Counsel

About Us

Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST) is a small team of dedicated professionals who use legal advocacy to make advances in science and technology safer for people and the planet. We believe that preventing man-made pandemics, AI-induced catastrophes, or other global calamities resulting from unsafe or misused science and technology is vital to empowering people everywhere to live fulfilling lives. We are a fully remote team with employees and contractors across multiple states. We are also a family-friendly organization, offering flexible schedules and significant autonomy.

Started in 2024, Legal Advocates for Safe Science (LASST) is a rapidly evolving organization. We are looking for a lawyer to grow our impact in the courts and via public advocacy and to help educate legal professionals about the risks unsafe science and technology can pose and how the legal profession can help mitigate those risks.

How you’ll make a difference:

You will find ways to leverage your legal skills to further LASST’s mission and then execute on those plans. That could be developing and deploying impact litigation strategies, improving government transparency through public records requests, or shaping policy outcomes in rapidly evolving areas of AI and biotechnology. By understanding complex technical developments and shaping that understanding into actionable legal strategies, you will help LASST respond quickly and effectively to emerging risks.

Position Description:

• Develop and deploy legal advocacy strategies to address emerging risks in AI and biotechnology, including impact litigation strategies, amicus briefs in ongoing litigation, and providing legal advice to other like-minded organizations and individuals
• Collaborate with scientific experts to understand technical developments and their legal implications
• Represent LASST in legal proceedings, policy discussions, and public forums, including media interviews
• Monitor and analyze legislative and regulatory developments in AI and biotechnology, including interpreting laws, rulings, and regulations
• Direct the drafting and preparation of legal briefs, policy papers, and regulatory comments
• Build relationships with key stakeholders in the legal, scientific, and policy communities
• Track relevant cases and incorporate outcomes into LASST’s strategy
• Draft, submit and, if necessary, litigate FOIA requests relevant to LASST’s work
• Draft and edit public-facing content, including blog posts, articles and research memos
• Other duties as assigned and agreed upon from time to time

Who We’re Looking For

Essential

• JD from a top law school
• Licensed to practice law in at least one US state
• 1-3 years’ litigation or other court-focused experience, including any clerkships (exceptional candidates straight out of law school with relevant non-litigation professional experience will also be considered)
• Ability and willingness to think outside the box and be creative in pursuit of a mission
• Flexible, collaborative, and proactive
• Self-starter
• Able to work with a small, collaborative team and also operate independently

Preferable

• Prior work on public-interest topics related to biosecurity, AI safety, or science/tech policy
• Previous plaintiff-side litigation or government enforcement experience
• Experience with Google and Microsoft Suites, LexisNexis and Westlaw

We want the best people, and we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of all races, ethnicities, ages, gender identities, orientations, origins, and abilities to apply. If you feel you meet most of the above qualifications but not all, we encourage you to apply. There is no perfect candidate because everyone brings something different to the role, and our differences make us a stronger organization.

The hiring process consists of the following steps:

1. Submission of application materials
2. Interview with LASST team (1 hour)
3. Meeting with LASST Operations Director (30 min.)
4. References
5. Offer extended

We aim to have someone in place by November 1, 2026, but we will communicate any updates to the timeline to candidates.