Policy Advocacy Associate

About the organization

The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, we have taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach.

Too often, the law supports systems of power that violate our most fundamental rights and prevent people from living with dignity. We use creative and aggressive advocacy, communications, and legal strategies to combat the most virulent forms of oppression and to push law and policy to meet the demands of justice. Our teams partner and work with systems-impacted communities and social movements to build power and co-design legal, policy, and cultural interventions that advance the vision of the world our partners and clients want to see. And through strategic communications, we increase public support for our efforts in order to challenge dominant narratives that normalize injustice.

Our approach is holistic, fearless, and relentless. You have a role to play in this fight. Join forces with our activists, lawyers, and storytellers to fight oppression and build power.

Position Summary

The Policy Advocacy Associate (PAA) will provide administrative support and assist with local, state, and federal policy advocacy to advance the Center for Constitutional Rights’ key priorities in challenging white supremacy, economic oppression, gender oppression, and abusive state practices. This new position will assist the Associate Director-Policy to engage with elected officials and their staff, conduct policy research and analysis, draft policy documents, and utilize online advocacy engagement tools to support the Center for Constitutional Rights’ strategic advocacy interventions in policy and decision-making fora and mechanisms.

The PAA is part of a growing policy hub that designs and implements innovative, movement-based advocacy strategies together with other Advocacy and Legal team members, movement partners, clients, and impacted communities. The PAA will work with the programmatic teams at the Center for Constitutional Rights, movement partners, and clients to assist in the co-creation of policy advocacy outputs that advance the vision of impacted communities.

As a member of the Advocacy team, the PAA will be engaged in further developing the Center for Constitutional Rights’ movement advocacy approach and growing the team’s capacity to effectively build and shift power and to alter the material conditions of movement partners, clients, and impacted communities.

The ideal candidate brings a keen willingness to learn, direct experience using digital organizing and online actions as part of grassroots lobbying campaigns, federal policy advocacy experience on the Center for Constitutional Rights’ core priority issues, and a demonstrated commitment to achieving the vision of impacted communities and progressive social movements in the U.S. and internationally.

Location:

Remote eligible with strategic travel, must live and work within commuting distance of New York City or Washington, D.C., with periodic onsite visits to the organization’s headquarters in New York City.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for the policy hub’s local, state, and federal policy advocacy to advance the Center for Constitutional Rights’ strategic priorities
• Provide administrative support to the policy hub, including scheduling policy-related meetings and note-taking; maintaining, updating, and organizing policy hub files; and assisting with executing in-person and virtual policy hub events, such as Congressional briefings, partner roundtables, etc.
• Along with the Associate Director-Policy, develop systems and processes for obtaining and sharing information and updates related to the Center for Constitutional Rights’ priority issues with local, state, and federal lawmaker offices and executive agencies
• Assist the Associate Director-Policy through close monitoring and tracking of key local, state, and federal legislation, committee hearings, and other legislative and executive action and news on priority issues
• With the support of the Associate Director-Policy, conduct internal and external intake meetings to gather information, answer questions, and identify needs and requests from Center for Constitutional Rights staff and partners related to policy advocacy interventions
• Support the implementation of legislative and policy advocacy strategies at the local, state, and federal levels that focus on proactive short- or long term campaigns to move lawmakers toward supporting rights-respecting policies and initiatives consistent with the Center for Constitutional Rights’ programmatic goals
• Support policy advocacy delegations by scheduling lobby visits and member-level meetings, note-taking, and assisting with meeting and delegation logistics and follow up
• Participate in relevant coalitions with movement partners to assist the Associate Director-Policy in identifying joint policy advocacy opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels
• With the support of the Associate Director-Policy, conduct research on the Center for Constitutional Rights’ priority issues and support the drafting of relevant policy documents including white papers, draft legislation, policy backgrounders, advocacy letters, etc.
• Distribute policy advocacy documents and other Center for Constitutional Rights materials to educate policymakers and decisionmakers
• Assist with writing action alerts, click-to-call scripts, blogs, and other web and social media-related policy advocacy and campaign materials to support the dissemination of the Center for Constitutional Rights’ policy work and analysis
• Assist with digital organizing and grassroots advocacy utilizing EveryAction CRM and online advocacy tools
• Participate in departmental and organizational planning and projects, organization-wide committees, and carrying out work assigned
• Carry out other Advocacy Department, policy-hub related work as assigned by the AD-Policy or Advocacy Director

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of two (2) years of state or federal policy advocacy experience in any of the Center for Constitutional Rights’ core priority areas: racial justice, gender justice, economic justice, and protecting human rights from abusive state practices
• Advocacy software platform or advocacy constituent relationship management (CRM) experience required; EveryAction experience preferred
• Political alignment and belief in the mission of the Center for Constitutional Rights and approach in following the leadership of impacted people and working in partnership with social movements
• Basic familiarity with executive and legislative procedure, vehicles, and mechanisms
• Experience communicating and advocating policy positions or proposals to elected officials and staff
• Experience assisting or supporting the drafting and introduction of legislation, organizing legislative and agency briefings, and providing research and analysis
• Experience working with grassroots and/or movement organizations, including coalitions, to help implement policy advocacy campaigns
• Proficiency in any government relations software or public affairs software preferred
• Strong digital skills with proficiency in MS Office applications, Adobe, and Google applications
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills, including proven ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and priorities under tight deadlines and in a fast-paced environment
• Basic familiarity with 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 rules and regulations including lobbying limits and application to ballot measures and elections
• Ability and willingness to travel as necessary
• Multi-cultural competence and comfort – ability to work with a diverse team and to work across differences at all levels
• Integrity, emotional intelligence, and willingness to practice vulnerability, self-reflection, and accountability

Benefits include employer contribution to 401K plan and flexible spending account, vacation, sick leave, and holidays, and 100 percent organization-paid health benefits including medical, dental, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance.