Lambda Legal seeks a staff attorney to engage in cutting-edge impact litigation, public policy advocacy, and education furthering Lambda Legal’s mission. This position will be based in Lambda Legal’s New York office. The attorney will devote approximately 50% of the position’s time to the national work of the Transgender Rights Project and the other 50% to work in Lambda Legal’s other priority areas in the Northeast region.
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal has regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Transgender Rights Project Staff Attorney
Lambda Legal’s law reform, policy, and education work encompasses a wide range of areas critically important to LGBT people and those living with HIV, including federal and state constitutional law issues; gender identity, sexual orientation and HIV discrimination in employment, schools, youth in out-of-home care systems, health care, identity documents, the criminal justice system; relationship protections, including the freedom to marry; child custody, visitation, assisted reproduction, and adoption; foster care and juvenile justice; asylum and immigration policy; and anti-LGBT harassment and violence. Lambda Legal has been involved in numerous landmark United States and state Supreme Court cases, including Lawrence v. Texas , Romer v. Evans , Boy Scouts of America v. Dale , Bragdon v. Abbott, University of Alabama v. Garrett , In re Marriage Cases , Varnum v. Brien , Benitez v. North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group , and Brandon v. County of Richardson .
Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Project works specifically on behalf of transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming people. Recent Lambda Legal landmark victories include Glenn v. Brumby , in which we established important law governing gender discrimination in the course of representing a transgender woman fired for transitioning at her job in the Georgia Assembly, and the Smith v. Fields case, which we won on behalf of several Wisconsin transgender women in prison who were denied transition-related health care. In other examples of our recent work, earlier this year the Transgender Rights Project secured Social Security survivor benefits for our 93-year-old client whose claim had been denied following her husband’s death, as well as a Social Security Administration policy change for all transgender spouses.
Responsibilities
The Attorney will devote approximately 50% of the position’s time to Lambda Legal’s transgender advocacy nationwide and the other 50% to work in Lambda Legal’s other priority areas in the Northeast Region (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.), increasing Lambda Legal’s presence as a force for civil rights there. The attorney will handle all aspects of litigation in precedent-setting cases, as well as engage in education efforts and policy advocacy. Litigation responsibilities include devising litigation strategies to produce the greatest positive impact most efficiently, conducting each stage of litigation in trial and appellate courts, writing amicus briefs, organizing amicus strategies, supervising Lambda Legal cooperating attorneys, assisting with the screening of requests for legal assistance, and investigating and developing potential new matters.
In addition, attorneys on staff often consult with private lawyers who are handling matters related to Lambda Legal’s areas of expertise, advocate with government agencies and officials, and advise policy makers. The attorney will engage in public speaking, write for a variety of audiences, and help implement education strategies to advance public knowledge and change dialogue about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and HIV-related legal issues. The education work involves frequent interviews with print, radio, television, and web reporters. Some travel is required.
Qualifications
Applicants are expected to possess experience sufficient to allow them to work with substantial independence in furtherance of Lambda Legal’s mission in all areas of our work. Applicants should have a minimum of four (4) years experience as a practicing attorney, including litigation experience that prepares the applicant to handle law reform litigation.
The applicant should have a high level of independence and initiative, excellent speaking and writing skills, the ability to produce the highest caliber legal work, creativity, good judgment, and a willingness to work with others toward the most effective strategies and initiatives to advance civil rights. In addition, the successful candidate will have the ability to talk and write about legal and other complex issues in clear, persuasive terms for non-lawyer audiences.
Working at Lambda Legal requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the communities Lambda Legal. Prior work on behalf of transgender people, the LGBT community and/or people living with HIV is highly desirable, as is fluency in Spanish and/or other languages in addition to English.
Salary
Salary is commensurate with experience within the guidelines of Lambda Legal scale. Excellent employer-paid benefits package including medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance and generous employer contribution to retirement account. Generous vacation.
Send your application to ashapiro@lambdalegal.org.
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