Overview

Free Speech For People is seeking a public interest attorney, preferably with constitutional law, social justice, and/or election law experience, to join a cutting-edge non-profit fighting for democracy.

Free Speech For People, a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization, was founded on the day of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision in January 2010. We’ve been working since then on a multi-part strategy to defend our Constitution and to reclaim our democracy.

Our recent projects include the 14Point3 litigation and grassroots advocacy campaign under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause against elected officials (including former President Donald Trump, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, and others) involved in the January 6, 2021 insurrection; litigation challenging illegal intimidation of voters, voter suppression laws, and insecure voting systems; litigation challenging the Federal Election Commission’s failure to investigate the Russian government and Trump campaign for coordinated spending in the 2016 election; developing and lobbying for cutting-edge legislation to fight political spending by corporations with significant foreign investment and to eliminate super PACs; and developing and lobbying for comprehensive model legislation to hold social media companies accountable when they engage in targeted amplification of disinformation and threats of violence on their platforms. Most of our projects involve bold new legal approaches rather than routine application of well-established law and, while we’re a small organization, we punch well above our weight.

Job duties

We are seeking a public interest attorney to fight for democracy. Specific projects will emerge and evolve and job duties will vary over time, but the day-to-day will likely center on litigation (writing or assisting with briefs and/or working with outside counsel in affirmative litigation, amicus briefs, and/or defensive litigation if laws that we help pass are challenged in court), legislation (drafting; grassroots and direct lobbying; testifying; and organizing supportive testimony), and legal support for the organization’s advocacy before administrative agencies. Job duties may also include occasional media interviews; public speaking; writing op-eds; organizing panels, symposia, or similar events; and working with our campaign and communications teams on our grassroots campaigns.

The attorney will report to Free Speech For People’s Legal Director (Ron Fein), based in Newton, MA. As it becomes safe to travel, the position may require occasional travel to locations around the country.

Qualifications

  • J.D. and membership in good standing in a state bar
  • 3+ years experience
  • Dedication to public interest work and strong intrinsic motivation
  • Demonstrated ability to work on novel, intellectually complex legal issues
  • Strong written and oral advocacy skills
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently in a nonprofit environment
  • Preferred, but not required: Coursework and/or experience in constitutional law, social justice, and/or election law

Location: Free Speech For People’s Legal Advocacy office is in Newton, MA, just outside Boston. However, candidates living in other locations may be considered if they have a demonstrated ability to work independently and remotely.

Benefits and Salary: In addition to a competitive salary of $70-80K annually, a comprehensive benefits plan is offered, including 100% employer paid dental, vision, and medical health coverage.

Application instructions: Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample that demonstrates your ability to address intellectually complex issues, and (if you graduated fewer than five years ago) law school transcript to Oske Buckley at attorney@freespeechforpeople.org.

Free Speech For People is an affirmative action employer and recruits, employs, retains, and promotes persons in a manner that does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, veteran status, or physical or mental ability which is unrelated to job performance.

About Free Speech For People

Free Speech For People works to renew our democracy and our United States Constitution for we the people. Founded on the day of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, Free Speech For People envisions a democratic process in which all people have an equal voice and an equal vote. We advance this mission with the following innovative, effective, and complementary strategies:

  • We challenge corruption at the highest levels of our government and lead bold campaigns for accountability under the law;
  • We fight for free and fair elections, for reliable and secure voting systems, and for the bedrock principle that, in a democracy, all voters must have their votes properly counted.
  • We engage in legal advocacy in the courts to advance a new jurisprudence on money in politics and to confront the misuse of the U.S. Constitution to claim corporate exemptions from our laws;
  • We develop and advocate for model laws and other tools to challenge big money in politics and to make corporations responsible to the public;

(For a complete list of our issues and projects, visit our web site: FreeSpeechForPeople.org)