Public Rights Project Staff Attorney, Elections

About the Organization

Public Rights Project (PRP) is a public interest legal nonprofit, headquartered in Oakland, with a remote team based throughout the United States. Our mission is to close the gap between the promise of our laws and the lived reality of our most vulnerable communities. Since 2017, we have been working at the intersection of community organizing and state and local government enforcement to build a scalable, equitable community-based enforcement model to protect civil rights and advance economic justice.

PRP launched its Election Protection Hub (EPH) to support local elections officials as they fight to protect the voting rights of their residents and secure safe and fair elections. The EPH provides training, technical assistance, and legal backup to election administrators to enable them to respond to election threats quickly and effectively.

In addition, PRP's EPH participates in broader election protection and pro-democracy coalition work, both to support litigation by partner organizations and to more effectively coordinate resources to defend against efforts to undermine free elections, threaten marginalized communities, and threaten the rule of law.

Job Summary

Public Rights Project seeks to hire a Staff Attorney to join the EPH. The Staff Attorney will staff PRP's in-house efforts to represent and advise state, local, and tribal governments and elected officials in support of election administration and the expansion of voting rights. The Staff Attorney will be assigned to support PRP government partners in particular states. The Staff Attorney will therefore serve as a "state lead," and will be expected to become an expert in election administration, voting rights, and political developments in their assigned state. This includes conducting regular outreach to government and non-government partners in the assigned states.

The Staff Attorney may also assist with litigation and programmatic matters within PRP's wider programmatic portfolio. However, the majority of their time would be housed within the EPH. Although this position does not incorporate formal supervisory responsibilities, the Staff Attorney will sometimes lead teams and may review the work of other attorneys, alongside more independent work or work as a contributor to other case teams. This position reports to the Elections and Government Partnership Director. This position will also work closely with the Chief Program Officer and other program team directors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Advise, counsel, and represent PRP government clients on particular matters;
• Conduct legal research and provide guidance and analysis of laws on elections, voting, and state constitutions across a range of jurisdictions;
• Conduct outreach to recruit local government officials to join as EPH partners;
• Draft, review, edit, and provide feedback on analytic and persuasive written work product, including legal technical assistance;
• Identify opportunities for EPH advocacy and strategize pathways to action;
• Advise on case selection and strategy;
• Support litigation in state and federal courts;
• Support PRP's communications about the EPH, including through public speaking, conversations with the press, and drafting press statements, "explainers," and op-eds;
• Work well independently and collaboratively.

Qualifications

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below :

Compensation, Benefits & Specifications

This is a full-time, fully remote, exempt role with a salary range of $82,735 - $111,935 . The exact salary will be based on the candidate's experience. For internal equity purposes, PRP will not negotiate with candidates outside of the role's designated range. Public Rights Project offers a robust suite of benefits, including health, dental & vision insurance, retirement savings, and stipends for cell phones, home office & professional development. You can see details of the benefits offered here.

This role requires travel several times a year to PRP events, case hearings, conferences, or meetings. We currently have remote staff in Boston, Chicago, Kansas City (MO), Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, DC, as well as other cities. Work pace can be intense during periods of urgent response (e.g., weekend brief drafting), balanced with periods of lower intensity. This role requires sitting, talking, and listening for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to promptly submit their applications through our online portal. All applicants will receive a response to their application. Please email rcostello@positivelypartners.org with questions or for support in submitting your application.

Application Timeline

The expected start date is in December 2025 or January 2026. Positively Partners is committed to conducting an equitable, accessible assessment process. If you would like to request an accommodation during the interview process, please email search@positivelypartners.org. Accommodation requests will be handled confidentially.

PRP Hiring Commitment

PRP is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. A diverse and inclusive workplace, both at PRP and within the government offices we serve, is a key ingredient for achieving our mission of building equitable enforcement capacity within state and local government.

We aim to assemble a team that reflects the world we live in and the communities we serve with respect to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and immigration status. People with personal or family experience with the type of harms we seek to combat, including wage theft, predatory lending, fraud, discrimination, and environmental degradation, are particularly encouraged to apply.

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