Managing Editor, State Court Report

Brennan Center for Justice•New York, NY

2d•$145,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law seeks a Managing Editor to help run State Court Report, its legal news and analysis publication covering state constitutional law. The Managing Editor will help set the publication’s editorial agenda, identify and assign stories, and provide substantive and line editing for expert analyses of complex legal questions. The role also manages contributor and freelancer relationships, oversees the editorial calendar and case tracking, and periodically writes for the site. The Managing Editor will help shape the publication’s coverage and long-term editorial and creative strategies by identifying emerging trends, pitching stories and authors, and developing content and audience-building approaches. The position collaborates across the Brennan Center, reports to State Court Report’s Editor in Chief, and works closely with the Communications Department. It is based at the Brennan Center’s New York City headquarters and may require occasional travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree plus substantial legal journalism experience, or a law degree.
At least seven years of editorial experience, preferably at a legal, policy, or news publication.
Outstanding organizational and project management skills.
Exceptional editing skills and judgment, including experience editing complex legal or policy writing by subject matter experts.
Strong news judgment and excellent writing ability.
Ability to work collaboratively and independently in a busy, dynamic environment while managing multiple projects.
Ability to meet deadlines.
Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships.
Ability to work constructively with contributors who hold differing viewpoints and perspectives.
Creative, problem-solving mindset and demonstrated ability to turn ideas into products or actions.

Nice To Haves

Keen interest in law and legal developments.
Experience in an editorial leadership role.
Experience managing staff, freelancers, or contractors.

Responsibilities

Help shape the next phase of growth for State Court Report, including new content and audience-building strategies.
Manage the editorial calendar; plan, assign, and track deliverables from freelance writers, contributors, and Brennan Center staff; maintain a cadence of at least 3–5 articles per week; and manage deadlines.
Edit legal analyses, interviews, features, and other content, including structural and line edits for arguments, clarity, legal precision, and style.
Coordinate timely coverage of major state supreme court rulings and plan packages on topics such as judicial elections, end-of-year decision roundups, and back-to-school resources.
Build and maintain a nationwide contributor network of scholars, journalists, practitioners, and judges; serve as its primary contact and recruit new voices and diverse perspectives.
Supervise staff and contractors, including freelance writers and editors.
Oversee state case and docket tracking and identify legal developments and trends warranting in-depth analysis.
Participate in regular content meetings and collaborate on story ideas.
Periodically write articles and analyses and contribute to the biweekly newsletter.
Write and edit headlines and decks, and draft article updates in response to breaking news.
Draft case summaries for the case database, keep case pages current, and ensure notable cases are appropriately tagged.
Create content for social media and other digital platforms and experiment with new approaches.
Participate in planning digital forums, symposia, online discussions, events, and other content.
Lead targeted outreach to key audiences to expand readership.