Research & Implementation Counsel

Job title: Research & Implementation Counsel

Location: Remote or hybrid, Washington, DC

Classification: Regular, full-time, exempt

Organization: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY)

Due: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications submitted by the priority deadline of June 23 will receive full consideration.

Position Available: Late summer 2025

Overview of the position:

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth is hiring a Research & Implementation Counsel! Founded in 2009, CFSY advocates to ban life without parole for children in the United States, and create opportunities for those directly impacted by extreme sentencing to thrive and lead. The Research & Implementation Counsel is integral to the work of the organization, leading research projects and coordinating implementation efforts. This position will be supervised by the National Legal & Policy Director.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Maintain subject matter expertise and serve as internal and external expert on judicial, legislative, and regulatory trends in extreme sentencing of youth;
• Design and manage the organization’s information tracking strategy in alignment with organizational priorities and external impact goals, such as
  • identifying key indicators demonstrating shifts in parole policies and release rates,
  • synthesizing state-specific and federal litigation developments, and
  • developing systems to monitor trends in extreme sentencing;
• Lead organization in developing and drafting strategic publications, including reports, factsheets, articles, amicus briefs, and strategic communications that support litigation, advocacy, and public education;
• Lead collaboration with research institutions and academics, including managing joint research projects and ensuring alignment with CFSY’s mission and implementation strategies;
• Lead organization in development of new tools and resources for key system stakeholders—including litigators, parole board members, judges, and advocates—grounded in data, legal analysis, and lived experience;
• Develop and maintain relationships with attorneys across the country, including public defenders, private defense attorneys, and pro bono attorneys, offering legal and strategic support;
• In partnership and collaboration with the Movement Building department, communicate and share information with loved ones of people serving lengthy sentences as youth;
• In collaboration with Communications department, communicate with reporters and media outlets as a subject matter expert on extreme sentencing of youth;
• Convene and facilitate strategy calls with state and national partners, litigators, and other stakeholders as needed;
• Participate in recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and supervision of team members, including fellows and interns;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or equivalent) very strongly preferred (although a Ph.D or master’s degree in law, public policy, or related field may be considered);
• Commitment to criminal and youth justice issues, particularly reform to harsh youth sentencing practices in the United States, racial discrimination in the youth justice system, and/or human rights in the United States;
• Experience with legal research platforms (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis, PACER);
• Experience using data management and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Airtable, Tableau, Power BI, etc.);
• Experience writing reports, law review articles, and journal articles;
• Comfort navigating case tracking systems and aggregating data from litigation, policy developments, and reentry sources;
• Experience in academia and/or collaborating with academic researchers;
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively and explore new and innovative solutions to problems;
• Exceptional communications skills, including the ability to clearly explain law, research, data, and policy to a wide variety of audiences verbally and in writing, both for use internally and in communicating with external partners and stakeholders;
• Excellent written communications skills and attention to detail in writing, including strong editorial skills, with experience refining research, policy, and/or advocacy documents to be publication ready;
• Ability to represent CFSY professionally with external stakeholders, including in person, in virtual spaces, and in written spaces;
• Self-guided and self-motivated, with the ability to identify new and emerging policy issues and potential solutions without guidance;
• Experience in managing staff, including day-to-day assistance with project prioritization, review, and implementation, and a welcoming and inclusive attitude;
• Demonstrated ability to be innovative and strategic in identifying target audiences and reaching them in creative and persuasive ways;
• Demonstrated ability to design a forward-facing research agenda, with vision towards future reforms;
• Demonstrated successful participation in organizations and/or movements that are led by the people most directly impacted by the issue being for advocated for;
• Ability to work collaboratively across interdisciplinary teams to unite towards a common goal;
• Well-developed organizational skills;
• Maturity and reliability; and
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and listening skills.

Location and Travel

The CFSY’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, with many staff working remotely throughout the country. Candidates from the metro-DC region are strongly encouraged, but all qualified candidates will be seriously considered. The Research and Implementation Counsel can work remotely, and is expected to travel approximately 2-3 times a year for conferences. Staff are expected to participate in in-person, all-staff gatherings approximately 3-4 times per year, which are frequently hosted in Washington, DC, but may require travel to other locations. In accordance with CFSY internal policies, all required home-office technology, equipment and supplies, and all business related travel is paid for by the CFSY.

Physical Environment and Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone;

Specific vision abilities include close vision requirements due to computer work;

Ability to effectively use a telephone, including mobile phone; computer (with Microsoft and Google applications); keyboard; and video conferencing;

Ability to travel to a variety of locations in the continental United States via plane, train, and/or car.