Systemic Justice is looking for a (Senior) Strategic Litigation Fellow (Remote)

About Systemic Justice

Systemic Justice works to radically transform how the law serves communities campaigning for racial, social, and economic justice. We believe that those most impacted by systemic injustices should be at the centre of efforts to dismantle them. That’s why we partner with communities to co-create and co-implement litigation strategies and litigate cases that challenge the structures perpetuating inequality and harm.

Our approach

Strategic litigation is a powerful tool for systemic change, especially when combined with advocacy, campaigning, and policy work. We do strategic litigation differently by:

• centring communities and following their lead throughout the legal process;

• broadening access to judicial remedies for those fighting for justice and equality;

• building lasting partnerships that transform traditional power dynamics in legal advocacy; and

• supporting communities to use litigation as a tool in their broader pursuit of justice.

Our work

We strengthen the capacity of organisations and movements fighting for justice by:

• co-creating resources and tools on strategic litigation;

• providing knowledge building and learning opportunities;

• supporting communities to understand and engage with legal strategies and legal processes; and

• fostering connections between movements and legal practitioners.

We partner with communities to develop and pursue strategic litigation cases that:

• challenge systemic inequalities and rights violations;

• establish precedents and make other contributions that benefit broader movements for justice;

• transform how strategic litigation serves community needs; and

• build communities’ capacity to engage with legal processes.

We promote more equitable models of legal advocacy by:

• creating spaces for knowledge sharing and coordination amongst legal practitioners;

• building communities of practice focused on justice-oriented litigation;

• supporting the adoption of community-centred approaches; and

• fostering collaboration between movements and legal professionals.

Through this integrated approach, we aim to fundamentally reshape how the law can be used as a tool for justice – moving from traditional lawyer-led strategic litigation to true partnership with communities fighting for transformative change.

The role

Job description

The (Senior) Strategic Litigation Fellow plays a crucial role in supporting our strategic litigation efforts by working directly with communities to develop cases that advance systemic change. In partnership with communities, you will help to identify, develop, and pursue case work that has the potential to create significant social or legal change beyond the immediate case. This role requires balancing community engagement and relationship building with rigorous case management, project management, and coordination to advance systemic change through strategic litigation.

We are looking for candidates who demonstrate competence in the following key practices:

Community-driven case development

• Conduct community consultations and maintain ongoing dialogue with communities throughout case development;

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with community partners and stakeholders;

• Engage communities in gathering and documenting shared experiences and evidence;

• Ensure community voices and needs remain central to litigation strategy development and casework;

• Support communities in understanding legal processes and options available to them; and

• Identify and address resource gaps that could impact communities’ ability to fully participate in litigation.

Intersectional case analysis and strategy development

• Facilitate legal strategy development uniting community insights with intersectional and legal analysis;

• Shape legal arguments with communities that challenge existing power structures while centring community experiences; and

• Mentor other legal team members and external lawyers in intersectional and legal case analysis.

Culturally sensitive communication and support

• Collaborate with and support the communications team with the development and implementation of contextually appropriate communication strategies for various audiences and diverse communities;

• Lead sensitive discussions about complex legal concepts in accessible ways;

• Hold trauma-informed spaces for communities to share experiences and concerns;

• Develop innovative tools and approaches for building community legal knowledge; and

• Train and mentor others in contextually sensitive communications and support.

Project management and organisation

• Source, onboard, and manage relationships with external lawyers, ensuring they understand and align with our organisational values and community-centred approach;

• Monitor and evaluate external lawyers’ engagement with communities to ensure alignment with our values of intersectionality, anti-oppression, and justice;

• Coordinate the gathering, organisation, and safe storage of evidence and documentation from multiple sources, including community testimonies, expert opinions, and supporting documentation;

• Ensure communities are kept abreast of developments, changes, and outcomes in the strategic litigation process, e.g. consult with and brief communities regularly, produce factsheets, primers, etc.;

• Manage resource allocation to support communities throughout litigation, including:

  • coordinating interpretation and translation services;

  • arranging transportation and accommodation for community members attending legal proceedings and legal meetings;

  • organising spaces for community meetings and case preparation;

  • managing all documentation needs including filings, call notes, memos, research papers, etc.;

  • coordinating evidence, expert witnesses, and testimonies;

• Track and manage case budgets, including external legal fees, and administrative expenses; and

• Develop and maintain project timelines and plans that account for both legal proceedings and community needs.

