Senior Staff Attorney, Strategic Litigation

Position Description:

The Human Trafficking Legal Center is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney for Strategic Litigation to lead the organization’s strategic litigation to combat human trafficking and forced labor. The Senior Staff Attorney is responsible for identifying cases and partnering with pro bono partners to file forced labor litigation under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in the federal courts. The Senior Staff Attorney’s portfolio includes both federal district court and appellate litigation. The Senior Staff Attorney is also responsible for supervision of a Staff Attorney who supports litigation, maintains the civil trafficking database, and drafts legal publications. The Senior Staff Attorney hires and supervises two summer legal fellows each year.

The Senior Staff Attorney provides expert technical assistance to partner-organizations and pro bono counsel litigating civil trafficking cases. The Senior Staff Attorney for Strategic Litigation also manages community listservs, plans and executes an annual strategic litigation/forced labor convening in Washington, D.C., builds the strategic litigation community through monthly zoom meetings, and participates in international/national bar convenings. The Senior Staff Attorney works in close partnership with the Senior Staff Attorney for Direct Services, who manages the organization’s immigration legal services portfolio.

The Senior Staff Attorney is expected to work in the office at least one day each week. Domestic and international travel is expected to be approximately 30% of the Senior Staff Attorney’s time each year. The Senior Staff Attorney must be available to travel domestically for hearings and trials.

The Mission:

The Human Trafficking Legal Center is a bridge to justice for trafficking survivors. The Human Trafficking Legal Center connects trafficking survivors with pro bono representation so they can seek justice and thrive. We demand accountability from traffickers, from governments, and from corporations.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a litigation case pipeline focused on forced labor in supply chains, with an emphasis on extraterritorial cases under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA);
• Evaluate potential forced labor cases for litigation;
• Co-counsel forced labor/human trafficking cases with partner firms;
• Co-counsel mandamus and declaratory judgment cases;
• Lead the amicus brief program, including identifying cases, drafting briefs, and coordinating with co-counsel;
• Provide case-specific technical support to civil litigators, including reviewing and editing briefs, organizing and participating in moots, and providing case strategy advice;
• Supervise the organization’s fellow program, including the hiring and supervision of all summer fellows;
• Supervise the Staff Attorney and oversee the management of the civil case database, including both the public-facing database and the internal detailed spreadsheet;
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners at the domestic and international levels;
• Manage the organization’s International Strategic Litigation Listserv and Civil Litigation Listserv;
• Host monthly civil litigation Zoom meetings for the Civil Litigation Listserv community;
• Organize annual strategic litigation convening in Washington, D.C.;
• Publish articles, blogs, and reports on developments on civil litigation and developments in the strategic litigation field;
• Supervise and edit the drafting and publication of the annual Civil Litigation Data Update.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school with a strong academic record;
• Admission to a U.S. state bar, in good standing (eligible for D.C. Bar membership);
• 6+ years of legal experience involving federal civil litigation, including clerkships.
• 2+ years supervising attorneys;
• Excellent legal research and writing skills;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively with partner organizations, NGOs, pro bono law firms agency officials and staff, legislators, attorneys, and advocates;
• Excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills;
• Excellent management and supervision skills;
• Commitment and skill in mentoring and developing junior attorneys;
• Attention to detail;
• Ability to work as part of a team;
• Ability to work well under pressure while managing multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Ability to think strategically and creatively;
• Ability to work independently and take initiative;
• Ability and willingness to collaborate across teams and cultures;
• A sense of humor;
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Preferred but not required qualifications:

• Federal judicial clerkship preferred;
• Experience in human trafficking work preferred, but not required;
• Experience working with or representing vulnerable populations;
• Fluency in a second language.

This is a full-time, salaried position. Regular hours are 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. Benefits include three weeks of paid vacation each year, one floating holiday per calendar year, your birthday as a holiday, and five days of sick leave per year. We offer up to twelve weeks of parental leave through the D.C. Paid Family Leave Program. We observe all federal holidays as paid days off, including the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Human Trafficking Legal Center office is closed for a mental health week one week in August each year. The office is also closed between Christmas and New Year; these weeks are considered paid time off.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center makes an annual contribution equal to 2% of each employee’s annual earnings to an Ascensus Trust SIMPLE IRA. Employees may also make voluntary contributions to this account each month from pre-tax earnings.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center provides 100%-employer-paid medical, dental, and vision care insurance for employees. Employees have the option to pay for coverage of dependents through salary deductions.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, age, religion, disability status, genetic information, military status, or any other classification as provided by law.

This position is hybrid and will require working in the organization’s Washington, D.C. office at least one day each week. Candidates must also live within commuting distance to the Washington, D.C. office.