Jobs

About A Better Balance:

A Better Balance is a national legal advocacy organization that uses the power of the law to advance justice for workers, so they can care for themselves and their loved ones without jeopardizing their economic security. Our expert legal team combats discrimination against pregnant workers and caregivers and advances supportive policies like paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, and fair and predictable scheduling. We remain steadfast in working to dismantle the intersectional forms of injustice that contribute to the structural inequality working families in this country face, including but not limited to, gender injustice, racial injustice, economic injustice, health injustice, and injustice against immigrants, LGTBQIA communities, and people with disabilities, and are seeking candidates who are committed to this work. Ensuring families of color have access to strong work-family policies—especially BIPOC women workers who are currently the least likely to have access to these policies due to centuries of institutionalized sexism and racism, systemic barriers to economic mobility, and pervasive discrimination—is a core principle of ABB’s work.

A Better Balance has fought for and won new paid leave laws and policies in states and localities around the country; led the fight for the groundbreaking federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, PUMP Act, and other important protections pregnant, caregiving and breastfeeding workers’ rights at the federal, state and local levels; inclusive protections for all families, including LGBTQ families; and victories on other economic justice issues throughout the country. Our advocacy work and legal efforts have gained national recognition in dozens of outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Position Description:

A Better Balance seeks a highly-motivated Senior Staff Attorney to support our state-level and federal-level work through a dynamic blend of legislative and policy advocacy, rulemaking and equitable implementation, legal research and writing, technical assistance, and coalition engagement. This position provides an exciting opportunity to gain expertise on a range of work-family justice issues including paid family and medical leave, paid sick time, and anti-discrimination policies focused on supporting pregnant and lactating workers and family caregivers.

The position will be supervised by A Better Balance’s Vice President. Although the position is remote, occasional travel will be expected when necessary to attend conferences, advocate in person for legislative and regulatory policies, or attend meetings at A Better Balance offices.

Responsibilities:

• Help to support and staff A Better Balance’s growing policy implementation work, to ensure equitable implementation and enforcement of laws that A Better Balance has helped to draft and pass, including: state paid family and medical leave laws; state and local paid sick time protections; and federal, state, and local pregnancy and breastfeeding laws;
• Support efforts to successfully implement and enforce new laws through rulemaking and help to defend laws challenged in court through amicus briefs and technical assistance;
• Supervise and work with New York staff leading the effort in New York State to modernize Temporary Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave;
• Track, develop, and advance legislation related to paid family and medical leave, paid sick time, and anti-discrimination protections for caregivers at the federal, state, and local level;
• Research and write testimony (written and oral), fact sheets, reports and policy papers, advocacy tools, talking points, sign-on letters, and other supporting policy advocacy documents;
• Build and support strong relationships with agency officials overseeing implementation and enforcement, lawmakers, organizational partners, and other relevant stakeholders;
• Represent A Better Balance at partner meetings, coalition tables, and events, and help to organize, support, and/or lead relevant meetings and events as needed;
• Assist in planning and execution of meetings, webinars, roundtables, convenings, and other policy-related events;
• Support development efforts, including informing grant applications and reports, briefing funders on A Better Balance’s work and sharing opportunities for new funding in line with A Better Balance’s mission and goals; and
• Represent A Better Balance at media interviews, public events, conferences, networking and recruitment opportunities to raise awareness about ABB and share subject matter expertise related to the Senior Staff Attorney’s portfolio.

Qualifications:

• 4-7 years of legal experience;
• State or D.C. bar admission required;
• Experience with supervision preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, work/family law and policy, gender and women’s rights, civil rights, LGBTQIA rights, and/or advocacy for low-income populations and ending racial, gender, health, and economic injustice;
• Previous experience with policy or legislative advocacy and/or bill drafting. Working with a state or local government, particularly on agency rulemaking, is a plus;
• Superior written and oral communication, advocacy, legal research, and analytic skills;
• Experience working in coalition and writing for legal and non-legal audiences;
• Self-motivated with demonstrated problem solving, prioritizing, time management, team-building, and organizational skills;
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, work collaboratively, and coordinate with multiple people remotely;
• Ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines simultaneously and to provide high-quality work products in a timely manner; and
• Experience with organizing and with working with impacted communities, particularly communities of color and individuals with disabilities, preferred.

Funding and Benefits:

Based on the qualifications above, the salary range for this position will be $95,000 – $100,000.

ABB offers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave with full wage replacement, accrued paid time off up to 19.5 days a year (or 26 days a year after 5 years with the organization), up to 20 separate paid sick days a year, paid time off for 13 holidays, 3 paid personal days a year, and paid bereavement leave. ABB is also proud to use the same model inclusive family definition that we advocate for around the country.

We offer pre-tax health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as access to a pre-tax retirement program. An overview of our current benefits program is available here. ABB also provides reimbursement of one bar membership, as well as stipends and reimbursement for home office expenses. Given our organizational mission, we are committed to encouraging a healthy work/life balance for all employees.

This is a full-time, at-will employment position.

How to Apply:

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis (we hope to fill this position as soon as possible).

To apply, please e-mail the following documents (in one attachment) with the subject line “2023 Senior Staff Attorney – [First Name Last Name]” to: jmake@abetterbalance.org

• a resume including relevant experience – note, this need not only be paid work;
• tailored letter of interest, including your connection to ABB’s work; and
• a short legal writing sample showing legal analysis, including applying facts to the law

A Better Balance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and we value diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, family status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, arrest or conviction, or any other factor protected by law.

A Better Balance is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities or other medical needs. If you are an individual with a disability or other medical need and need assistance applying online, please e-mail jmake@abetterbalance.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.