Democracy Forward seeks a highly collaborative Research Assistant to join its team to help track and assess emerging legal trends at the federal, state, and local levels.  The Research Assistant will contribute to all aspects of Democracy Forward’s ongoing tracking and data visualization projects.  The role will track these trends, help maintain and develop Democracy Forward’s data systems and databases, and support work across the organization to develop timely and insightful analysis. 

The ideal candidate will have a passion for Democracy Forward’s mission, and interest in the law and legal policy, research, data, and analysis.  The Research Assistant will work collaboratively across all teams and functions.  The ideal candidate will have:

• Familiarity with the legal system and litigation and federal, state, and local laws and policies
• Experience with legal and policy research and tracking
• Excellent data management skills and attention to detail
• A commitment to Democracy Forward’s values of excellence, inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and impact. 

Responsibilities and Qualifications

Responsibilities

• Work with policy and research staff to maintain timely, accurate, and robust information about legal and policy trends across a range of progressive issues  
• Collaborate with all teams across the organization to develop useful analyses and synthesis of data and emerging trends
• Maintain relationships with web development consultants and content vendors
• Complete special research and oversight projects
• Maintain internal databases to accurately reflect Democracy Forward’s work and impact, and assist in the preparation of regular reports and analyses  
• Support efforts to collaborate and develop partnerships that enhance and strengthen Democracy Forward’s impact, including those seeking to understand trends in the legal and policy landscape 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Background on issues arising at the intersection of government, law, and policy
• Experience with legal, policy, and media databases and tools, including Westlaw, Docket Alarm, PACER, AirTable, Muck Rack, Twitter, and Google News.  
• Familiarity with statistical research tools like Excel, STATA, R, or MATLAB a plus
• Experience working on teams in a collaborative structure
• Demonstrated excellence in organizational and communication skills
• Excellent data management and writing skills and attention to detail 
• Ability to manage multiple, competing deadlines and priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and accountability
• Demonstrated commitment to democracy and social progress 

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. The salary range for this position is $55,000 – $65,000 commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. 

Meet some but not all of our qualifications? Don’t let that deter you from applying. If you believe that you could excel in our organization and believe in our mission, we hope you apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to non-profit or legal work, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we hope to hear from you. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in our work and what you would bring to the role for which you are applying.