The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is seeking a Public Affairs &

Communications Assistant to provide support to the Director of Public Affairs & Communications. This

individual will be responsible for assisting in the drafting, editing and strategic dissemination of various print

and online content including news releases, letters to the editor, columns, opinion pieces and podcasts.

This will be an exciting opportunity to participate in various projects that advance the Association’s mission and

reputation nationally and internationally, and address a wide range of criminal justice issues. The range of

topics is broad, and may include issues concerning public defense, white collar crime, racial and ethnic disparity

in the criminal justice system, detention and prosecution in the “War on Terror,” the reliance of courts on

“forensic science,” alternative proceedings such as drug courts, the state of the misdemeanor court system, and

much more.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is the preeminent organization advancing the

mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or

wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL’s approximately many thousands of

direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000

attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors

and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal justice system.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

 Assists in the drafting, editing and strategic dissemination of news releases, letters to the editor, and

opinion pieces.

 Provides robust public affairs and communications support and assistance to NACDL’s Public Defense

Department.

 Builds and maintains ongoing relationships with key legal affairs, justice, congressional, and Supreme

Court reporters, provides background information and/or media referrals to NACDL’s leadership, and

prepares spokespersons for media interviews.

 Assists in the production of NACDL’s monthly electronic newsletter, E-News. Responsible for

formatting and dissemination of E-News.

 Assists in the drafting and editing of the “NACDL News” column for the Association’s renowned

monthly magazine, The Champion.

 Shares responsibility for the editing and distribution of NACDL’s Daily Criminal Justice Briefing.

 Assists in the production of NACDL’s podcast series, “The Criminal Docket.”

 Continually tracks media coverage of the Association, and its various policy departments’ agenda and

priority items, alerting policy staff and membership as appropriate.

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 Supports the content management of various parts of the NACDL website, including Home Page

Features Boxes and News & Events, News of Interest, NACDL in the News, News Releases, E-News,

Podcasts, NACDL Reports, Amicus Curiae Briefs, and on various criminal defense issues.

 Helps manage the Association’s presence on Facebook and Twitter.

 Works closely with the Public Defense Department and NACDL’s allied organizations on issues

concerning public defense.

 Brings the Association’s activities and positions, particularly in the public defense area, to the attention

of news media and the public, through news releases, opinion essays and the like.

Requirements:

Qualified candidates will possess an undergraduate or graduate degree in media, communications, journalism,

or a related field, with an interest in criminal law and policy. The ideal candidate will share NACDL’s

commitment to its mission. Excellent research skills (traditional and online) as well as superior oral and written

communications skills are a must. The candidate will be comfortable working in a team-oriented environment.

Additional, the ideal candidate will:

 Be detail-oriented.

 Demonstrate a strong work ethic and sound professional judgment.

 Be adept at managing competing priorities and respond to rapid-response demands.

 Be articulate and able to work well with NACDL’s leaders, members, staff, allies, and the media.

 Be able (or willing to learn how) to operate website content management systems and audio editing

software (such as Audacity).

 Have strong Microsoft Office skills.

 Be adept at social media and willing to maintain NACDL’s presence on Facebook and Twitter.

 Be able to travel domestically on an occasional basis.

Benefits and Application Procedure

This position is based at NACDL’s Washington, D.C. office, conveniently located near downtown Metro stops.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. NACDL employees enjoy a generous package of

employee benefits, including subsidized health, dental and vision insurance, company-paid life and disability

insurance, flexible spending accounts, a pre-tax commuting subsidy, a 401(k) plan with generous company

contributions, paid time off and paid holidays.

To apply, please submit a cover letter including your desired salary range, your resume, college (and graduate

school, if applicable) transcript, and at least two writing samples by February 15, 2017, to Ivan J. Dominguez,

NACDL’s Director of Public Affairs & Communications, at idominguez@nacdl.org.

To learn more about NACDL’s programs and projects, visit www.nacdl.org.