Counsel (Early Career)

Note: We are currently hiring for two separate counsel profiles. This role is for early-career candidates with 1-5 years of professional legal experience. Please apply only to the position that best reflects your years and depth of experience.

​Protect Democracy seeks highly motivated early-career lawyers to join our team as counsel. Our organization is focused on protecting the integrity of the electoral process, including protecting electoral infrastructure and processes from interference in the 2026 elections and again in 2028. With the Trump administration turning the full power of the federal government against our own elections, protecting free and fair elections has taken on historic urgency. This is a unique opportunity for an attorney looking to develop and sharpen their litigation and advocacy skills in a moment where our democracy is facing unprecedented, exigent legal threats. 

As counsel, you will develop and contribute to legal strategies that advance our mission of preventing our democracy from declining toward a more authoritarian form of government. From idea generation through all stages of planning and execution, counsel work on creative impact litigation and other projects that integrate legal, policy, and communications strategies. Counsel also have opportunities to draw on our expert and advisory networks for guidance and support and to supervise and mentor law students. 

The ideal candidate brings one to five years of experience as an attorney (which may include judicial clerkships, fellowships, etc.) along with exceptional legal, analytical, and communications skills applicable to a range of advocacy strategies, including impact litigation, policy and legislative advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications. Ideal candidates for counsel bring entrepreneurial legal instincts and an ability to generate impactful ideas; demonstrated interest in reasoning through novel or complex problems and developing judgment on identifying workable solutions; and the potential for developing strong external relationship skills.

Candidates must be committed to our mission and cross-ideological strategy for defending our democracy. The priority application deadline for this role is May 14, 2026. You can work remotely from any location in the United States.* (See details in “Flexible Location” section below.) 

At Protect Democracy, we believe that diversity isn’t just a strength — it’s a necessity for tackling the complex challenges facing democracy. A broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthen our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply. If you meet most but not all of the criteria listed below but believe nonetheless you’d be a stellar match for the role and could grow into it, we want to hear from you.

As counsel, you will:

• Research, draft, and edit pleadings, motions, and other briefs filed in impact litigation related to our mission;

• Participate in discovery, including informal fact-finding and evidence gathering, document review, witness interviews, written discovery practice, depositions, and expert discovery;

• Engage with clients, outside counsel, co-counsel, opposition counsel, and non-litigation external stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, agency staff);

• Research and help devise innovative legal arguments and potential litigation approaches, and help build our expertise as thought leaders on legal issues within the scope of our mission;

• Help develop ideas for litigation, policy reform, and other integrated advocacy projects consistent with our mission;

• Help with case management, including legal filings, organizing meetings, and maintaining case materials;

• Work with the communications team to draft editorials and opinion pieces and develop communication strategies to build support for legal and advocacy strategies;

• Work with policy advocates to develop and advance legislative and other advocacy proposals;

• Represent our organization in — and advance our mission through — key coalitions.