Position: Staff or Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project
Department: Legal
Office Location: Washington, DC
Work Type Designation: Hybrid
Generally, employees can live in any of the states that fall within the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) boundaries of their Office of Record as long as they reside within three (3) hours of their Office of Record by ground transportation or ferry. Exceptions may be possible. These states include California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
Work from Office and Hybrid employees must be able to commute to the Regional Office as their schedule demands.
Reports to: Counsel
Union Status: L5 or L7. This is a union position.
Annual Salary Range: L5 = $84,077-$133,688 and L7 = $109,313-$147,056. The salary for this role will be based on a step scale and will be determined by a candidate's years of relevant experience related to the position, as well as their office of record.
Travel: Up to 30%
FLSA Status: 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.
Lambda Legal’s Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project has been dedicated for nearly twenty years to protecting the lives and advancing the legal rights of transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary (TGNCNB) people across America – from schools to public facilities to medical settings, from young people to seniors, from urban to rural and those seeking safety from persecution in their countries of origin. The Project’s work includes defending against the current, unprecedented targeting of TGNCNB people by reactionary state lawmakers and diverse political extremists, as well as litigation challenges to and policy reform of longstanding discriminatory exclusions from protective laws and policies.
Staff or Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project (“NTRP Attorney”)
The NTRP Attorney engages in public policy development and advocacy, public education, and impact litigation to defend and advance the civil rights of transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people, with particular attention to addressing compounding inequities faced by the communities most impacted by intertwining systems of oppression, namely BIPOC, low-income, and immigrant TGNCNB people. The NTRP Attorney also promotes public understanding of and support for our work on these issues; builds relationships with fellow advocates, public officials, and community leaders across the country; and serves as an expert within the Legal department and for the organization.
What you’ll do:
Legal Analysis and Advocacy
Analyze legislative and administrative policy proposals concerning the rights of TGNCNB people at all levels of government; prepare testimony and comments on proposed legislation, regulations, and other public policy proposals; develop model legislation, regulations, and administrative guidance; advocate with government agencies and officials; and advise policymakers in diverse settings.
Work closely with the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Director and other members of the Legal department to develop and lead policy and litigation strategies in this strategic priority area.
To counter state-level policy attacks, partner with colleagues based in Lambda Legal’s regional offices and Communications department to provide analysis, testimony, public education, and engagement regarding discriminatory policy proposals and to support issue campaigns.
Cultivate and strengthen advocacy and community partnerships, including with organizations led by and serving BIPOC and TGNCNB communities, and with legislative and administrative offices to enhance our federal and state advocacy, including by representing Lambda Legal at coalition meetings and convenings.
Provide expertise and support to national and state-based groups and other organizational partners engaged in advocacy to elected and appointed officials, government bodies, and the general public on this strategic priority issue.
Public Education and Outreach
Develop documents and publications such as “Know Your Rights” documents and other materials to assist policymakers, advocates, and community members.
Engage in public speaking, write for a variety of audiences in clear, persuasive terms, and help conceptualize and implement education strategies to advance public knowledge and change dialogue about nonbinary and transgender legal issues. The education work may involve frequent interviews with print, radio, television, and online media.
Advise and work collaboratively with the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Director and other colleagues in the Legal and Communications departments to develop and execute public education strategies to enhance public understanding of and support for the civil rights of TGNCNB people, including opinion pieces, longer-form reports, other analysis and advocacy pieces for diverse publishers, and social media and other public education content on these issues.
Represent Lambda Legal at conferences, convenings, and associations focused on or meaningfully engaging with policy issues impacting TGNCNB people and advise members of the Legal and Communications departments on how to engage with those entities to build effective partnering relationships and achieve our public education and advocacy goals.
Impact Litigation
Track and assess legal theories and litigation strategy and consult with Lambda Legal colleagues engaged litigation to defend and advance the rights of TGNCNB people.
Consult with private lawyers who are handling matters related to Lambda Legal’s areas of expertise.
Identify and cultivate litigation opportunities, whether from our legal Help Desk, referrals from private attorneys, media accounts, in response to government action, or other sources.
Provide amicus curiae support through brief writing and coordination.
Conduct litigation in appellate courts or administrative proceedings.
Engage in other duties consistent with the above as appropriate in furtherance of Lambda Legal’s mission and the goals of the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project.
Who you are:
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.
J.D. degree
Demonstrated legal writing and oral communication ability
Experience engaging in policy advocacy strongly preferred
Demonstrated ability developing and implementing strategic goals, leading and managing projects, and motivating teams
Demonstrated awareness of and commitment to addressing the concerns of TGNCNB people, including the ways in which other forms of discrimination (e.g., race, color, national origin, immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, HIV status, age, education, and class) exacerbate discrimination based on gender identity or expression status
The ability to travel to fulfill some of the duties of this position
Additional Desirable Qualifications
Experience in the LGBTQ+ and/or HIV rights movements. Previous experience addressing transgender and nonbinary legal issues is highly desirable.
Experience working with civil rights-oriented legal and/or policy organizations, legal non-profit or civil rights legal organizations, or in government in a role related to enforcement of civil rights
Demonstrated ability developing and implementing strategic goals, leading and managing projects, and motivating teams
The ability to speak Spanish or other commonly encountered language other than English
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:
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Read more about Lambda Legal's work on our blog and Instagram.
Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education, work, and life experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.
Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Lambda Legal encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals living with HIV are all encouraged to apply.
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