Position Summary 

The Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is hiring for two Supreme Court & Appellate Counsel positions, to join its Washington, D.C. Office. The person selected for this position will develop and manage a docket of high impact appellate cases and litigate appellate cases from development to resolution, in federal and/or state appellate courts, in furtherance of the organization’s mission, including police and prosecutor accountability, jail and prison conditions, and other aspects of criminal legal system reform.

The Supreme Court and Appellate Counsel oversees internal and external thought leadership on issues the organization has identified as current priorities, and works closely with the SCAP Director on case management, litigation team direction, and resource allocation. The SCAP Counsel also mentors junior attorneys, interns/students, clinical students, and/or litigation support team members.

About the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center

The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is a national, nonprofit civil rights law firm.  We advocate for people harmed by America’s oppressive and violent criminal legal system to vindicate their rights, hold people with power accountable, and transform the system. Our advocacy includes cutting-edge litigation across the country, addressing end-to-end issues in the criminal legal system: from police and prosecutorial misconduct to mass incarceration, to the conditions of jails and prisons, to wrongful convictions.

We have offices in Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; New Orleans, Louisiana; Oxford, Mississippi; and Washington, D.C. For more information on our work, visit www.macarthurjustice.org.

The criminal legal system disproportionately harms people of color, people from low-income communities, people who were formerly incarcerated, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We strongly encourage people who identify within these and other communities underrepresented in the legal profession to apply. All applicants must have and be committed to the cultural competence required to work with clients, co-workers, and community partners who come from different backgrounds and experiences.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Litigation 

• Manage appellate litigation, including overall litigation strategy and allocating responsibilities between team members (including internal and external co-counsel, and paralegals);
• Oversee work performed by more junior attorneys in the context of appeals, including training and preparing them for all aspects of appeals.
• Assess potential legal risks and propose risk mitigation strategies in the identification and screening of potential appeals;
• Ensure a client-centered approach to litigation, including effective client outreach and communication to ensure clients are informed about the status of their case;
• Draft briefs, and review and edit briefs drafted by others, in federal and state appellate courts, and at both the certiorari and merits stages at the U.S. Supreme Court; and
• Second- and first-chairing oral argument.
• Provide case-related direction and oversight for more junior team members, such as more junior attorneys, legal fellows, interns, or clinical students.

Communications & External Collaboration:

• Demonstrates leadership in supporting Communications in external work related to one or more of the organization’s priority issues, in addition to supporting and working in collaboration with Communications in relation to casework;
• Demonstrates thought leadership in convenings, such as relevant conferences or with community groups;
• Demonstrates leadership in building and sustaining relationships with partner organizations that are connected to the organization’s work.

Internal Strategic Engagement and Support:

• Undertakes a leadership role in strategic discussion and convening as to one or more of the organization’s priority issues, either at the organizational or group level;
• Works closely with the SCAP Director on needs related to case management, litigation team supervision and resource allocation, and mentoring of more junior attorneys, interns/students, or litigation support team members; and
• Supports internal initiatives and needs, including supporting organizational or group functions related to development, technology, hiring, and the administration of intern or clinical programs.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s Degree and J.D. degree required.

Skills and Experience:

• Seven (7) years of litigation experience required;
• Oral argument experience required;
• Exceptional skills in legal research, and in writing and editing briefs;
• Substantial skill and experience in all aspects of appellate strategy;
• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills, including with supervising attorney and/or SCAP Director, collaborating team-members, external co-counsel, and opposing counsel, as appropriate;
• Experience leading teams;
• Self-motivated, diligent, and able to ensure deadlines are met;
• Comfortable working with people in detention centers and with people otherwise caught up in the criminal legal system;
• Experience with coalition building, and a demonstrated ability to use the law creatively and strategically to seek justice for clients;
• Substantial experience with constitutional law and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 litigation; and
• Ability to create a working environment that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming, and a willingness to honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of MJC staff and clients.

Technology:

Proficiency required with Westlaw and with Microsoft products, including Word, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Travel: 

Occasional travel for oral arguments, conferences, and MJC-wide meetings.

Location:

This position is based in the Washington, D.C. Office, which currently operates on a hybrid schedule with two designated in-person days each week. The person [or people] selected for this position must live in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia.

Compensation: 

The starting salary range for this position is $125,000 – $158,000 commensurate with years of experience.

TO APPLY:

Please submit the following:

• A cover letter describing your interest and experience,
• Resume,
• Sample appellate brief for which you had principal drafting responsibility

Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.  Applications will be accepted through January 9, 2025 or until the position is filled.   

To learn more about our benefits visit macarthurjustice.org/benefits/

MJC is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness-eligible employer.  For more information visit: studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#qualifying-employment