National Center for Youth Law
The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) is a national nonprofit that puts children — especially those pushed to society’s margins — at the center of every fight for justice. For more than 50 years, we have partnered with young people, families, and communities in efforts to dismantle racism, discrimination, and inequity wherever they appear. We recognize that harmful policies don’t affect children in isolation. Each young person’s well-being depends on their family’s stability, their community’s resources, and the opportunities they can access. By working across all systems that shape young people’s lives in a rapidly evolving society, we advance solutions that are holistic, intersectional, and transformative.
The Litigation Team
NCYL’s Legal Advocacy team engages in impact litigation across all the issues on which NCYL works, including civil rights, youth justice, ensuring equitable education, youth healthcare access, prevention of harms from the family regulation system, access to core public benefits, among other priority areas. The team brings systemic litigation in federal and state courts to reform systems that serve children and youth, often in collaboration with other public interest legal organizations and with support from pro bono law firm partners. A description of our current cases can be found here: https://youthlaw.org/legal-advocacy-impact-litigation.
The Position
The Directing Attorney independently leads the development and execution of complex litigation, from identifying strategic legal opportunities to managing investigations, filings, discovery, negotiations, trials, appeals, and public communications. The role includes strategic case generation, overseeing remedy implementation, supervising legal staff, coordinating with co-counsel, and handling case budgeting and fee recovery. The position also requires collaboration on litigation strategy aligned with NCYL’s mission and participation in fundraising, media engagement, and external representation. This is a temporary position lasting approximately one year. The role will report to the co-directors of litigation.
Essential Functions
- Generate new litigation opportunities to ensure that children and families maintain access to critical public benefits, as well as litigation opportunities challenging other emerging harms to children and youth.
- Lead all aspects of complex litigation, representing plaintiffs and clients across multiple jurisdictions, including fact investigation; legal research; client engagement; drafting and filing pleadings, motions, memoranda, and briefs; written and oral discovery; expert retention and development; negotiating with opposing counsel; settlement negotiation and drafting; narrative development; court appearances and oral arguments; trial and appellate work; and media work.
- Lead all aspects of remedy and settlement implementation in litigation such as tracking compliance, communicating with clients and monitors, negotiating with opposing counsel and filing related motions and declarations.
- Manage litigation cost and fee recovery.
- Recruit co-counsel including pro bono counsel; negotiate co-counsel and retainer agreements; lead legal practice oversight for cases; supervise staff from co-counsel firms on case-related responsibilities as appropriate.
- Represent NCYL's litigation externally in a variety of forums, including at national conferences and with media outlets.
- Manage case budgets and support development efforts to support NCYL's litigation.
- Collaborate with NCYL Co-Directors of Litigation, Managing Directors, Senior Directors and other staff to develop litigation aligned with NCYL's mission and strategic plan.
- Supervise NCYL staff, including senior attorneys, staff attorneys, paralegals, fellows, and law clerks, as needed.
- Assist with other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of a degree in law (JD).
- Member in good standing of the bar of at least one state.
- A minimum of (a) 12 years of relevant experience since law school graduation, or (b) 10 years of relevant experience since law school graduation, including demonstrated success in leading relevant impact litigation from inception to reform implementation in at least three jurisdictions.
Other Qualifications
- Demonstrated understanding of and experience in complex litigation on issues involving children’s civil rights and public systems affecting children and youth.
- Demonstrated understanding of the role of structural racism and bias in public systems.
- Deep subject matter expertise in at least one of NCYL’s issue areas.
- Demonstrated generation and leadership of complex civil litigation with significant impact in multiple jurisdictions/forums.
- Experience building rapport and respect with diverse youth and their families.
- Excellent research, writing, and analytical and creative problem-solving skills, including drafting complex motions and briefs.
- Strong, clear, and persuasive oral communication skills.
- Organized, self-motivated, and detail-oriented.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
- Ability to coordinate litigation development with other advocacy strategies.
- Ability to collaborate with other NCYL staff to ensure our litigation is informed by and advancing organizational goals.
- Ability to manage, deepen, and broaden NCYL’s relationships with external partners.
- Ability to develop new legal theories or extend existing precedent to new issues.
- Strong leadership, organizational and project management skills for complex projects, including prioritizing and delegating tasks, organizing and tracking information, interfacing with team members of different levels about tasks, and holding responsibility for team decisions.
- Effective and committed supervisor and mentor to other attorneys and other staff.
- Strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the ability to apply a racial and social justice lens to advocacy while centering the marginalized voices of children, youth, and their families.
- Commitment to NCYL’s mission and goals.
- In addition to English, oral and written fluency in another language (e.g., Spanish, Hmong, Arabic, Somali) is preferred.
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Some travel will be required.
Salary, Benefits and Location
This is a temporary, full-time, exempt position with a competitive salary range of $126,700.00 - $142,000.00 annually. Once an offer is made, the salary is not open to negotiation.
This role is slated to last approximately one year.
A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Boston, MA, New York City, Washington, DC or equivalent metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area.
NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, generous vacation and sick benefits, flexible spending account, commuter benefits, employer contribution to a retirement plan and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
NCYL is registered to do business in the following 13 locations: California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, and Wisconsin. We are currently registering in Minnesota and Washington State. Candidate must reside in one of these locations.
All positions at NCYL are at-will and paid for by grants and donations, thus employment with NCYL will be contingent upon continued receipt of funding. Nothing in the statement changes the at-will employment relationship.
This position is part of the bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW). While a collective bargaining agreement is not currently in place, it is anticipated in the future.
How to Apply
Please submit no later than September 9, 2026:
- cover letter
- resume, and
- litigation-based writing sample (click on “Upload Additional Files” to submit)
We do not use AI to auto-reject resumes. A human is always involved in decision-making. We ask that candidates submit original, personally-written resumes and cover letters. Please, no emails or calls.
If you are selected to move forward, you will be contacted for an initial phone screening.
Apply at: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/4421035
We welcome applications from individuals with different ideas, experiences, and perspectives.
It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, reproductive health decision-making, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law. NCYL makes all employment decisions based on job-related factors.
Pay: $126,700.00 - $142,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: Remote
