Policy Assistant & Paralegal

Position: Policy Assistant & Paralegal

Department: Legal

Office Location: The ideal candidate is located in any of the following states or major metropolitan areas where Lambda Legal has an office: New York, NY (Headquarters); Atlanta, GA (Southern); or Washington, D.C.  

Work Type Designation: Hybrid or Work from Home. If located in a city where Lambda Legal has an office, the candidate will be designated Hybrid to support office responsibilities, such as opening confidential legal mail, producing packets or other policy materials, and attending coalition meetings.

Reports to: Deputy Legal Director for Policy

Union Status:  L1. This is a union position.
Annual Salary Range: $59,053 - $86,723. The salary for this role is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement based on a candidate's years of relevant experience relative to the position and the geographic region.  Our salary scale for this role starts at 1 year and goes up to 30+ years of experience.   

Travel: This position will require occasional travel to congressional offices and state houses for supporting in-person policy priorities, such as hearings, briefings, rallies, coalition meetings, public education events, conferences, etc. Travel may be urgent or unpredictable based on needs and advanced notice will vary. 

FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt/Full-time

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Who We Are  

Lambda Legal is a national advocacy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Our clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal also has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, DC.   
  
We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. Considering this reality, we prioritize a proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects in the work we do, but also in how we work together as an organization. 
 

Policy Assistant & Paralegal

The Policy Assistant and Paralegal primarily supports Lambda Legal's public policy work across federal and state processes. Core responsibilities include tracking legislation and bills, helping stand up model policy initiatives, preparing and filing advocacy materials such as letters and comments, and managing data and reporting on policy metrics nationwide  to advance Lambda Legal’s cutting-edge policy advocacy, impact litigation, and educational work. While policy work is the core focus, this role may also be called upon to support litigation efforts as needed, including legal research and court filings.  

This role supports the work of multiple attorneys on a wide array of issues within Lambda Legal’s mission. 

What you'll do:

• Build and maintain infrastructure and systems to organize Lambda Legal’s policy work, including administrative support to develop model policy initiatives 

• Track and monitor state and federal legislation to help maintain a national view of policy and litigation activity 

• Prepare and file public policy advocacy materials, including administrative comments, substantive advocacy letters, and other similar documents 

• Manage policy-related data and compile metrics to support reporting and decision-making 

• Prepare and distribute newsletters and other regular reports that provide updates on policy work regionally and across the country 

• Perform research on legislation and regulations by monitoring activity in the Federal Register, the Congressional Record, and using a legislative tracking program 

• Contact court personnel, government offices, other attorneys and advocates, and others as appropriate 

• Assist in maintaining client and governmental relationships 

• Provide administrative support to the Deputy Legal Director of Policy, including calendar management, coordination of travel (including exhibiting at conferences and in-person meetings), budget and expense reconciliation, and preparation of materials for internal and external meetings 

• Draft correspondence, including emails, letters, comments, and other written materials in support of our policy and advocacy work 

• Prepare presentations, fact sheets, talking points, and other educational materials to support internal teams, coalition partners, and external audiences  

• Provide legal and administrative support to attorneys including, but not limited to, the production of reports, legal pleadings, and briefs (including proofreading and cite-checking) 

• Help ensure compliance with all applicable court rules by maintaining case files and other organizational systems 

• Other duties as assigned 

Who you are: 

With the understanding that no one person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:   

• Minimum qualifications:  

  • Ability to build and maintain systems and processes to organize materials and improve efficiency 
  • Previous experience tracking legislation and bills at the federal and/or state level 
  • Experience creating reports, presentations, and other materials for internal and external audiences 
  • Proficient in administrative support tasks, including calendaring, travel coordination, expense reconciliation, and other general duties 
  • Highly organized and detail oriented, with the ability to track and manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and systems simultaneously 
  • Strong research skills, including the ability to monitor and synthesize information from legislative and regulatory sources 
  • Ability to manage data and compile metrics to support reporting and decision-making 
  • Willingness to develop specialized knowledge about legislative and policy processes, as well as the legal system 
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to draft clear and accurate correspondence and advocacy materials 
  • Dependable and self-motivated, with the ability to take initiative, work independently, and follow through on tasks with minimal oversight 
  • Collaborative and team-oriented, with the ability to work effectively across teams, including paralegals, attorneys, and external partners to advance shared goals and projects 
  • Comfortable communicating and coordinating with a range of stakeholders, including government offices, coalition partners, attorneys, and advocates 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (specifically Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat 

• Preferred qualifications: 

  • Prior experience supporting policy or legislative advocacy work, at the state and/or federal level is highly desired 
  • Prior legal support or paralegal experience 
  • Experience with electronic court filing systems (including Federal Judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system). 
  • Proficiency in Westlaw or LexisNexis preferred 
  • Experience tracking legislation in tracking programs such as Quorum or FiscalNoteis a plus.  

Successful candidates will welcome the opportunity to work in a racially- and gender-diverse environment and to contribute to a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Working at Lambda Legal requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the breadth of the communities that Lambda Legal serves. Prior work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and/or people living with HIV is highly desirable. Experience working with other historically marginalized communities (in a professional or volunteer capacity) is also desirable. 

All employees at Lambda Legal are expected to adhere to ethical conduct in all interactions and tasks, ensuring a positive and respectful workplace environment.  

Our Values & DEIB Philosophy 

Successful candidates will embrace and champion our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement, bringing a commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and supportive workplace. They will thrive in a diverse environment, actively contributing to a culture that respects and uplifts the full spectrum of communities Lambda Legal serves. 

Candidates can review our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement on our Careers Page. 
 

Why Work at Lambda Legal? 

You get to do meaningful, life-changing work at a national level for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. Lambda Legal also proudly offers competitive benefits for our team. We understand that our staff’s dedication and effort are instrumental in achieving our mission. A highlight of the benefits we offer include: 

• Medical benefits that begin on your start date 
• Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• Short & Long-Term Disability plans (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (employer contribution and matching program begins after 90 days of employment) 
• Paid Time Off: 
  • Paid Vacation (15 Days) 
  • Sick Leave (12 Days) 
  • Personal Leave (3 Days) 
  • Religious Observance Leave (3 Days) 
  • Bereavement and Bereavement Anniversary Leave 
  • Floating Holiday (1 Day) 
• 12 paid holidays and 5 early office closures 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA/DC FSA) and Commuter Benefits 
• Health Reimbursement Account 
• Annual professional development funds 
• $50 monthly mobile phone reimbursement 
• Summer Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day 
• Premium subscription to the Calm App 
• Paid sabbatical after 7 years of service at Lambda Legal (4 weeks for non-exempt positions and 8 weeks for exempt positions)