Staff Attorney, State Policy

Position:  Staff Attorney, State Policy 

Department:  Legal 

Office Location:  The ideal candidate is located in any of the following states or major metropolitan areas where Lambda Legal has an office: New York, NY (Headquarters); Atlanta, GA (Southern); Dallas, TX (South Central); Chicago, IL (Midwest); Los Angeles, CA (Western); or Washington, D.C.   

Reports to:  Deputy Legal Director for Policy 

Designation: Hybrid or WFH 

Union Salary Grade:  L5. This is a union position.

Annual Salary Range: $79,895 - $142,739 annually. The salary for this role will be determined by a candidate's years of relevant experience related to the position as well as the geographic region.  

Travel: 30% or more to support coalition convenings, legislative sessions, partner engagements, and advocacy events across the country, with scheduling that may be unpredictable given the fast-moving nature of state legislative and regulatory activity. 

FLSA Status:  Exempt/Full-time 

Supervisory Responsibilities: None 

Who We Are  

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. 
 

Staff Attorney, State Policy 

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.  

What you’ll do:  

• State Policy Research & Production 

  • 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. 

• Legislative & Regulatory Support 

  • 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. 

• Coalition & Partner Support 

  • 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. 

• Public Education and Outreach  

  • 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 general public, adapting tone and complexity for the appropriate audience. 
  • Collaborate with the Communications department on public education content related to state policy campaigns. 

Who you are:  

With the understanding that no one person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:   

• Minimum competencies and qualifications:  
  • 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. 

• Preferred competencies and qualifications: 

  • 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.  

All employees at Lambda Legal are expected to adhere to ethical conduct in all interactions and tasks, ensuring a positive and respectful workplace environment.     

Our Values & DEIB Philosophy  

Successful candidates will embrace and champion our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement, bringing a commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and supportive workplace. They will thrive in a diverse environment, actively contributing to a culture that respects and uplifts the full spectrum of communities Lambda Legal serves.  

Candidates can review our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement on our Careers Page. 

Why Work at Lambda Legal? 

You get to do meaningful, life-changing work at a national level for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. Lambda Legal also proudly offers competitive benefits for our team. We understand that our staff’s dedication and effort are instrumental in achieving our mission. A highlight of the benefits we offer include: 

• 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 Time Off: 
  • 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) 

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Read more about Lambda Legal's work on our blog and Instagram.

Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education, work, and life experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Lambda Legal encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals living with HIV are all encouraged to apply.