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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; important pregnancy, caregiving and breastfeeding 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 Staff Attorney to support our paid leave work through a dynamic blend of legal research and writing, technical assistance, and policy and legislative advocacy. This position provides an exciting opportunity to gain expertise in a rapidly growing field of work and to build on recent paid leave victories around the country.

The position will be based in New York City, where A Better Balance is headquartered, or Washington D.C., where we maintain a D.C. Office, although at this time the Staff Attorney will primarily work from home. The position will entail attending occasional in-person meetings and travel.

Responsibilities:

• Provide legal research, writing, and technical assistance on paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, public health emergency leave, and issues around future of work and the gig economy. This will include legal research on specific policy questions, technical assistance on paid leave proposals and efforts, work on post-passage regulations and implementation, and support for occasional litigation work to protect paid leave laws challenged in court.
• Research and prepare legal memos on questions related to paid leave proposals in states and localities around the country, including policy details, enforcement, and overall legal authority, and provide some support for federal paid leave efforts.
• Help spearhead the efforts to pass new paid family and medical leave laws around the country and improve upon existing paid leave laws.
• Support efforts to implement new paid leave measures through regulations, outreach and education, and enforcement.
• Research and write legal memoranda, testimony (written and oral), fact sheets, policy papers, advocacy tools, amicus briefs, and other supporting legal and policy documents related to paid family and medical leave, paid sick time, public health emergency leave, and worker’s rights in the new economy.
• Work with partners around the country to prevent any repeals or weakening of existing paid leave and other worker protections, and counter state preemption efforts that seek to block local paid leave and labor protections.
• Work collaboratively in coalition with other advocates and stakeholders on paid leave and other worker’s rights issues.
• Empower workers and A Better Balance’s Community Advocates to engage in policy advocacy on paid leave via storytelling, media interviews, legislative testimony, and other methods.

Qualifications:

• At least 1-3 years of legal experience.
• New York or D.C. bar admission 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.
• Superior written and oral communication, advocacy, legal research, and analytic skills. Experience writing for legal and non-legal audiences a plus.
• 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
• Experience working with impacted communities, particularly communities of color and individuals with disabilities.
• Previous experience with policy or legislative advocacy, bill drafting, or working with a state or local government is a plus.

Funding and Benefits

Based on the qualifications above, salary range for this position will be $70,000-$74,000.

ABB offers a flexible and supportive work environment, with generous vacation (19.5 days), sick, and family leave policies. A Better Balance has an excellent benefits package, including health and dental insurance; access to pre-tax retirement contributions, and more. We are committed to “walking our talk” and encourage 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.

To apply, please e-mail the following documents with the subject line “2023 Staff Attorney – [First Name Last Name]” to: [email protected]:

• 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 [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The A Better Balance National, Southern, and D.C. offices are recruiting rising third-year law students, judicial clerks, and recent law school graduates interested in applying for an externally funded 1-2 year public interest fellowship starting in September 2023. A National fellow would be based in New York City; a Southern fellow would be based in Nashville, TN; a DC fellow would be based in Washington, DC.

A Better Balance (ABB) 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, fair scheduling, and accessible, quality childcare and eldercare. When we value the work of providing care, which has long been marginalized due to sexism and racism, our communities and nation are healthier and stronger. 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.

Since our founding, A Better Balance has been working to value the labor of caregiving and to shift the debate over work-family issues from those that center the concerns of white, professional workers to be inclusive of a focus on the needs of low-wage workers and workers of color. We approach our work around the country with these values at the forefront. Ensuring families of color have access to strong work-family policies—especially BIPOC workers who are currently the least likely to have access to these policies due to centuries of institutionalized racism, systemic barriers to economic mobility, and pervasive discrimination—is a core principle of ABB’s work.

The organization has fought for and won new paid leave policies, important pregnancy and caregiver protections, breastfeeding accommodations, 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 Wall Street Journal. We are dedicated to lifting up the voices of our clients, who are predominantly low-wage working women of color, and those most directly affected by our policy work. Our free and confidential helpline provides legal assistance and information to low-wage workers.

ABB is based in New York City and maintains an office in Washington, D.C., a Southern regional office in Nashville, TN and an office in Denver, CO. 

