Careers

Foundation Relations Officer

Fully Remote • Work From Anywhere in the U.S.

You: A fundraising professional with a passion for liberty and winning. You’re a talented writer and meticulous editor who knows how to compose successful proposals and reports. And now you’re looking to join the grant-seeking efforts of a major organization dedicated to advancing liberty and reining in government overreach.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public-interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 litigated there. We also have more than a hundred active cases across the nation.

PLF is a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game. We want to win.

About the Foundation Relations Officer Opening:

The Foundation Relations Officer plays a key role in PLF’s development team efforts to secure funding from foundations and other grant makers who share our commitment to advancing individual liberty.

Here’s what you get to do in this role:

You will join PLF’s development team to secure funding from foundations and other grant makers who share our commitment to advancing individual liberty. You’ll apply your well-honed writing and messaging talents to craft successful proposals and reports tailored to the interests and requirements of the funders.

To ensure sufficient financial resources for PLF’s ambitious growth plans, you will also use your considerable knowledge of the pro-liberty movement and like-minded foundations to identify and secure grants from new potential funders.

As part of our grants team, you will compose letters, proposals, and reports, review and approve drafts, perform research, and meet with funders. You will have the latitude to think big and the resources to execute.

PLF wants you to be relentless, confident, and show passion toward individual liberty, freedom, and taking down the big, bad guy.

Primary Job Duties:

• Draft grant proposals (including letters of inquiry) and reports tailored to the specific needs and interests of grant funders.
• Revise proposals and grants after the review process and prepare them for final submission.
• Ensure timely completion of grant drafts and submissions.
• Work closely with PLF’s program staff (Litigation, Policy, Research, Scholarship, Communications, Outreach) to define projects for grant proposals. This includes developing and tracking project metrics and milestones for reporting purposes.
• Coordinate with PLF’s finance staff to develop project budgets for grant proposals and to track progress for reports.
• With team collaboration, devise and incorporate a plan for research and approach to new foundation prospects.
• In collaboration with the Director of Foundation Relations, Vice President for Development, and other staff as appropriate, craft and regularly refresh overall messaging strategy for use in proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports.
• Travel to meet with funders, prospects, and PLF staff functions (15% of time).

This role is ideal for someone with:

• 3+ years of experience in grants and/or fundraising.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills—adept at translating complex ideas into accessible, persuasive copy.
• Strong ability to conceptualize and frame PLF’s work into compelling projects with tangible metrics.
• Solid project management skills to keep drafts moving, meet grant-related deadlines, and keep program staff on track with reporting.
• Familiarity with funders in the pro-liberty space.
• Knowledge of, and passion for, the ideas of freedom and individual liberty.

About Pacific Legal Foundation

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and in the court of public opinion.

A national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although half of the staff work from home offices across the country. You may work virtually or in any of our physical offices.

This is a full-time, permanent position. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, medical and dental insurance, and employer-paid retirement savings. We take work-life balance seriously through our generous paid leave and flextime policies. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power. Join us.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials:

• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, what distinguishes you from typical applicants, and your salary requirements.
• Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

Questions can be directed to Savannah Rupp, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: Savannah@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Strategic Research Manager, Equality & Opportunity

You: A nimble and people-focused researcher seeking to elevate research to promote freedom and dismantle policies that trample individual liberties. In this role you will lead PLF’s strategic research on equality and opportunity issues. You have a passion for understanding how government policies increasingly disregard the Constitution’s call for equality before the law by discriminating based on race, sex, or group entitlement. Your research will also examine government barriers to economic opportunity in fields like healthcare and education. In this role you will develop a strategy for which projects are most important, drive and co-author short publications, and commission long-form research from external scholars.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies are stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources and imperfect data. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty through enduring legal change. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories litigated at the Court. The strategic research team focuses on answering questions relevant to judges, legislators, and executive agents.

About the Strategic Research Manager Opening:

You will collaborate across PLF teams to relentlessly drive the execution of our strategic research on equality and opportunity issues. You will develop and manage a portfolio of research projects that help support PLF’s litigation priorities. You should have excellent communication skills and an entrepreneurial attitude that allows you to work across teams to get things done.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in public policy research and a track record of successfully managing projects that involve multiple authors and stakeholders. This person is seeking to grow and develop in new ways so that they can take on new responsibilities.

Getting down to brass tacks, your specific job duties will likely include:

• Developing and executing a research strategy for projects that support our equality & opportunity litigation.
• Collaborating with litigators, legal policy, and communications teams to identify promising areas of research.
• Driving and co-authoring research with PLF litigators and other experts.
• Commissioning research from outside scholars who are experts in their respective areas.
• Collecting and analyzing data to answer research questions in new and informative ways.
• Collaborating with communications and other teams in disseminating research to target audiences.

