Sr. Counsel, Director of Center for Free Speech at Alliance Defending Freedom

<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">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 <a href="https://adflegal.org/about-us/careers/statement-of-faith/" target="_blank">Statement of Faith</a> to ensure we’re a fit for you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(35, 111, 161);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 48, 87);">Location:</span>&nbsp;</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lansdowne, VA</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>Team Overview</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">As Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Free Speech, you are a vital part of the Legal Advocacy Team. In this role, you will report to the VP of Litigation Strategy and are responsible for leading the Center for Free Speech. This includes, but is not limited to, working with ADF leadership to set strategic objectives for the Center for Free Speech; developing creative litigation strategies to combat censorship (particularly digital censorship), maintain free speech in the age of artificial intelligence, resist international censorship from creeping into the United States, and stop governments from pressuring private actors to silence speech; aggressively executing those litigation plans; managing and mentoring litigators; supervising and leading litigation and advocacy efforts to meet stated objectives; building coalitions among allies opposing censorship; speaking and presenting on free speech and censorship issues; coordinating across teams within ADF and coordinating allies outside of ADF to meet stated objectives; and other similar responsibilities related to directing the Center for Free Speech.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Assess, develop, initiate, and lead legal litigation and advocacy that advances the objectives of the ADF Center for Free Speech.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Develop creative litigation strategies to combat censorship (particularly digital censorship), maintain free speech in the age of artificial intelligence, resist international censorship from creeping into the United States, and stop governments from pressuring private actors to silence speech.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Aggressively and tenaciously executing litigation strategies to combat censorship.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Lead and supervise a team of attorneys to undertake the most advanced and complex litigation handled by ADF. This includes:</span> <ul> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">ensuring that legal filings are of superior quality through drafting, review, and editing;</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">leading the team in conducting advanced legal research on novel questions of law;</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">training entry, mid-level, and senior attorneys in all phases of state and federal litigation;</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">leading the Center for Free Speech in administration, personnel, supervision, and litigation.</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Litigate complex cases and represent clients before trial and appellate courts as well as administrative agencies.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Proactively investigate potential cases and review potential intake matters, and when necessary, initiate immediate legal action to protect free speech or oppose censorship in urgent circumstances.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Build coalitions and develop collaborative relationships with allies that are protecting free speech and opposing censorship.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Speaking publicly and in media appearances on free speech and censorship issues.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>As Team Leader, you will:<br></strong></span></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Act as a servant leader by training, encouraging, coaching, and developing your Team Members.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Foster a spirit of trust, innovation, creativity, and excellence on your team.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Meet regularly with your Team Members to discuss their progress and complete performance reviews.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Approve PTO requests, timecards, and expense reports.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>Minimum Qualifications</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Bachelor's degree; JD, licensed to practice law in relevant jurisdiction</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">10+ years of experience in practicing law, including in a supervisory role.</span></li> <li style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Westlaw software</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>Pay &amp; Benefits</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">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.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; color: rgb(0, 48, 87);"><strong>Want to Know More About ADF?</strong></span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEUAsJ0jDCw" width="560" height="314"></iframe></p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><span data-teams="true"><em>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.</em></span></p></div><div class="title">Virginia Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$238,300</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$275,000 USD</span></div></div></div>