Litigation Director

About the Nonhuman Rights Project

The Nonhuman Rights Project is the only organization in the United States founded to
secure fundamental legal rights for animals.

By bringing litigation grounded in existing legal principles, public values, and modern
science, we seek to provide our animal clients with access to a judicial system that has
historically been closed to them, secure fundamental rights for animals, and ensure
those rights can be meaningfully enforced.

Alongside litigation, we use legal scholarship, amicus advocacy, public policy,
communications, campaigns, and strategic engagement with the legal community to
help move the law and public understanding forward.

Position Summary

The Nonhuman Rights Project is seeking a Director of Litigation to lead the
organization’s litigation program and legal team in advancing fundamental legal rights
for animals.

The Director of Litigation will oversee the NhRP’s litigation across the legal pathways
identified in the organization’s strategic plan, including advocating for the right to liberty,
access to justice, and freedom from cruelty. The Director will serve as lead counsel in
selected cases, appear and argue in court, supervise and support legal team members,
help guide case selection and litigation strategy, and ensure consistently high-quality
legal work aligned with the NhRP’s mission and strategy as well as professional ethical
obligations.

The role also includes responsibility for effectively managing the legal team, including
staff supervision and performance management; close coordination with other
departments on communications, development, and public engagement related to the
NhRP’s legal work; annual work planning and budgeting; tracking litigation timelines and
expenses; and conducting post-case retrospectives.

We are looking for an experienced litigator and thoughtful manager who combines
excellent legal judgment with strong leadership and organizational skills, and who is
excited to help shape and execute innovative litigation strategies in a developing area of
law.

This position reports to the Managing Director of Programs. It is a full-time, remote,
U.S.-based position with periodic travel for litigation and organizational events.

Key Responsibilities

Litigation

Oversee NhRP’s litigation in alignment with the organization’s mission, strategic
plan, and budget
Supervise and provide guidance to legal team members in conducting litigation in
alignment with all legal pathways included in NhRP’s strategic plan (including
Right to Liberty, Access to Justice, and Freedom from Cruelty), ensuring
high-quality work and compliance with all applicable ethical rules
Serve as lead counsel and argue cases in court
Implement case selection frameworks and processes in close coordination with
the Managing Director of Programs
Ensure that legal work complies with and fully implements NhRP’s strategic plan

Legal Team Operations

Lead a formal retrospective promptly after each case concludes to document
legal learnings, refine legal theories, and optimize future resource allocation
Supervise and support legal team members through regular one-on-one
meetings that, in addition to legal work, focus on workload, priorities,
performance, feedback, professional development, and other management
needs
Manage the legal team’s day-to-day operations, including managing capacity
across the team, conducting performance reviews, ensuring that team members
comply with NhRP policies, managing the team’s budget, and ensuring strategic
use of NhRP resources
Systematically track departmental workplan progress, ensuring full transparency
and alignment with the organization’s strategic plan
Develop and administer effective systems to support the team’s work addressing
needs such as document filing and retention, templates, workflows, and
deadlines
Proactively inform leadership of significant legal developments and emerging
opportunities and risks, and their potential implications for organizational
priorities and resources; provide reports on legal team activities and finances on
a quarterly basis and as required by the Managing Director of Programs and
other members of the Senior Leadership Team
Work collaboratively with the Managing Director of Programs to develop the legal
team’s annual budget and workplan in alignment with the organization’s budget
and strategic plan
Ensure legal team compliance with all NhRP policies, including those on
confidentiality and document retention
Develop and manage external relationships with experts, pro bono counsel, and
others as needed
Lead and develop legal externship and clerkship programs, including hiring and
supervising participants and cultivating relationships with law schools and other
sources of legal talent, with support from the Managing Director of Operations
Manage internal litigation holds related to the legal team’s litigation

Communications and Development

Work with Communications, Development, and other internal colleagues to timely
answer questions on the organization’s legal work; propose, draft, proofread
and/or edit content (such as press releases, supporter emails, campaign
materials, annual reports, and donor updates) on cases and legal developments;
align public-facing messaging with NhRP legal strategy; help ensure legal
accuracy of organizational communications; and supervise legal team members
in doing the same
Represent NhRP on litigation-related matters at public events, act as a media
spokesperson, and supervise team members in doing this work
Actively contribute to maintaining a culture of teamwork and mutual respect
throughout the organization

General

Periodic travel for litigation and events
Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director of Programs

Qualifications

J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
Active admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Significant litigation experience, including responsibility for developing case
strategy, drafting substantial briefs and other legal filings; managing cases
through multiple stages of litigation; and appearing in court.
Experience serving as lead counsel or taking a substantial leadership role in
litigation.
Excellent legal research, analytical, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
Excellent legal judgment and the ability to think strategically about novel,
complex, and evolving areas of law.
Demonstrated ability to supervise, mentor, and develop attorneys and other legal
professionals.
Strong management and organizational skills, including the ability to oversee
multiple matters, deadlines, priorities, and competing demands.
Ability to work collaboratively with organizational leadership and colleagues
across Communications, Campaigns, Development, and other functions.
Ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly and effectively to legal and
non-legal audiences.
Experience in animal law strongly preferred.
Experience managing budgets and relationships with outside counsel and
experts preferred.
Strong commitment to the NhRP’s mission and to advancing fundamental legal
rights for nonhuman animals.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $135-$150K, commensurate with the candidate’s
skill and experience.

The NhRP offers comprehensive health benefits delivered through an Individual
Coverage HRA (ICHRA), which provides employer-funded tax-free reimbursements for
the individual plan of your choice; flexible paid time off, including all federal holidays;
paid parental leave; a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match; and professional
development stipends.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit:
A resume;
A cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position; and
Two writing samples, one of which must be a litigation document, such as a brief,
that was filed or intended for filing in court.

Materials should be submitted to jobs@nonhumanrights.org with “Litigation Director”
in the subject line. The deadline for applications is November 12, 2026. Applications
will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled; early submission is
encouraged. Select candidates will be contacted and invited to participate in next steps
in the selection process.

Additional Information

The Nonhuman Rights Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer and acts in
accordance with applicable laws in all of our hiring and employment practices. The
NhRP considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed,
gender identity, national origin, age, ability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation,
or any other protected factor under federal, state, or local law. This is a U.S. based
position. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify
identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required
employment eligibility verification form upon hire.