Senior Fellow

Alliance Defending Freedom•Scottsdale, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is seeking a Senior Fellow to join their Research & Innovation (R&I) team. The R&I team is dedicated to addressing current legal and cultural challenges by producing scholarly work and translating ideas into ADF's various initiatives, including litigation, legislation, communications, and movement-building. The Senior Fellow will focus on a specific research portfolio, generating original work and disseminating it through writing, speaking, testimony, and media engagement. This role is crucial for shaping law and culture by developing innovative ideas and strategies.

Requirements

A terminal degree (J.D., Ph.D., M.D., D.Min., or equivalent) is strongly preferred.
A minimum of 10 years of ascending experience in law, policy, academia, journalism, theology, ministry, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated range of experience across multiple fields (law, policy, academia, journalism, theology, ministry) with a record of advancing solutions.
Ability to identify and analyze emerging threats to religious liberty, freedom of speech, parental rights, life, and related freedoms.
Proficiency in producing original written work in various formats for diverse audiences.
Ability to build a recognized public voice and external relationships.
Skill in developing practical, action-oriented proposals for legal and policy strategies.
Experience collaborating with internal teams on strategy and messaging.
Ability to represent the organization before policymakers and agencies.
Strong external engagement and alliance-building skills.
Experience organizing and leading events.
Ability to support the professional development of others.
Familiarity with AI-assisted horizon-scanning tools is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Experience across more than one of the following fields: law, policy, academia, journalism, theology, ministry.
A record of work that has advanced solutions, not merely documented problems.

Responsibilities

Identify and analyze emerging threats to religious liberty, freedom of speech, parental rights, life, and related freedoms, including those from disruptive technologies and government actions at all levels, utilizing AI-assisted tools and traditional research methods.
Produce original written work in both popular and academic formats (e.g., essays, policy papers, white papers, op-eds, articles) for Christian and general audiences, aiming for publication in leading legal, Christian, and conservative journals.
Develop a recognized public voice in their strategic focus area, building a platform and external relationships to establish themselves and ADF as a key resource.
Develop practical, action-oriented proposals for litigation strategy, model legislation, regulatory comments, and executive policy in collaboration with ADF's internal teams.
Collaborate with ADF’s Legal, Legislative and Policy, and Communications teams on case strategy, amicus briefs, model bills, testimony, and public messaging.
Contribute to ADF’s internal position papers and knowledge management projects.
Represent ADF before policymakers, regulatory agencies, and allied organizations.
Represent ADF through speaking engagements, media appearances, podcasts, and symposia, effectively communicating complex ideas to diverse audiences.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with leaders in the conservative movement, the Church, academia, and policy institutions, leveraging existing networks and expanding them.
Organize and lead colloquia, symposia, pop-up salons, and strategic gatherings to generate intelligence, thought leadership, and movement-building opportunities.
Contribute to ADF’s broader programmatic events, such as conferences, panel discussions, and public lectures.
Support the professional development of Research Specialists and early-career attorneys through feedback, mentorship, and intellectual formation.
Assist in developing materials, including testimony, position papers, and public commentary, to advance ADF’s mission across all issue areas.