Staff Attorney

Responsibilities

Legal

• Represent MAP clients in litigation, rulemaking, advisory and advocacy activities relating to media and telecommunications policy issues.
• Participate in the MAP Legal Team, strategizing with colleagues and carrying out the legal and administrative work that support’s MAP’s program goals.
• In coordination with the Legal Team, plan and carry out FCC lobbying and other advocacy tasks, as needed.
• As requested, engage with congressional staffs on telecommunications policy issues.
• Respond to inquiries from clients and other stakeholders regarding communications law and policy.

Communications

• In collaboration with the Legal Team, develop writing projects that further legal scholarship, develop long-term legislative proposals, or educate the public on current policy issues.
• Offer public presentations and press briefings as a representative of MAP’s Legal Team.

Desired Skills and Characteristics

Candidates must be able to work unsupervised and must possess superior research and writing skills.  Candidates must be proactive in identifying issues that will further MAP’s mission.  Candidates must be able to explain complex, highly technical matters in plain English to policy makers and the press. Candidates must be comfortable with technology.  WordPerfect a plus.

Desired Experience

Telecommunications background is essential.  Candidates should also have general familiarity with MAP’s issue areas (media regulation, spectrum management, open access/open network architecture) and three or more years experience with FCC practice, or the equivalent.  Candidates must have a good grasp of new and emerging technologies and their impact on law and policy.  Candidates must have a J.D. and be a member of the bar in good standing.  Some litigation experience desirable.  Experience advising grassroots and/or national public interest organizations a plus.

Compensation

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. MAP offers a very generous benefits plan and makes efforts to respond flexibly to employees’ personal needs.

The Organization

Media Access Project is a non-profit, public interest law firm and advocacy organization working in communications policy. For more information, visit www.mediaaccess.org.

To Apply

Please e-mail (or mail):  1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) three-year salary history (which will be held in strict confidence) to Chrystiane Pereira, Media Access Project Associate Director, at cpereira@mediaaccess.org or at 1625 K Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. No direct calls please.

MAP is an equal opportunity employer.

Legal Internship

Media Access Project (MAP) generally has openings for 2 full-time interns during the summer, and 1-2 full/part-time interns during the school year.
MAP is a non-profit, public interest law firm that has been practicing telecommunications law for more than thirty years. Its mission is to promote the public’s First Amendment right to hear and be heard via the electronic media of today and tomorrow before the Federal Communications Commission, other policy-making bodies, and the Courts.

Previous interns have worked on the following projects: a petition for writ of certiarori to the Supreme Court; briefs and motions before the Federal courts of appeals, filings with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and helping to prepare MAP staff for Congressional testimony and policy conferences. MAP interns generally have the opportunity to attend meetings with FCC Commissioners and staff, as well as with MAP’s clients in the public interest community.

Interns will gain experience in these issues and will develop a wide variety of legal research and writing skills. In previous semesters, MAP’s work has focused on:

• Fighting cable monopolization of broadband access and censorship of the Internet.
• Creating a new low power radio service.
• Ensuring that digital television technology promotes democracy and civic discourse.
• Ensuring broadcast stations afford reasonable access to political candidates.
• Promoting full community, government, and educational access to cable television and direct broadcast satellite outlets.
• Fighting discriminatory deployment of new media.

MAP offers an informal, congenial work atmosphere and strongly encourages women and minorities to apply.

Applicants should be mature, motivated, and dependable individuals who have an interest in telecommunications law and policy issues. A small stipend may be available for the summer position to superior students unable to obtain funding elsewhere, but students should pursue independent sources of financial support. MAP has had significant practice in providing rich internship experiences and considers the mentoring and education of students as part of its core mission.

Interested persons must send a resume and a detailed cover letter describing their interest in MAP to the contact person listed below.

This position is unpaid.

Contact Person:

Andrew Schwartzman
Media Access Project
1625 K Street, NW Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20006 202-466-7656 (fax)
email: andys@mediaaccess.org
No direct calls, please