State Policy Counsel en National Women's Law Center

The Position

The National Women’s Law Center seeks a State Policy Counsel to support the State Gender Policy Collective, an initiative to support state officials in advancing gender justice in the states. Working in close partnership with other Law Center staff, the State Policy Counsel will help with the growth, management, and execution of key supports for State Gender Policy Collective members. All of these efforts are to be shaped by a gender justice and racial justice analysis and include a focus on the rights of LGBTQ individuals. The State Policy Counsel sits on the Strategy & Policy team. This role is intended for early career (1-4 years) lawyers.

The State Policy Counsel reports to the Senior Director for State Policy and Strategy.

This is a full-time exempt position of 37.5 hours per week.

The Organization

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.

We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially women of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and low-income women and families.

For more than 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women, and we need you with us to continue this fight. Find out more at NWLC.org.

Responsibilities

• Work with Senior Director of State Policy and Strategy to shape strategies, priorities, and the growth of the State Gender Policy Collective;
• Support the development and execution of virtual policy and messaging briefings and cross-state strategy sessions for state policymakers and advocates;
• Lead in the development, drafting, and editing of educational policy memos, fact sheets, and blog posts; 
• Track relevant state policies and conduct policy analysis of state legislative and regulatory proposals; 
• Conduct legal and policy research and analysis and provide direct technical policy support to state legislators and officials;
• Coordinate with the communications team on narrative change and amplifying state policy priorities where appropriate; 
• Strengthen relationships with state and national organizations and officials across the Law Center’s areas of state policy focus;
• Represent the Law Center at public events, conferences, and in the media;
• Manage projects and staff supporting those projects, using project management strategies;
• Additional duties will arise as the State Gender State Policy evolves.
• Supervise interns/externs;

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess: 

• A law degree and admission to a state bar with ability to waive into the DC Bar if not already admitted;

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute project plans and overall work plans;

• Experience researching and analyzing state policy, ideally with state legislators or state advocates;

• Experience working on the legal and/or policy issues related to the Law Center’s core program areas: workplace justice, education, child care, income security, and/or reproductive rights and health;
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with key stakeholders;
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering communities of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, and other historically marginalized communities in the approach to work and executing key responsibilities;  

• Strong research, analytical, oral and written communication skills; 
• Creativity and initiative in identifying strategies to advance policy goals;

• Demonstrated ability to influence and engage diverse audiences and to build long-term collaborative relationships with key organizational and individual partners;

• Genuine passion for the mission of the National Women’s Law Center; 
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time;

• An ability and desire to work in a collaborative, team-based environment, and an orientation to the work that recognizes and values the contributions of all team members.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Relevant experience providing policy and legal technical assistance to state policymakers and/or advocates on gender justice issues.

Key Relationships

This position reports to the Senior Director for State Policy and Strategy on the Strategy and Policy team. Additionally, the State Policy Counsel will collaborate closely across the various programmatic teams (Reproductive Rights and Health, Income Security and Child Care, Workplace Justice and Education), the Office of General Counsel, and the External Affairs (Campaigns & Communications, Development and Research) teams.

Compensation & Benefits

A salary within the range of $90,696-$99,689 will be provided to the successful candidate with 2 to 5 years of experience, consistent with the National Women’s Law Center’s compensation framework. The successful candidate’s salary within this range will be determined by the number of years of relevant experience they bring to the role.

The Law Center offers a comprehensive benefits package, and four weeks of annual vacation.

NWLC is a non-profit organization whose headquarters and staff are based in Washington, D.C. at our new office at 1350 Eye Street N.W.  This role is based in D.C. and will be eligible for some telework while also being expected to work in person on a regular basis. The successful candidate will need to live in or relocated to the DMV (broadly defined as DC, Maryland, or Virginia).

The first 90 days of employment will be considered a probationary period. 

Classification

NWLC recognizes a staff bargaining unit, NWLC United, affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union/IFPTE Local 70, a union for non-profit workers. This position is included in NWLC’s bargaining unit. Specific employment terms are subject to collective bargaining.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining how your professional background is a good fit for this position. Resumes should include exact start and end dates (month and year) of employment, as well as the average number of hours worked per week in each job.  Applications accepted until position is filled.

The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all genders, gender identities and sexual orientations; people of color; and veterans. 

Research indicates members of marginalized groups tend to underestimate their qualifications and apply only if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about NWLC’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. 

Reasonable Accommodations  

If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email [email protected].