Application Guide
How to Apply for Attorney Network Coordinator
at Partnership for Civil Justice
🏢 About Partnership for Civil Justice
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) is a trailblazing legal organization that has spent over 30 years defending First Amendment rights, protest movements, and social justice through high-impact litigation. Its Center for Protest Law & Litigation is at the forefront of protecting activists and organizers from repression, making it a magnet for those passionate about using law as a tool for systemic change. Working here means joining a dedicated team that integrates litigation with grassroots advocacy, directly supporting movements for racial, social, and environmental justice.
About This Role
As the Attorney Network Coordinator, you will be the linchpin connecting PCJF with a nationwide network of attorneys and legal organizations to provide rapid-response legal support to protesters and activists. You’ll coordinate case referrals, facilitate communication, and help build capacity for protest defense, ensuring that targeted individuals have access to skilled legal representation. This role is pivotal in scaling PCJF’s impact, turning isolated legal efforts into a cohesive movement-wide infrastructure.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve triaging incoming requests for legal support from protesters or organizers, connecting them with attorneys in the network, and following up to ensure representation is secured. You could also spend time on calls with partner organizations to strategize around emerging threats, updating the network on new legal resources, and maintaining detailed records of cases and attorney availability. Occasionally, you might travel to a protest site or convening to provide on-the-ground coordination and strengthen relationships with local partners.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Partnership for Civil Justice Is Looking For
- A JD or equivalent legal training, with experience in civil rights, constitutional law, or criminal defense, and a strong understanding of protest-related legal issues.
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including attorneys, activists, and community organizations, ideally in a coalition or network context.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple urgent requests and coordinate across time zones in a remote setting.
- A deep commitment to social justice and First Amendment rights, with experience working in or alongside grassroots movements and a willingness to travel occasionally for convenings or actions.
📝 Tips for Applying to Partnership for Civil Justice
Highlight any experience you have in coordinating legal networks, pro bono programs, or rapid-response legal support—PCJF values concrete examples of building connections between lawyers and movements.
Demonstrate your understanding of the unique legal challenges protesters face, such as anti-protest laws, surveillance, and federal crackdowns, and how you’ve addressed them in previous roles.
Emphasize your ability to work remotely and across Eastern time zones; mention any experience with distributed teams and tools like Slack, Zoom, or case management software.
Show your commitment to PCJF’s mission by referencing specific cases or campaigns they’ve worked on, such as the 2020 protests or J20 defendants, and explain how your skills align with their approach.
If you have ties to Washington, D.C., or the Eastern time zone, make that clear—location preference is given to D.C. for hybrid work, and being in the region can be a plus.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience in building or managing attorney networks, including how you recruited, coordinated, and supported legal volunteers or partner organizations.', 'Your familiarity with protest law and civil rights litigation, ideally with examples of cases or campaigns you’ve contributed to, showing you understand the stakes for activists.', 'Your ability to work independently in a remote environment while maintaining strong communication and collaboration with a small, mission-driven team.', 'Your passion for PCJF’s mission and how this role fits into your broader commitment to social justice and movement lawyering.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review PCJF’s major cases and campaigns, especially those related to protest law, such as the lawsuits against the Trump administration’s crackdown on protests or the defense of Inauguration Day protesters.
- → Understand the structure and goals of the Center for Protest Law & Litigation, including its partnerships with other legal organizations and movement groups.
- → Research recent developments in protest law, including anti-protest legislation, surveillance tactics, and federal prosecution trends, to speak knowledgeably about the landscape.
- → Explore PCJF’s website, social media, and press coverage to get a sense of their tone, priorities, and recent victories or challenges.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being vague about your commitment to social justice—PCJF wants candidates who can articulate why this work matters to them and how they’ve demonstrated that commitment.
- Failing to show an understanding of the unique pressures and risks faced by protesters and the legal teams that support them, such as doxxing, retaliation, or burnout.
- Focusing only on traditional legal skills without addressing the coordination and relationship-building aspects of the role, which are equally critical.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Partnership for Civil Justice!