In New York, where we are headquartered, we have been leaders in many successful campaigns both in the city/state and across the country, including on paid family and medical leave laws, the fight to guarantee earned sick time to millions of workers across the country, pregnant workers fairness laws, which ensure that pregnant workers are not pushed out of their jobs when they need a modest accommodation to stay healthy, caregiver and lactation anti-discrimination laws, and fair workweek laws. Following legislative campaigns, we are working on effective implementation of these laws, creating materials, doing outreach to low-income communities, and prioritizing representation of low-income workers of color who are being denied rights we helped secure.

Our Southern Office focuses on the issues affecting working families in the Southeast United States, where poverty rates for women and families, particularly women and families of color, are among the highest in the country and where legal protections are often scarce. Pregnant workers across the South, especially in low-wage and physically demanding jobs, are forced out of their positions when they need a modest accommodation to keep working. Workers of color are the least likely to have access to paid leave and other critical workplace rights to help them to care for their families without risking their economic security. Our Southern work thus focuses on remedying these legal gaps by enforcement and education as well as working to pass pregnant workers fairness laws, paid family and medical leave, and paid sick days laws across the Southeast and pushing back against policies that harm working families in the region including attacks on progressive local policies.

Our DC Office focuses on translating our legal expertise and uplifting worker voices to promote federal policies that advance justice for working families across the country who are caring for themselves and loved ones and want to maintain their economic security. Our key federal priorities include passage of a comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave program; protections for pregnant workers; a national paid sick time law; access to break time and space for breastfeeding workers; addressing the Black maternal health crisis; guaranteeing fair and predictable work schedules as well as enhancing rights of part-time workers; strengthening federal anti-discrimination protections; and more.

Potential projects in the NYC office could focus on education and enforcement of laws both in NY and elsewhere across the country, particularly as they impact low-wage workers and communities of color:

• Pregnancy accommodation laws;
• Lactation laws;
• Paid sick time laws;
• NYC Fair Workweek Law;
• Caregiver discrimination laws; and/or
• Paid and unpaid family and medical leave laws.

The NYC fellow could also focus on expanding laws and policies in the following areas:

• Paid family and medical leave or paid sick time campaigns around the country;
• Pregnancy accommodation campaigns around the country
• LGBTQ work-family issues;
• Quality, affordable, accessible child care;
• Defending local, progressive laws from state and federal interference (preemption); and/or
• Other issues related to expanding work/family laws and policies in New York State and/or nationally.

Potential projects in the Southern Office could focus on:

• Increasing the power and influence of Black women in the South using advocacy tools, Know Your Rights campaigns, legislative reform, and partnering with grassroots organizations;
• Enforcing new pregnant workers fairness laws in the South including in Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Virginia; educating and empowering low-wage workers and communities of color about those laws;
• Providing direct services to low-wage workers, especially workers of color, in particular industries or populations with uniquely Southern issues affecting working families;
• Developing a mobile clinic to serve a particular population, such as an immigrant/refugee population;
• Public education and enforcement of existing federal legal protections, such as pregnancy discrimination, family and medical leave, and breastfeeding protections for working families in the South; and/or
• Addressing the needs of working parents who lack quality, affordable, and accessible child care.

Potential projects in the DC Office could focus on federal legislative advocacy in conjunction with direct services work to empower our clients with our NY office on topics including:

• Pregnancy accommodations
• Paid family and medical leave
• Lactation accommodations;
• Paid sick time;
• Caregiver discrimination laws; and/or
• Fair and predictable scheduling.

Qualifications:

• Law degree required by May 2023, bar admission in NY or TN by Fall 2023 preferred.*
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, work/family law and policy, gender and women’s rights, civil rights, and/or advocacy for low-income populations and ending racial, gender, health, and economic injustice.
• Commitment to diversity within the office using an approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socio-economic circumstance.
• Superior written and oral communication, advocacy, legal research, and analytic skills. Experience writing for legal and non-legal audiences a plus.
• Self-motivated with demonstrated problem solving, prioritizing, time management, team-building, and organizational skills.
• Comfort and familiarity with small non-profit environments, ability to use limited resources efficiently and effectively, ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with diverse communities, particularly communities of color and individuals with disabilities.
• Experience with the community you propose to serve a plus.
• Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Bengali, Haitian Creole, French, Somali, and/or Korean fluency are a plus.

