Reproductive Health and Justice Staff Attorney

Job Description

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is seeking a staff attorney to direct its Initiative to Promote Reproductive Health for Low-Income Women (“Initiative”). The Initiative is NHeLP’s strategy for enhancing low-income women’s access to quality reproductive health services in the United States, within NHeLP’s broader health advocacy agenda. The Initiative promotes the reproductive health and rights of low-income women and women of color by providing leadership and catalyzing collaboration among mainstream health advocacy organizations and reproductive rights groups throughout the country.

NHeLP seeks a dynamic attorney with substantive expertise on reproductive justice legal and policy issues who can effectively advance the reproductive health and human rights of low-income women. The staff attorney must be able to demonstrate a history of working in national coalitions and collaboration, strong leadership skills, and the ability to develop and implement NHeLP’s legal, policy and advocacy strategies for achieving reproductive justice. The attorney should have experience working within communities of color and demonstrate an understanding of the unique issues of reproductive justice as they impact women of color and other marginalized populations.

This position is housed in NHeLP’s Los Angeles office.

 

Primary Responsibilities:

•  Work in conjunction with NHeLP’s Executive Director, Legal Director, and Managing Attorneys to lead, plan, oversee, and implement NHeLP’s reproductive justice agenda, including development of a broad array of strategies and policy solutions at the national, state and local levels.

• Develop analyses of legal and policy developments, legislation, and laws concerning reproductive justice; respond to requests for legal analysis from staff as well as external sources including elected officials and candidates, coalition partners, attorneys, media, and scholars.

• Draft legal and policy publications, including fact sheets, memoranda, and articles for journals and NHeLP publications.

• Promote NHeLP’s visibility in the areas of human rights, social justice, health advocacy, and reproductive health among policymakers, government entities, and the advocacy community through participation in coalitions, writing, presentations, trainings and public speaking.

• Participate in major case litigation in cooperation with the field attorneys including conducting research, preparing pleadings, participating in oral argument, and writing and reviewing amicus curiae briefs where appropriate.

• Respond to requests for assistance from field attorneys and health advocates by performing legal research and preparing memoranda.

• Maintain and expand relationships with members of the media; represent NHeLP’s perspective to the press as appropriate.

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and other NHeLP staff as appropriate.

• Supervise law student interns.

• Assist the Executive Director and Development staff in developing fundraising proposals, and cultivating relationships with foundation officials and major donors.

• Conduct legislative and administrative advocacy in cooperation with field attorneys and health advocates including drafting legislation, performing research, and participating in meetings, where appropriate.

• Attend training sessions and maintain and expand professional competency. 

• Participate in staff meetings and fulfill such administrative responsibilities as aredelegated by the Executive Director and/or the professional staff.

 

Additional Qualifications:

• J.D. degree and admission to a state bar

• 2 years legal experience

• Knowledge of public health fields, especially Medicaid, preferred

• Commitment to NHeLP’s mission of providing the best possible representation to the low-income community

• Strong interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills, and a sense of humor

Applicants should possess a high level of independence and initiative, good judgment, excellent speaking and writing abilities, the ability to produce the highest caliber legal  ork, creativity, and a willingness to work with others toward the most effective strategies and initiatives to advance civil rights. In addition, the successful candidate will have the ability to talk about legal and other complex issues in clear, persuasive terms for non-lawyer audiences.

Commitment 

Full-time, immediate availability

Salary 

Commensurate with experience; generous benefits

Organizational Description

The National Health Law Program was established in 1969 to serve as a national resource for expertise on eligibility, access and quality concerns of public health programs. With offices on both coasts, we manage a broad array of national, state, and local projects ranging from complex analyses of Medicaid law to consumer education and our award-winning Web site for health care advocates, www.healthlaw.org. We provide legal expertise to non-profit health organizations as well as frame new legal theory and work with policy makers to design public programs grounded in the experience and needs of health consumers. NHeLP works on a day-to-day basis with other national advocacy and community-based organizations on strategy, analysis, and joint activities to address the health access problems that imperil the ability of Americans, particularly low-income and special needs populations, to get the care they need.

NHeLP is committed to a diverse staff. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, are encouraged to apply.

 

To Apply

Send cover letter and resume to:
Emily Spitzer, Executive Director
National Health Law Program
1444 I St NW, 11th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: (202) 289-7724