Program Associate, Democracy Program (Historians’ Project)

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. We work to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all. The Brennan Center’s work ranges from voting rights to court reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving constitutional protections in in national security policies. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them — in the courts, in Congress and the states, and in the court of public opinion. 
Position Overview: 
The Brennan Center seeks a full-time Program Associate to join our Democracy Program, which seeks to expand access to the franchise, respond to regressive judicial rulings, and reform our courts and other democratic institutions. The Democracy Program advances its goals through litigation, legal strategy development, policy campaigns, scholarship, and strategic communications. 
The Program Associate will join an inter-disciplinary team that is collaborating with historians, legal scholars, and lawyers to address misuses of history in the courts and develop new ways to employ history to protect our democracy. This position should be especially interesting for students of history or political science who are seeking experience with the law or would like to apply their academic training to current events. 
The team’s work responds to the extreme rightward turn that the federal courts have taken in recent years. The federal courts—led by the United States Supreme Court—have justified overruling significant precedents and issuing decisions harmful to our democracy by invoking widely criticized “originalist” theories of constitutional interpretation that limit the scope of our rights to eighteenth-century values. These originalist opinions often also get the history wrong and rely on a cramped view of history’s uses for public life. They have had devastating effects on abortion rights, civil rights, gun control, and other critical issues that affect everyone. 
The Program Associate will provide research and writing support to the team, along with broad logistical support for the team’s day-to-day operations. This is an entry-level position reporting to the Director of Democracy Initiatives.
Over the course of their tenure, the Program Associate may also be assigned to work on other issues in the Democracy Initiatives portfolio, which focuses on incubating and scaling up new projects to address emerging threats to democracy. 
Note: This position is based at our headquarters in New York City. 
Responsibilities: 

• Track court cases and produce literature reviews. 

• Provide research, writing, fact-checking, and proofreading assistance to support preparation of memos, articles, speeches, reports, op-eds, blog posts, and other organizational materials, with opportunities for named authorship. 

• Provide administrative, logistics, and project management support for publications, conferences, website content, and other projects. 

• Organize internal and external meetings, including calendaring, distributing reference materials, timekeeping, note-taking, and following up with next steps. 

• Manage scheduling, expense reports and invoices, travel arrangements, and team events and logistics. 

• Work with key internal stakeholders including attorneys, researchers, communications and development professionals, and other program associates. 

• Take on special projects and other duties as assigned. 

Experience and Qualifications: 

• A bachelor’s degree and at least one year of work experience are required.

• A degree in history, political science, or a related discipline is a plus. Candidates with advanced degrees in history are also welcome to apply.

• A passion for improving our democracy and an interest in the law. 

• Exceptional research, analytical, and writing skills. 

• Event planning or project management experience. 

• Excellent organizational skills, ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment, keen attention to detail, and ability to meet deadlines.

• A high level of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and judgment.

• Openness to feedback and to strategic direction from organizational management. 

• Comfort with taking initiative. 

• Strong interpersonal skills and the desire and ability to build positive working relationships with colleagues within and external to the organization.

The Brennan Center is committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. We continuously work with our staff to find new ways to increase diversity and to build and cultivate an inclusive and equitable work environment, where everyone can be their true self and feel a strong sense of belonging. As such, we seek to hire employees who have a commitment to and/or experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, we expect employees to participate/contribute with DEI initiatives or activities with recruitment, retention, and workplace culture.
Position Start Date: Summer 2025 
 
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage interested applicants to apply early, as the position will be filled once a qualified candidate is identified.
Application Instructions 
To apply, please visit >>LINK HERE