Staff Attorney, State Policy

Lambda Legal•Washington, DC

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lambda Legal is a national advocacy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Our clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal also has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, DC. We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. Considering this reality, we prioritize a proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects in the work we do, but also in how we work together as an organization. Lambda Legal seeks a Staff Attorney, State Policy to drive state-level policy advocacy across the country. This role blends skills in legal analysis, legislative strategy, and high-volume policy production and will be key to facilitating building the infrastructure that allows Lambda Legal's civil rights priorities to move quickly and effectively in statehouses, regulatory agencies, and coalition spaces nationwide. Reporting to the Deputy Legal Director for Policy, this attorney will serve as a core engine of Lambda Legal's state policy operation: helping draft model legislation and regulatory guidance, producing rapid-response legal analysis, and helping develop replicable campaign playbooks that empower partners in priority states.

Requirements

J.D. degree and admission to practices in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
3 years of demonstrated experience engaging in policy advocacy or legislative and/or regulatory affairs, with state policy experience strongly preferred.
Experience working in or with state legislatures, state agencies, or state-level advocacy coalitions.
Strong legal drafting skills, including demonstrated ability to write model legislation, regulatory comments, or policy reports.
Experience managing concurrent advocacy campaigns across multiple jurisdictions, delivering expert legal drafting and harm-reduction-informed amendment language on pending legislation.
Demonstrated oral advocacy and communication skills, including public speaking and testimony.
Experience with legislative tracking tools, project management platforms, or databases used to manage high-volume, multi-jurisdictional advocacy work
Experience reading and interpreting federal and state administrative records, regulatory dockets, and agency guidance
Understanding of administrative law and the rulemaking process (APA and state equivalents)
Ability to produce high-quality written work at volume and under deadline pressure.
Demonstrated legal writing and oral communication ability.
Ability to exercise sound judgment in a fast-moving policy environment, including during periods when direct supervisory oversight may be limited.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing advocacy training materials or capacity-building resources for partner organizations
Experience working with civil rights-oriented legal and/or policy organizations, legal non-profit or civil rights legal organizations, or in government in a role related to enforcement of civil rights.
Experience building or managing policy infrastructure from the ground up, including development of workflow systems, tracking tools, or replicable campaign templates.
Demonstrated experience establishing referral or coordination relationships with state-based partner organizations.
Experience with policy data analysis, landscape reporting, or data-informed advocacy strategy.
Prior work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and/or people living with HIV is highly desirable. Experience working with other historically marginalized communities (in a professional or volunteer capacity) is also desirable.

Responsibilities

Draft model legislation, regulations, administrative guidance, and advocacy playbooks under the direction of the Deputy Legal Director for Policy.
Monitor state legislative and regulatory activity across priority jurisdictions and prepare summaries and legal analysis of bills, proposed rules, and executive actions affecting LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV.
Maintain Lambda Legal's state policy operational infrastructure, including a library of model policy resources, legislative tracking tools, and reusable campaign templates and resources to support rapid and high-volume deployment across states.
Prepare first drafts of public comments on proposed state regulations and administrative guidance, including template comment frameworks for use by organizational partners.
Conduct legal research in support of policy analysis, testimony, written advocacy, and public education materials.
Provide assistance with legal drafting and provide a harm-reduction lens on pending state legislation, including proposing targeted amendments to mitigate legal risks in bills advanced by others, including allies and coalition partners.
Assist with preparation of testimony, written advocacy, and briefing materials for legislative hearings and administrative proceedings.
Support engagement with state legislators, agency officials, and their staff under the guidance of the Deputy Legal Director for Policy.
Track and flag state legislative and regulatory developments for review and help maintain organized records of advocacy activity across jurisdictions.
Assist members of the Legal department on matters with state policy dimensions as directed.
Participate in coalition meetings and convenings on behalf of Lambda Legal, providing legal and policy information as directed by the Deputy Legal Director for Policy.
Help prepare materials and resources that support partner organizations engaged in state legislative and regulatory advocacy.
Establish, maintain, and strengthen relationships with state-based advocacy organizations, creating pipelines for timely policy questions and requests.
Participate in public speaking opportunities, including presentations at conferences, community events, and convenings, to advance public understanding of LGBTQ+ and HIV-related legal issues.
Write for a variety of audiences, including legal professionals, policymakers, community members, and the public, adapting tone and complexity for the appropriate audience.
Collaborate with the Communications department on public education content related to state policy campaigns.

Benefits

Medical benefits that begin on your start date
Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (effective 30 days from your start date)
Short & Long-Term Disability plans (effective 30 days from your start date)
403(b) Retirement Plan (employer contribution and matching program begins after 90 days of employment)
Paid Vacation (15 Days)
Sick Leave (12 Days)
Personal Leave (3 Days)
Religious Observance Leave (3 Days)
Bereavement and Bereavement Anniversary Leave
Floating Holiday (1 Day)
12 paid holidays and 5 early office closures
Flexible Spending Account (FSA/DC FSA) and Commuter Benefits
Health Reimbursement Account
Annual professional development funds
$50 monthly mobile phone reimbursement
Summer Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day
Premium subscription to the Calm App
Paid sabbatical after 7 years of service at Lambda Legal (4 weeks for non-exempt positions and 8 weeks for exempt positions)