Litigation Paralegal

Position Summary:

Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is seeking multiple full-time Litigation Paralegals and Senior Litigation Paralegals to carry out its mission to promote pro-democracy and progressive policies and ideals via litigation and regulatory engagement. These individuals will serve as an integral part of litigation case teams and ensure that case filings are produced in a timely and professional manner. These positions are part of the Legal Team.

The ideal candidates will have experience working independently and with a team to draft, analyze, and prepare legal documents for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal and collecting, evaluating, and summarizing relevant facts and legal concepts for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.

This position is full-time. Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging 2 times per week) to effectively support the nature of the role. Remote candidates within the United States will also be considered. If a candidate is outside of the DC area, travel to DC is expected 1-2 times per quarter.

The Litigation Paralegal / Senior Litigation Paralegal will report to the Managing Attorney, and work with the entire Legal team including other Paralegals, Legal Assistants, and attorneys.

Key Responsibilities:

Below are the key areas of responsibility for this role. The specifics of each responsibility may vary based on the needs of the organization and department.

• Perform cite-checking, blue-booking, proofreading, and formatting for motions, briefs, complaints, and legal filings.
• Use legal software, such as for e-discovery, PDFs, word processing, table of authorities, legal research, case search, and case management.
•  Understand and follow litigation practice area protocols.
• Organize case documents, including following established systems and protocols.
• Review documents for relevance, responsiveness, and privileged and confidential information, and prepare documents for production.
• Assist in hearing or trial preparation and logistics, including management of scheduling, coordination with court clerks, preparation of digital and hard-copy document collections, and in-court logistics.
• Prepare pleadings and discovery under lawyer supervision.
• File and e-file pleadings in federal, state courts and government agencies.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.     

• For Litigation Paralegal: 5 or more years of legal support experience.
• For Senior Litigation Paralegal: 10 or more years of legal support experience.
• Significant experience substantively cite-checking, BlueBooking, formatting, and proofreading legal filings and supporting documents, including complaints, requests for preliminary relief, and dispositive motions.
• Significant experience using software programs and applications, such as for e-discovery, PDFs, word processing, table of authorities, table of contents, legal research, docket searches, case searches, and case and file management.
• Experience organizing and preparing documents and exhibits for filing, including use of Adobe PDF and CM-ECF/PACER.
• Experience researching and complying with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, local rules, and Judge’s orders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully on a team of attorneys and legal support professionals.
• Ability to handle multiple concurrent assignments and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills including demonstrated self-awareness and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusivity and ability to contribute affirmatively to a just and equitable workplace culture.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for team retreats, conferences, or organizational meetings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

The salary range for this position is $85,000-$110,000, plus excellent benefits. This role is overtime eligible. Compensation is commensurate with experience. 

Democracy Forward Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia. 

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement.  If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar.  Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying. 

Democracy Forward is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all, including those with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please email accommodations@democracyforward.org or 833-391-4732.