* Selected fellowship candidates will be required to take the NY or TN bar if not already admitted. 

Funding and Benefits

Fellows will be paid a salary of $68,000-72,000, and if the amount of external funding is less than this amount, A Better Balance will make up the difference.

This position requires external funding, meaning it is not paid for by ABB and comes from another source. Some potential sources of external funding include the Skadden Foundation, Equal Justice Works, and Justice Catalyst. Many law schools also offer funding to law graduates in the form of fellowships. If you are selected by ABB as a fellowship candidate, we will then work together to put together a project proposal.

ABB offers a flexible and supportive work environment, with generous vacation, sick, and family leave policies. A Better Balance has an excellent benefits package, including health and dental insurance; 19.5 days of paid vacation time, sick time, and personal time; access to pre-tax retirement contributions, transit benefits, and more. We are committed to “walking our talk” and encourage a healthy work/life balance for all employees.

How to Apply

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

To apply, please e-mail the following documents with the subject line “2023 Fellowship – [First Name Last Name]” to: [email protected]:

• a resume including relevant experience – note, this need not only be paid work or work you did during law school;
• tailored letter of interest, including your connection to ABB’s work;
• a short legal writing sample showing legal analysis, including applying facts to the law; and
• at least two references, including one professor/instructor from law school and one supervisor of legal work – these should be the individuals you plan to ask to write recommendations in support of your fellowship candidacy if selected by ABB.

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 [email protected].  If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

A Better Balance is a 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. Founded in 2005, ABB has assembled an expert legal team that uses legislative and administrative advocacy, litigation, direct service and outreach and education to further the goal of ensuring that all those who are pregnant, parenting or caregiving are protected against discrimination and that all workers’ lives are protected by enactment of policies such as paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, fair scheduling and accessible child care and eldercare as well as policies that support maternal and child health. We work at the local, state and federal levels and have helped pass 15 state paid sick time laws and dozens of local laws including guarantees of paid sick time in most of our major cities and paid family and medical leave laws in 11 states and Washington DC as well as caregiver, pregnancy, and fair scheduling protections in numerous states and localities nationwide. ABB’s strategic litigation and enforcement efforts have helped millions of people, guaranteeing vital protections like paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, pregnancy and breastfeeding accommodations at work. Most recently, after a decade-long fight, ABB led efforts to secure passage of the historic federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act.

In New York, ABB helped lead the effort to enact paid family leave in the state. We are now launching a campaign to build equivalent support and protections for those who need leave from work to manage their own medical needs and to update New York’s paid family leave program to better serve those who need support when they have a new child or need to care for a seriously ill family member. We are seeking an Organizer to help run that campaign.  The ideal candidate will be a team player who can communicate well with a wide range of individuals from a variety of social, ethnic, and organizational backgrounds and is very organized and detail oriented. The Organizer will be part of a team working to pass this important piece of legislation and will report to the Senior Staff Attorney spearheading this effort. This is a part-time position of 25-30 hours a week. We are open to a contract paid on an hourly basis. This position will be largely remote, but the candidate must live in New York State and must be willing to attend in-person events as needed; proximity to either Albany or New York City is preferred.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Help develop and lead the coalition working on this issue
• Identify and collaborate with grassroots leadership to build and develop strategies for success
• Work with our communications team and consultants to publicize importance of ensuring workers can take leave for medical purposes
• Bridge and foster partnerships with the community, relevant organizations, and elected officials
• Assist in development of strategic and tactical advocacy plans

Qualification, Skills and Knowledge Requirements

• College graduate or equivalent work experience
• Commitment to the issue of paid leave for those with disabilities
• Knowledge of and training in community organizing and/or advocacy; event planning; and coordination
• Experience leading community outreach and mobilization efforts
• Must be a team player and have the ability to take initiative
• Great organizational skills and keen sense of detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Spanish language facility preferred

Salary and Benefits

Salary is $45,000 to $50,000 depending on experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply

To be considered, interested applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to Meghan Racklin, Senior Staff Attorney, at [email protected]. No telephone inquiries or recruiters please.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Job Type: Part-time or consultant basis