Paralegal Associate

Protect Democracy is hiring at least one Paralegal Associate to help protect the right to speak out, protest, and engage in other First Amendment-protected political activity. This is a moment of existential consequence for American democracy. At this juncture, Protect Democracy stands as one of the nation’s leading and most respected nonpartisan organizations dedicated to preventing our democracy from further declining into authoritarianism. In this role, you will join a newly formed team dedicated to ensuring that communities can continue to speak out and engage politically despite the increasing use of the military, federal law enforcement, and other levers of federal power to quash protests, quell dissent, and intimidate political opponents. This team builds on Protect Democracy’s litigation to defend peaceful protest against abusive DHS tactics in Chicago and Portland and expertise on the domestic use of military force. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to learn the ins and outs of impact litigation and case management while making a difference for our democracy. Prior paralegal experience supporting civil litigation in federal court is required. At Protect Democracy, we believe that diversity isn’t just a strength—it’s a necessity for tackling the complex challenges facing our country today. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply. We will consider applicants from almost anywhere in the United States.* If you meet most but not all of the criteria listed below but believe nonetheless you’d be a stellar match for the role and could grow into it, we want to hear from you. The priority deadline to apply for this role is December 7, 2025. We are looking to fill this role by early February 2026. As a Paralegal Associate, you will:

• Support litigation by:
• Managing and organizing case files and documents;
• Contributing to the preparation and finalization of legal memos and pleadings;
• Coordinating court filings;
• And assisting with the discovery process.
• Conduct research, synthesize findings, and draft related memoranda, reports, and other communications;
• Cite-check and Bluebook, fact-check, proofread, and assist with drafting court filings, letters, and other public-facing documents;
• Engage professionally with clients, opposing counsel, partner organizations, and other external stakeholders;
• Perform project management on discrete projects, including setting up logistics for calls, creating agendas, and supporting internal-facing communications (i.e. emails, presentations);
• Assist in managing litigation projects and workstreams overall, including developing work plans, tracking and communicating progress toward goals, and offering your feedback and input along the way;
• Support the creation and maintenance of information management systems, processes, and tools within and amongst impact teams;
• Contribute ideas during impact and litigation strategic brainstorming sessions;
• Contribute to culture-building initiatives across the organization.

Required:

• At least one year of relevant paralegal experience in federal civil litigation, including:
• Supporting litigation through preparing, finalizing, and filing pleadings in court, cite checking and Bluebooking documents, drafting discovery materials and correspondence; and preparing administrative documents like pro hac vice applications;
• Navigating federal rules of civil procedure and local rules;
• Case management/litigation administration (including managing large quantities of documents and case file and folder organization);
• Available to start at Protect Democracy no later than February 9, 2026.

The ideal candidate also brings:

• A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color;
• An embrace of a cross-ideological and nonpartisan approach to protecting our democracy;
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and presentation skills directed at both legal and non-legal audiences;
• Ability to track, prioritize, and—where necessary—triage a diverse set of responsibilities to use time efficiently and productively;
• Growth mindset and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback up, down and sideways;
• Collaborative orientation and a willingness to take on tasks big or small as needed to advance our mission;
• Enthusiasm for working with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives;
• Excellent, proactive project management skills and comfort managing up, down, and sideways accordingly;
• Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution.

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