Staff Attorney – Hotline

Staff Attorney

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (Reporters Committee) is hiring an early career attorney to expand the Reporters Committee’s ability to rapidly respond to legal threats to press freedom and to ensure that journalists across the country have easy access to the pro bono legal resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. The Staff Attorney will oversee the Reporters Committee’s Legal Hotline, including supervising the work of legal fellows tasked with responding to hotline inquiries. The Staff Attorney also will be responsible for providing legal training to journalists and news organizations, and for developing and maintaining Reporters Committee’s written resources on topics ranging from safely covering protests and elections to vetting stories to reduce legal risk. The Staff Attorney will take a lead role in promoting the work of the Reporters Committee and partner legal services providers, and in cultivating and maintaining relationships with private attorneys, law firms, law school legal clinics, nonprofit organizations, and other partners.

The Staff Attorney also will have the opportunity to provide direct legal services alongside other Reporters Committee attorneys, including by representing the Reporters Committee, news organizations, and individual journalists in impact and defense litigation involving newsgathering and First Amendment rights, and advising independent and freelance journalists on legal concerns in connection with the Reporters Committee’s pre-publication/vetting practice. 

This full-time position reports to the Deputy Legal Director.

The Reporters Committee is based in Washington, D.C. Applicants based in the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area are strongly preferred but stellar remote applicants will be considered. Starting salary, based on experience, will range from $105,800 - $115,400. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Key Responsibilities Include:

 ●     Manage and oversee the Reporters Committee’s Legal Hotline, including supervising the work of legal fellows tasked with responding to hotline inquiries;

 ●     Provide legal training to inform journalists and news organizations about their newsgathering and First Amendment rights;

 ●     Develop and maintain Reporters Committee guides and other written resources on topics ranging from safely covering protests and elections to vetting stories to reduce legal risk;

 ●     Work with other Reporters Committee attorneys and staff to cultivate relationships with private attorneys, law firms, law school legal clinics, nonprofit organizations, and other partners;

 ●     Promote the work of the Reporters Committee and other partner legal services providers;

 ●     Work with other Reporters Committee attorneys to represent journalists and news organizations in litigation and other First Amendment and newsgathering matters.

Qualifications:

●     At least one year of post-graduate legal experience; substantive experience in media law is strongly preferred;

●     A passion for protecting press freedom and a strong desire to support the work of journalists across the country;

●     Excellent written and oral communication skills; public speaking experience is preferred;

●     Strong leadership skills with the ability to effectively supervise and guide Reporters Committee legal fellows and legal interns; 

●     Good judgment and the highest level of professional integrity.