Staff Attorney

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (Reporters Committee) is hiring a junior-to-mid-level litigation attorney to support the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative (LLI) and other legal programming.  The staff attorney will work hand-in-hand with Reporters Committee LLI attorneys in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee to provide pro bono legal services to news organizations and individual journalists pursuing enterprise and investigative reporting at the state and local level.  The staff attorney will participate in a full range of state and federal impact and defense litigation involving access to judicial records/proceedings, freedom of information, libel, and other newsgathering and First Amendment matters.  The staff attorney also will contribute to the Reporters Committee’s amicus and pre-publication/vetting practices and will facilitate and conduct trainings for journalists and news organizations. 

This full-time position reports to the Director of the Local Legal Initiative. 

The Reporters Committee is based in Washington, D.C., and remote applicants will be considered for this role.  Starting salary, based on experience, will range from $120,200.00 - $133,600.00.  The deadline to apply is March 15, 2026. 

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Supporting the litigation and other work of the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorneys;
• Representing journalists and news organizations in litigation and other matters involving access to judicial records/proceedings, freedom of information, and other newsgathering and First Amendment matters; this includes, among other things: intake/case selection and other strategy decisions; drafting correspondence, administrative appeals, pleadings, briefs, and other filings in trial and appellate courts; negotiating with opposing counsel; and appearing on behalf of clients in state and federal court;
• Drafting amicus briefs and—depending on the seniority level and experience of the attorney—supervising the work of more junior RCFP attorneys on amicus briefs in cases presenting important newsgathering and First Amendment issues;
• Counseling journalists, including documentary filmmakers, on legal issues related to newsgathering, access to information, libel, and privacy;
• Educating journalists about First Amendment and newsgathering rights, including by conducting trainings for journalists and news organizations on media law topics.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 4 years of litigation experience, with meaningful, substantive experience in access to judicial records/proceedings, libel/defamation, and other news media matters.
• Outstanding legal research skills, and excellent written and oral communication skills; 
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to supervise and guide Reporters Committee legal fellows and legal interns; 
• Sound judgment and the highest level of professional integrity;
• A passion for protecting press freedom and a strong desire to support the work of journalists across the country.

Additional Information

Compensation: RCFP is committed to offering competitive pay and generous benefits, including group medical insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, retirement benefits, health-reimbursement accounts, and paid family leave. The salary range for this position is $120,200.00 - $133,600.00.

How to apply: Submit a resume and cover letter. NOTE: Please submit materials in one PDF file. Only complete applications will advance in the hiring process. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2026. 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. 

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and operate computer equipment. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

RCFP Is an Equal Opportunity Employer. At the Reporters Committee, we celebrate the diversity of our employees and our leadership. RCFP is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.