Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney - State Democracy Research Initiative

University of Wisconsin Madison
$65,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
remote work
United States, Wisconsin, Madison
21 North Park Street (Show on map)
Feb 15, 2025
Job Summary: The Staff Attorney's precise portfolio can be tailored to their interests and experience. Salary level also will be set based on experience, and we encourage applications from attorneys at varied career stages. Likely responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: Conducting cutting-edge legal research involving state-level democracy, state constitutions, and state institutions; Sharing research findings and legal analysis in multiple mediums, including through scholarly publications, writing for popular audiences, media briefings, and webinars or CLE presentations; Identifying democracy-related litigation of interest around the country, and leading amicus curiae efforts to represent the views of scholars who have studied issues relevant to those cases; Supervising student research, with the possibility of being appointed as an adjunct professor to co-teach a relevant course within the field of democracy or state and local government law; Briefing or advising a variety of stakeholders on questions of state-level democracy and public law; Conceiving of and overseeing conferences and other gatherings to improve public understanding of topics related to our mission. Responsibilities: Researcher II (RE041) Researcher III (RE042) Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion Education: Required Terminal Degree JD required. Qualifications: Recent law school graduates are welcome to apply for the Staff Attorney position, but for the Senior Staff Attorney position, multiple years of legal experience after law school are preferred; Familiarity with and interest in state law, state government institutions, and/or state constitutions, within a state or across states; Ability to conduct high-level legal research and/or manage complex legal research projects; Ability to write excellent appellate-level briefs; Ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences within and outside the legal profession; Ability to interact with a wide range of stakeholders in a fair-minded way that encourages collaboration and inclusion and fosters the exchange of ideas; Experience and comfort teaching students or peers, and/or presenting work in a public setting. Work Type: Full Time: 100% Appointment Type, Duration: Ongoing/Renewable Salary: Minimum $65,000 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications Salary will be commensurate with candidate's previous experience and qualifications. Additional Information: The State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/, seeks one or more Staff Attorney to join our team. In this role, you will advance our multi-faceted, nonpartisan efforts to foster research and dialogue on pressing questions of public law and democracy in states across the nation. The Initiative's work is rooted in the idea that to preserve democracy, we must first understand it. Currently, scholarly and popular discourse on U.S. democracy focuses disproportionately on federal laws and institutions. States often get short shrift, even though they are central to our democratic system. Accordingly, the Initiative aims to foster knowledge of and engagement with state-level institutions throughout the country. The Staff Attorney will divide their time between legal research and writing on the Initiative's research projects; research and drafting amicus briefs on behalf of scholars in relevant cases across the country; analyzing the legal dimensions of current events for varied audiences; and conducting educational programming for both the public and our students. Because the Initiative has a national focus, the Staff Attorney position is not limited to candidates who practice law in or reside in Wisconsin. We also seek applications from candidates with strong ties to other states. For candidates based in Wisconsin, we envision an in-person working arrangement with the potential for hybrid work. For candidates based elsewhere, we can accommodate fully remote work. The ideal candidate will be an outstanding attorney with experience drafting appellate briefs and analyzing complex legal questions at the state level; an excellent writer with comfort writing not just briefs, but also white papers, academic essays, blog posts, or op-eds; and a team player with enthusiasm for working with peers and students alike. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates with varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. How to Apply: Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume through the Jobs at UW website (www.jobs.wisc.edu) applying for position #311908 by the consideration date. Contact: Justin Boehm justin.boehm@wisc.edu 608-890-4466 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. Official Title: Researcher II(RE041) or Researcher III(RE042) Department(s): A45-LAW SCHOOL/LAW SCHOOL/LAW SCHOOL Employment Class: Academic Staff-Renewable Job Number: 311908-AS The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website: https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/ Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 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