This role is ideal for someone with:

• Minimum of 2 or more years of experience conducting collaborative research projects.
• Background and training in economics, political science, law, public policy, or related fields.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Basic data analysis, data visualization, and econometric skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex research findings to a non-technical audience.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Passion for PLF’s mission.
• Willingness to travel approximately 5-10%.

About Pacific Legal Foundation:

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. You can work physically in any of our offices or request to work virtually.

This is a full-time, permanent position. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, medical and dental insurance, and employer-paid retirement savings. We take work-life balance seriously through our generous paid leave and flextime policies. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power. Join us.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

• Cover letter detailing your interest in the position, the mission of the Pacific Legal Foundation, why you want to fight for liberty, what distinguishes you from typical applicants, and your salary requirements
• Resume
• A brief policy-focused writing sample

Questions can be directed to Savannah Rupp, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: Savannah@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.

Senior Paralegal, e-Discovery Specialist

You: An experienced paralegal with mastery over the civil litigation process and the technical skills needed to accomplish complex e-discovery. You will be a key member of winning legal teams doing meaningful work: managing e-discovery in high-impact cases defending liberty under the Constitution. You have a CEDS certification or 7+ years of relevant experience.

Them: Bureaucrats, local governments, and state and federal agencies abusing their power to violate individual rights.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s most successful public interest law firm dedicated to individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the U.S. Supreme Court, winning 18 out of 20 cases. We have a docket of more than 160 cases in courts nationwide.

Here’s what you get to do in this role:

You will work closely with attorneys to manage the collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (ESI) as part of discovery in major public interest cases involving property rights, separation of powers, and equality and opportunity. Teams will rely on you to be in full command of the civil litigation discovery process, keep our lawyers organized and on schedule, and use your skills and manage others to comply with demands for the collection, organization, production, and preservation of ESI.

Your specific job duties will likely include:

• Help lawyers develop e-discovery plans for both (1) preparing e-discovery requests and confirming fully responsive productions by the opposing party and (2) responding to the opposing party’s e-discovery requests
• Translate the discovery plans into action, using project management skills to organize internal and external counsel, vendors, and tasks to ensure smooth execution and production and comply with discovery deadlines and other requirements
• Use your IT skills and mastery of data formats to collect ESI from phones, computers, and other sources and to preserve and manage it using our SaaS e-discovery platform, Logikcull (or similar platforms)
• Coordinate document review and production processes, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Assist in preparing documents and evidence for (infrequent) trials
• Work with the IT department to test and implement new e-discovery processes and software
• Train legal secretary and paralegal colleagues as needed for you to gain support and delegate tasks when appropriate
• Handle other paralegal duties like formatting and filing briefs, cite-checking, and serving discovery requests when not occupied with active e-discovery matters.

This role is ideal for someone with:

• Successful track record as a paralegal managing the e-discovery process in a law firm with a busy trial court practice
• Experience with e-discovery platforms such as Concordance, Relativity One, Summation, LexBe, or Logikcull.
• 7+ years of experience
• Remarkable attention to detail and organizational skills
• Great communication and project-management skills
• A certification as an e-discovery specialist or affiliation with professional organizations such as the Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists (preferred but not required)
• A passion for the ideas of freedom and individual liberty

About Pacific Legal Foundation:

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. However, approximately half the staff work from home offices nationwide. You can work physically in any of our offices or request to work virtually.

If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials:

• Your resume
• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants

This is a full-time, permanent position. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, medical and dental insurance, and employer-paid retirement savings. We take work-life balance seriously through our generous paid leave and flextime policies. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power.

Strategic Research Internship (Spring 2025)

You: An inquisitive, creative, and self-motivated college junior, senior, grad student, or recent graduate who knows the principles of liberty and seeks to advance them. You have strong written and oral communication skills and enjoy problem solving.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the US Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 cases heard by the Court. PLF also has nearly 200 active cases across the nation. At PLF, we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

The Strategic Research intern will be a member of the Strategic Research team. This team produces high-quality social science research to support PLF’s mission-driven goals. The team coordinates with PLF’s Litigation, Legal Policy, Constitutional Scholarship, and Communications teams. This internship is an opportunity for a wide variety of experiences, including the following:

• Communicating with public officials to obtain public records.
• Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel, R, Python, GIS, or Stata.
• Conducting literature reviews on such topics as regulatory reform, housing supply, property rights, coastal land rights, and more.
• Developing internal data for litigation, communications, or legal policy campaigns.
• Writing blog posts, op-eds, or one-pagers on topics relevant to PLF’s work.

About Pacific Legal Foundation

PLF identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, PLF battles for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. Interns can work physically in any of PLF’s offices or request to work virtually. To maximize the internship experience, PLF prefers candidates who can work in the Arlington office. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit your application by November 22, 2024.

Interns are expected to be available 25–30 hours per week.

How to Apply

If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials:

• A résumé that includes relevant experience in the liberty movement and professional skills.
• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
• A writing sample.
• A semester schedule (if taking classes during the internship period).