Anticipated impact in first six months

The first six months in this role represent a critical period of growth and impact as you transition from understanding our unique approach to strategic litigation to independently driving projects and relationships forward. We’ve designed a progressive journey that enables you to build deep knowledge of our work while steadily increasing your ownership and impact. This structured approach ensures you can effectively integrate into our team, master our systems and processes, and ultimately lead strategic litigation projects that advance our mission of transforming how the law works for communities fighting for justice.

In the first and second months: onboarding and integration

• Develop a deep understanding of Systemic Justice’s approach to strategic litigation and our community-driven work;

• Review case development workplan and learn existing case management systems, processes, and documentation methods;

• Shadow key team members in community meetings and case management activities.;

• Review the current strategic litigation portfolio and project management frameworks.;

• Familiarise yourself with current systems, process, documentations, and ways of working at Systemic Justice; and

• Engage with our values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice through team discussions and reflection on how these values manifest in our daily work.

In the third and fourth months: taking ownership

• Assume primary project management responsibility for designated strategic litigation cases.;

• Begin independently managing relationships with community partners and stakeholders;

• Implement improvements to project management systems based on identified needs;

• Lead community consultation meetings and feedback sessions;

• Develop project plans and timelines for new strategic litigation initiatives.;

• Start coordinating with external partners and lawyers;

• Contribute to strategic discussions about case development and community engagement; and

• Demonstrate understanding of our operational values through practicing sustainable work habits, fostering trust and transparency, and taking personal responsibility in your role.

In the fifth and sixth months: driving results

• Demonstrate full ownership of project management across assigned strategic litigation projects;

• Show measurable improvements in case management efficiency and documentation;

• Establish strong, trusted relationships with community partners;

• Implement new or improved processes for tracking case progress and impact. ;

• Lead the development of new strategic litigation initiatives;

• Actively contribute to organisational knowledge sharing and evolving best practice in community-centred strategic litigation; and

• Model our values and culture in all aspects of your work, particularly in how you centre communities and collaborate with team members to deliver our mission.

Qualifications and experience

At Systemic Justice, we distinguish between our legal programmes work and case work in important ways. While our case work focuses on specific litigation that challenges systemic injustice through the courts, our legal programmes work creates the foundation for sustainable, community-driven strategic litigation by building knowledge, power, and capacity within communities. This fellowship supports our strategic litigation work while helping to strengthen and evolve our legal programmes through insights gained from working directly with communities.

This is not a traditional legal fellowship. We are seeking individuals at an inflection point in their legal careers or movement work who are ready to challenge conventional approaches to strategic litigation and embrace a radically different way of practicing the law. Our approach centres communities as active participants rather than passive clients, emphasises deep relationship building over rapid case progression, and values collective impact over individual legal victories. The ideal candidate will be excited about reimagining the role of lawyers in social justice movements and is comfortable questioning traditional power dynamics in legal practice.

The fellowship offers an opportunity to develop expertise in both project management and community engagement – skills that are often overlooked in traditional legal training but are crucial for effective community-centred strategic litigation. This role is particularly suited for individuals with a legal and/or movement building background who are:

• open to questioning and reimagining traditional legal approaches;

• eager to learn from and be led by communities;

• comfortable with complexity and emergent strategy;

• ready to prioritise systemic change over quick wins;

• interested in developing new models of legal practice; and

• committed to transforming how law can work for communities campaigning for racial, social, and economic justice.

Who should apply:

• legal professionals who have collaborated closely with civil society, grassroots organisations, or movements;

• human rights or public interest lawyers seeking to practice law differently; or

• civil society or NGO professionals with legal training and strong project management.

We recognise that transformative talent comes from many backgrounds. If you don’t see your exact profile here but believe your experience and commitment align with our mission and approach to strategic litigation, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your commitment to justice, ability to manage complex projects, skill in building relationships, and openness to practicing law differently.

Essential qualifications:

• advanced understanding of law and legal systems, typically gained through a law degree and/or extensive legal practice experience;

• demonstrated experience working with communities fighting for racial, social, climate, or economic justice;

• demonstrated ability to work across different community contexts and apply intersectional analysis;

• demonstrated experience in project management, particularly in legal, movement, or nonprofit contexts;

• strong understanding of systemic inequalities and power structures that perpetuate injustice;

• experience in facilitation, training, or knowledge-sharing with diverse groups;

• interest in community-based methodologies and embedding intersectionality;

• proficiency in case management systems and legal research tools;

• experience with project management methodologies;

• competence in collaboration and communication tools; and

• experience with human rights advocacy, civil society work, social justice work or public interest law.

