Associate General Counsel

Are you a lawyer who is passionate about economic fairness and social justice? Do you seek to foster and support creative, broad movement building on behalf of workers? Are you interested in working on legal and policy issues that impact millions of working people nationwide? If you answered, “Yes!” then the AFL-CIO Office of the General Counsel may be the right place for you.

We are currently welcoming applications for an Associate General Counsel to join our department of nine lawyers, one legal fellow, and three professional support staff who together work on a broad range of legal issues in many different programmatic areas on behalf of the AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions.

The AFL-CIO is a federation of 65 national and international unions who together represent over 15 million working people across the United States. The AFL-CIO is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and this position is based in Washington, D.C. As in-house counsel to the largest federation of labor unions in the United States, our team joins with the Federation’s staff of dynamic professionals to grow worker power and fight to give every working person a voice on the job. When you work at the AFL-CIO, you’re more than just an individual employee—you’re helping to lead a movement with a proud history and a bright future ahead.

The Office of the General Counsel engages in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, courts of appeals, National Labor Relations Board, and other bodies in cases of broad importance to the labor movement. We assist in the development of, advocacy for, and defense of, federal, state, and local legislative and executive branch initiatives to advance workers' rights. We staff the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance (ULA) (an organization of 2,000 lawyers representing affiliates of the AFL-CIO and their local unions) and assist with the development and implementation of the ULA's educational programming for union-side labor lawyers across the country. We provide advice and assistance to all the departments of the AFL-CIO, including organizing, legislation, and campaigns. We advise the executive officers and senior staff on a wide range of policy and governance issues and we ensure the Federation's compliance with governing laws.

Although the exact scope of work for this position will vary depending on experience, expertise, employee interest, and the Office’s needs, the successful applicant must have the skills,

experience, and desire to engage in a wide range of litigation, policy development, legal education, client advice, and governance and compliance matters on behalf of the Federation.

We are looking for a lawyer with significant experience working in-house for a union, in a union-side labor law firm, and/or with relevant government or nonprofit experience. Applicants should have strong analytical, writing, and communication skills, a demonstrated commitment to the labor movement, and a willingness to work in a collaborative, mission-driven environment. Please be sure to include a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references with your application.

The AFL-CIO is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages women, people of color, and LGBTQ candidates to apply. Please apply by Friday, June 5, 2026.

Salary: $181,981 - $198,780 based on years of experience.

The AFL-CIO offers a comprehensive benefits package, including employer-paid medical insurance, a defined-benefit retirement plan, a 401k plan, and generous paid time off. Telework is available in accordance with AFL-CIO policy, which currently allows up to two days of telework per week.