Public Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pursuing justice for the victims of corporate and government abuses, seeks to hire a litigator with up to five years of experience for an Associate Attorney position in our Food Project. The Food Project at Public Justice combines litigation with education and advocacy to reform the harmful practices employed by industrial animal agriculture and support a more sustainable and humane food production system.  The position is based in our Washington D.C. office.  Because Public Justice handles litigation, education, and advocacy nationally, the position will likely entail significant travel. 

The Food Project at Public Justice takes a multifaceted approach to build power and achieve a just, humane, sustainable, and regenerative animal agriculture system. In our lawsuits, we represent farmers, rural communities, consumers, and workers who share our vision. In our advocacy, we spread awareness of the systemic inequities that have allowed this corporate takeover of our food system and show policymakers and the public how they can support a return to farming focused on sustaining communities rather than extracting profit.

The Associate Attorney will report to and work closely with Food Project staff and will also work collaboratively with Public Justice’s other attorneys, outside lawyers who support Public Justice’s work, and other public interest groups to further the project’s goals.  The Associate Attorney will also work on educating attorneys and advocates on how to use the legal system to challenge industry misconduct.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Food Project Staff Attorneys and clients to support their litigation, including investigating, developing, and prosecuting cases. In working with the Staff Attorneys on developing and maintaining their dockets the Associate Attorney will participate in the full range of tasks involved in complex litigation, including factual investigation, legal research and analysis, discovery, briefing, and oral advocacy.
• Develop and engage in legal advocacy outside of court based on the ways in which the litigation intersects with policymaking and base building, including drafting and reviewing legislation; drafting rulemaking petitions, comments to agencies, letters, fact sheets and other materials; and, participating in coalition meetings and events.
• Manage case intake process and provide potential clients with resources.
• Help build and train a network of private attorneys who are challenging corporate misconduct in industrial animal agriculture, including developing materials designed to educate members of the public and the bar.
• Other legal work to further the priorities of the work of the Food Project at Public Justice.

Qualifications:

• Law school graduate with up to five years of relevant legal experience.
• At least two years of litigation experience, which includes clerkships.
• Admission to a State Bar.
• Excellent analytical, legal research, and writing skills
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks at a time and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivation and proven ability to work independently.
• Strong work ethic, initiative, and sound, yet creative judgment.
• Willingness to travel extensively, meaning roughly a dozen times a year.
• Sensitivity to the needs and concerns of and the ability to work with individuals and groups from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Contributes to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages collaboration.

We offer a mission-focused work environment, a collaborative culture, and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits. Diversity valued. Applications invited without regard to race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or disability.