Senior Legal Editor
About The Position
Democracy Docket is seeking a Senior Legal Editor to help steer and shape its original reporting, specifically on voting rights and election law. The ideal candidate will be an experienced editor and newsroom leader with expertise in covering courts and law, and translating complex legal concepts into compelling journalism. They should possess a strong ability to identify original angles, anticipate storylines, guide reporters, and frame stories for maximum impact. A solid understanding of voting and democracy issues, and their intersection with politics and law, is essential. The role requires an enthusiasm for mission-driven, pro-democracy journalism that actively calls out anti-democratic actors.
Requirements
- Deep experience directing and editing legal news coverage – ideally in a courts, voting, election law or related legal beat.
- A digital-newsroom background, with experience publishing quickly, optimizing for audience, and thinking across formats — text, social, video, and direct communications with members — to best showcase our coverage.
- Proven track record managing reporters and assigning and shaping stories in a fast-paced news environment.
- Excellent news judgment and an instinct for finding the story others miss.
- Strong grasp of national politics and policy.
- Concern about the dangers U.S. democracy currently faces, and an eagerness to contribute to the fight to protect and strengthen it.
Nice To Haves
- Experience as an editor or reporter on voting and democracy stories is a huge plus.
Responsibilities
- Lead Democracy Docket's election litigation and courts coverage, the core plank of our news coverage of voting issues.
- Work closely with other top editors to identify key storylines and opportunities for enterprise reporting.
- Manage, direct and assign a small team of reporters producing breaking news and enterprise stories.
- Work with our legal research team to ensure we are closely covering key developments in voting, elections and redistricting cases.
- Quickly sharpen drafts, including punching up headlines and ledes, to make the finished product even stronger.
- Collaborate with, and help generate ideas for, Democracy Docket’s Social, Video, and Growth teams on promotion and other organizational goals.
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
- 18 days of PTO per year (increasing with tenure)
- 10 paid Health & Wellness days annually
- 2 paid personal days annually
- 11 paid holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