This position awards an educational stipend of $5,000 in two installments throughout the duration of the internship.

Legal Policy Analyst

You: A principled policy advocate committed to the cause of liberty who wants to find creative solutions and promote them in the U.S. Congress. Your role is to research, track, and promote policies that protect individual liberty and ensure constitutional protections in our government and institutions. You’re looking for an opportunity to work with the best liberty lawyers in the nation and study the legal and philosophical principles of the liberty movement.

Them: Bureaucrats, legislators, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. And then there are the policymakers that are with us in spirit but don’t know where to turn for meaningful and possible solutions.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 cases litigated at the Court. We also nearly 200 active cases across the nation. We leverage that long history of litigation success along with our strategic research into cutting-edge policy solutions at every level of government. We are active participants in the legislatures and governors’ offices in over a dozen states and at the federal level.

We are a next-generation public interest law firm. This means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

About the Legal Policy Analyst Opening:

You will work with the Legal Policy Director, Legal Policy Deputy Directors, and PLF attorneys to develop and promote policies that reflect our three core practice areas: Separation of Powers — fight to rein in the unconstitutional “fourth branch,” also known as the administrative state, and restore our government’s proper structure. Equality and opportunity — to ensure that government does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, or sex and to demolish arbitrary government roadblocks to employment and prosperity. Property Rights — the foundation of liberty: the right to own, enjoy, and put property to productive use. It is a source of personal security, dignity, and prosperity, protecting the freedom of individuals to shape their destiny.

You will draft legislation, edit regulations, testify in committees, lobby in favor of PLF’s preferred policy solutions, write blogs and op-eds, attend conferences, and do media interviews supporting your work.

Getting down to brass tacks, your specific job duties will likely include:

Research and writing on federal laws and regulations, leading to solutions that may include the creation of model laws, executive orders, and policies
Track legislation and regulations and news on active campaigns to determine the best course of action for the legal policy team
Promote PLF and your work through writing, speaking, and media interviews
Candidates may work from home full-time but must reside within the greater Washington, DC metro area and be available for regular in-person meetings and as needed

This role is ideal for someone with:

Experience in legislative or executive offices, or a policy organization
A law degree (preferred)
A principled passion for individual liberty (not a political party)
Strong writing and research skills
Enjoys public speaking and networking
About Pacific Legal Foundation:
Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country.

PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a competitive compensation package. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power. Join us.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:
A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants
Your resume, including your experience in equality research and other relevant professional experience
Two writing samples: Preferably a 1) research report and 2) something written for a public audience

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Stephanie Keaveney, Senior Manager of Outreach at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: Stephanie@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.

Legal Policy & Constitutional Scholarship Internship (Spring 2025)

You: An inquisitive, creative, and self-motivated college junior, senior, grad student, or recent graduate who knows the principles of liberty and seeks to advance them. You have strong written and oral communication skills and enjoy problem solving.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the US Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 cases heard by the Court. PLF also has nearly 200 active cases across the nation. At PLF, we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

Legal Policy and Constitutional Scholarship

In the Legal Policy and Constitutional Scholarship path, the intern will work with two teams. The Legal Policy team works to secure state and federal legislative and executive reforms to expand individual liberty and reform the unconstitutional regulatory agencies. The Constitutional Scholarship team incubates legal theories for the three PLF practice areas: property rights, equality and opportunity, and separation of powers. This path is an opportunity for a wide variety of experiences, including the following:

• Reading and summarizing important legislation.
• Developing briefing materials for meetings with executive and legislative officials.
• Conducting policy research for reform efforts at the state or federal level.
• Conducting other research for op-eds, research reports, and other projects.
• Helping prepare for and facilitate legal symposiums and roundtables.

About Pacific Legal Foundation

PLF identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, PLF battles for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. Interns can work physically in any of PLF’s offices or request to work virtually. To maximize the internship experience, PLF prefers candidates who can work in the Arlington office. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit your application by November 22, 2024.

Interns are expected to be available 25–30 hours per week.

How to Apply

If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials:

• A résumé that includes relevant experience in the liberty movement and professional skills.
• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
• A writing sample.
• A semester schedule (if taking classes during the internship period).

This position awards an educational stipend in two installments throughout the duration of the internship.

Law Clerk Program (Summer 2025)

General Application

You: Passionate about defending individual rights and promoting liberty, but don’t see a job available? We’re always looking for talented individuals who share our commitment to defending Property Rights, advocating for Separation of Powers, and believe in Equality and Opportunity. If you’re interested in exploring a potential role with Pacific Legal Foundation, we’d love to hear from you!

About Pacific Legal Foundation:

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff works from home offices across the country. Candidates will be considered for work from any office or home office, on a per-role basis.

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and a brief application expressing your interest and how your skills align with our mission. Click ‘Apply’ button to proceed.