Legal Assistant

 

Position Summary:

Are you a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented professional eager to support impact litigation work and interested in learning about the legal and paralegal professions? If so, Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is looking for Legal Assistants to join our team.

We are seeking resourceful and flexible professionals who are eager to learn to support Democracy Forward’s legal team and litigation. This position will be responsible for supporting Democracy Forward’s pro-democracy litigation docket through factual research and administrative tasks. 

The positions are full time and will require occasional evening and weekend work. Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence several days a week to effectively support the nature of the role. 

The Legal Assistant program at Democracy Forward is a two-year program. Candidates enter as Legal Assistants; successful candidates are asked to remain for another year as Senior Legal Assistants with increased responsibilities. After two years, successful candidates may be considered for other available roles in the organization. The Legal Assistant Position is ideal for candidates who are planning to continue in the legal or paralegal professions. 

The Junior Legal Assistant will report to the Managing Attorney and work closely with litigators, paralegals, and senior legal assistants. Applications are due Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Key Responsibilities:

• Research: 
• Assist litigators in conducting, analyzing, and organizing legal, factual, and other research for use in case development and litigation.

• Litigation Support:
• Assist paralegals in preparing, cite-checking, reviewing, filing, and organizing litigation and regulatory documents such as pleadings, briefs, motions, declarations, and comments on rulemakings.
• Assist paralegals in providing substantive and logistical support for case teams and the legal department at large, such as maintaining case files, updating database entries, and more.
• Assist in handling attorney appearances, admissions, and PACER/ECF accounts.
• Track public and internal deadlines and update the legal calendar.

• Administrative Duties:
• Assist Democracy Forward with general administrative support, including in-office support.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

• Required:
  • A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent skills or experience in a legal, government, or nonprofit setting.
  • Strong written, verbal, analytical, problem-solving, and research skills.
  • Ability to work independently, within a team, and under deadlines.
  • Experience working with multiple technological systems and programs, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
  • Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills including demonstrated self-awareness, commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for litigation.
• This role will require occasional evening and weekend work which will be compensated at an overtime rate.

The salary for this position is $72,100 commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits. This position is overtime eligible. Compensation is commensurate with experience.