Legal Counsel, Life

Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Team Overview

As Legal Counsel, you are a vital part of the U.S.Legal Team. This position will focus, in particular, on litigating on the Center for Life. Your work will literally save lives as you work to protect unborn babies and their mothers from the harms of abortion, along with defending pro-life advocates on the frontlines, Legal Counsel litigates civil actions with an emphasis on constitutional claims, including under the First Amendment, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims; works with states to defend their pro-life laws; drafts trial and appellate court filings; argues motions and appeals in court; works closely with clients; performs vital legal and factual research; and interacts with media regarding cases and issues.

Locations

Key Responsibilities

• Litigate high-profile lawsuits in support of unborn babies and their mothers, in addition to defending pro-life advocates on the frontlines.
• Conduct research for new and pending cases, interview clients and witnesses.
• Draft complaints, motions, briefs, and other documents for submission to state or federal courts.
• Prepare and respond to written discovery; conduct and defend depositions.
• Represent clients in court in litigation and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government; interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses.
• Confer with colleagues to establish and verify basis for legal proceedings.
• Cooperate with Development team, including speaking engagements and other events.
• Review in-house contracts and legal issues.
• Advise allied attorneys on legal issues within areas of competence.
• Network and develop relationships with allied attorneys and/or potential allied attorneys.
• Save lives.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D., active license in at least one US state bar, and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction within one year
• 1+ years of complex litigation experience

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

This salary range is reflective of a position based in Lansdowne, VA. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and office location.

Virginia Salary Range

$115,000 - $190,000 USD

Statement of Faith

Based on our adherence to the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess with the Christian Church throughout time and around the world the faith expressed in the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Doctrinal Distinctives

Also, based on this confession, we are committed to honoring God by obeying the two Greatest Commandments, loving God and loving neighbor, and based on that commitment and derived from the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess the following as necessary for living the gospel:

• We believe in the spiritual unity and equality of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• We believe that the Lordship of Christ requires us as disciples to seek to conform our actions, thoughts, and desires in obedience to Him.
• We believe God creates each person with an immutable biological sex — male or female — that reflects the image and likeness of God.
• We believe God designed marriage as a unique conjugal relationship joining one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, life-long union, and God intends sexual intimacy only to occur within that relationship.
• We believe God endows all human life with inherent dignity, and it must be respected and protected from conception to natural death.
• We believe that God has endowed all humans with the natural, and inalienable right of religious freedom to believe, pursue truth, and live within ordered liberty such that no civil government may justly infringe upon it.
• We believe that God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, calls all of us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, knowing that He promises us abundant and eternal life.