Additional considerations

While formal legal qualifications are valued, we recognise that relevant expertise can be gained through various pathways.

Lived experience of systemic injustice and/or deep connection to impacted communities is highly valued.

Experience in movement building, community organising, or grassroots advocacy is particularly relevant.

We welcome candidates with unique perspectives and non-traditional combinations of skills and experience.

Compensation and benefits

At Systemic Justice, we believe in providing comprehensive support that enables our team to thrive both professionally and personally. We are committed to sustainable working practices and fostering an environment where everyone can do their best work while maintaining wellbeing.

Compensation:

• competitive salary between 57.000 - 69.000 euros;

• flexible working;

• fully remote position;

• flexible working hours to accommodate European time zones;

• technology and home office setup allowance; and

• focus on sustainable working practices.

Team support:

• regular team retreats to connect and collaborate in person;

• opportunities to co-work in person with team members; and

• inclusive and supportive team culture.

Additional benefits:

• 10% pension contribution.

We strive to be transparent about our benefits. Our goal is to create conditions where every team member feels supported, valued, and able to contribute their best while maintaining a healthy work-life integration.

While Systemic Justice is registered in the Netherlands, our team is employed on local employment contracts within the jurisdiction they live and work. Payroll is also run locally.

This role is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract with the possibility of extension, subject to funding and organisational needs. Periodic travel across the Council of Europe to engage with communities, partners, and team members is required.

Candidates must be based in the European Union or the UK, and have the right to work in their country of residence.

Application process

We strive to make our recruitment processes transparent, accessible, and mindful of candidates’ time and energy. Below you’ll find our timeline and what to expect at each stage.

Key dates:

• Candidate FAQ session: 12 December 2024 at 18:00 CET. Register here.

• Application deadline: 20 December 2024 at 23:59 CET.

• First round interviews (online): 15-16 January 2024.

• Candidate assignment: week of 20 January 2025.

• Second round interviews (in person): 29 – 30 January 2025.

• Decision communicated: week of 3 February.

• Desired start date: anytime from February 2024.

The candidate FAQ session is an opportunity to learn more about the role, ask any questions you may have about the recruitment process, and gain a deeper understanding of our values and work.

How to apply:

Your CV/resume.

Instead of a traditional cover letter – a written response to these four questions:

• Our approach requires rethinking traditional lawyer-client relationships and power dynamics. How has your experience prepared you to practice law differently? What excites you about this approach, and what personal challenges do you anticipate?

• We believe that justice means providing all individuals with an equal opportunity to enforce their rights and push for change. Share a specific example of how you’ve worked to shift power to communities in your professional practice.

• Our operational values emphasise sustainable working practices, trust, and transparency. Describe a time when you had to balance the urgency of justice work with sustainability and wellbeing (for yourself and others).

• We approach our work through an intersectional lens and actively challenge systems of oppression. Tell us about a time when your understanding of justice or legal practice was transformed by learning from a community you worked with. How did this experience change your approach to your work?

Our work is rooted in our foundational values of anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice. We invite anyone who does not have lived experience with systems of oppression to reflect on their suitability for this role before applying, and to address this as an introduction to their responses to the above questions if they choose to apply.

Equal opportunities statement

Systemic Justice is deeply committed to building an organisation that reflects the communities with which we work. We understand that creating transformative change requires bringing together diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise. When we say we want to transform how the law works for communities fighting for justice, we mean transforming who has access to legal careers as well.

Decisions related to hiring, compensation, training, evaluating performance and termination are made fairly and transparently. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees. This commitment to equity extends across every aspect of our employment practices and organisational culture.

We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the injustices we work to address, as well as people who examine their unconscious bias and take responsibility for creating diverse, equitable, inclusive work environments.

We recognise that people from marginalised communities often hesitate to apply for positions unless they meet all the criteria. We want to emphasise that we are committed to supporting growth and development. If you are excited about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every qualification listed.

Contact information

Should you require accommodations during the interview process or for any queries regarding this role or the application process, please contact:

Iyobosa Irabor
Co-Head of Operations (HR, People and Culture)
Iyobosa@systemicjustice.ngo