Legal Editor
About The Position
The Bulwark is hiring a Legal Editor to manage its written and video coverage of the U.S. federal law, courts, and justice system. This role involves guiding the editorial direction for legal coverage, managing day-to-day operations, and collaborating with editorial and video production teams. The Legal Editor will commission and edit articles and newsletters, oversee law-related video programming, and manage a team of producers, reporters, and contributors. This position requires working closely with Bulwark leadership on strategy and with growth, audience, and operations teams on reach and revenue. The role is designed for an editor who is eager to lead and expand coverage, rather than maintain the status quo.
Requirements
- 8+ years in journalism, with significant experience editing coverage of law, the courts, or the justice system.
- A strong, hands-on line/copy editor who can sharpen an argument, tighten copy, and turn around clean edits on deadline.
- Experience managing people, ideally a mixed team of writers and producers.
- Fluent in how video and podcasts work today: you know what makes a show grow on YouTube and how clips travel on social media.
- A collaborator who can share ownership of shows with network-wide video and production leads.
- Sharp news judgement and the ability to explain complex legal developments to a general audience without dumbing them down.
- A track record of growing an audience for a newsletter, show, or section.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and building process as the team grows.
- Aligned with The Bulwark’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
Responsibilities
- Oversee The Bulwark’s coverage of the most important legal issues facing our democracy, including issues related to the rule of law and accountability.
- Help translate legal developments for a smart, engaged, and curious lay audience.
- Apply The Bulwark's established style to legal coverage, building on legal analyses and commentary already published.
- Decide where coverage should go deeper, and make daily coverage calls.
- Own the publishing calendar for legal coverage across newsletters, articles, and video.
- Edit drafts from the staff writing team and contributors, from fast-turn analyses of breaking news to deeper reporting.
- Assign stories, identify and work with outside contributors, and hold copy to high standards for accuracy, clarity, fairness, and liveliness.
- Follow and help refine The Bulwark’s editing, legal review, and fact-checking process.
- Guide the editorial direction of our legal shows by offering ideas for topics, guests, and segment ideas, ensuring each program has a distinct voice, and coordinating across shows.
- Partner with the Head of Shows and Head of Video, who lead production, scheduling, and standards.
- Work with show producers and hosts to coordinate shows with the legal writing team’s written coverage.
- Help identify moments that can travel as short-form clips on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms.
Benefits
- Competitive pay
- Full employer-sponsored health plans
- 401(k) plan with employer match
- Generous vacation and paid time off
- Commuter benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
