnings, the validity of non-disclosure agreements, the constitutionality of various criminal statutes that regulate speech, the rights of medical cannabis users, the standards to obtain a sexual assault protection orders, pre-trial detention of immigrants, access to police body-worn cameras, and racial discrimination in the jury selection process. More information about the Center’s work can be found at www.steinpublicinterestcenter.com.

Pashman Stein Walder Hayden received the 2020 Pro Bono Law Firm Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association. The firm has also received the New Jersey Law Journal’s Appellate Department of the Year award for six out of the last seven years, in part because of the significant public interest appellate work performed through the Center. In 2023, the firm was named New Jersey Law Journal’s Law Firm of the Year.

The Stein Public Interest Center is committed to recruiting, promoting, and retaining a diverse workplace and to increasing the diversity of the bar that appears before the New Jersey Supreme Court. The Center views diversity as an inclusive concept that encompasses, without limitation, race, color, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, age, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation, and strongly encourages candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and impacted communities to apply.

Applications:

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, list of three references, and a sample of your writing drafted within the last three years to CJ Griffin, Director of The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center, at cgriffin@pashmanstein.com with a copy to Jennifer Lifschitz, Human Resource and Recruitment Manager at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., at jlifschitz@pashmanstein.com. Your cover letter should provide an explanation as to why you are interested in the Pro Bono Attorney position. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2025, but applications will be reviewed and candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis. The target start date is early September 2025 (or sooner if available).