Legal Reporter
About The Position
Democracy Docket is seeking a Legal Reporter to enhance and deepen its coverage of election litigation. The ideal candidate will be an experienced legal reporter with a strong understanding of court reporting, as well as the legal and news landscape surrounding voting rights issues. This role involves producing original, timely stories that delve into key election cases, identifying noteworthy arguments or details in legal filings, and explaining their significance for ballot access. The reporter will also collaborate with the Research team and Senior Legal Editor to identify trends in election litigation and contribute to mission-driven, pro-democracy journalism.
Requirements
- Deep experience covering political and policy issues in the courts, with a proven track record of producing authoritative reporting and unique, original angles.
- Demonstrated ability to break news is a major plus.
- Proven track record of breaking legal news and/or producing stories with unique, original angles.
- Strong grasp of legal procedure and of key concepts in election law.
- Ability to write clearly and concisely on a tight deadline.
- Instinct for finding the story others miss, including by highlighting revealing details hidden in filings.
- Willingness to juggle multiple projects, to adjust plans in response to breaking news, and to pitch in as part of a team.
- Strong grasp of national politics and policy, and of the political dimensions of the legal fights over voting rights.
- Concern about the dangers U.S. democracy currently faces, and an eagerness to contribute to the fight to protect and strengthen it.
Responsibilities
- Pitch and write stories across a range of formats — breaking news, quick-turns, Day 2 analyses, explainers, deeper-dives — that deepen readers’ understanding of the legal battles over voting rights.
- Comb through court filings to find stories and angles, paying especially close attention to the arguments and strategies of anti-voting actors, including the DOJ.
- Work with our Research team to closely track elections cases and to develop a detailed, nuanced understanding of the most important ones.
- Work collaboratively with editors, especially the Senior Legal Editor, to brainstorm ideas, plan coverage, test assumptions, etc.
- Develop a network of sources — voting rights advocates, election law experts, election administrators, etc. — to inform and enrich coverage of ongoing cases.
- Work with Democracy Docket’s Social, Video and Product teams to help produce additional content — social posts, video, newsletters, member emails, etc.
- Appear on external podcasts, TV/radio shows, etc. to promote reporting and explain election cases.
- Possible travel for on-the-ground coverage of elections disputes and/or court proceedings, especially around the post-election period.
Benefits
- Merit-based annual bonus eligibility
- 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees
- 401(k) with 6% company match, available after 3 months
- Commuter benefits to help with your daily travel
- 18 days of PTO per year (increasing with tenure)
- 10 paid Health & Wellness days annually
- 2 paid personal days annually
- 11 paid holidays, observed per company policy
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
