Attorney/Senior Attorney, Administrative Law Issues

The Institute for Policy Integrity is seeking applicants for an attorney or a senior attorney position with a primary focus on appellate litigation and emerging administrative law issues, including the major questions doctrine and other doctrines related to federal agency decisionmaking.

About the Institute for Policy Integrity

Housed at the New York University School of Law, the Institute Policy Integrity (Policy Integrity) is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to improving the quality of government decisionmaking. Our principal focus is U.S. energy and environmental policy, with a particular emphasis on climate change. We produce original scholarly research in the fields of economics, law, and regulatory policy. We also advocate for reform before courts, legislatures, and executive agencies.

Policy Integrity’s interdisciplinary mission focuses on the rational use of economic analysis in government decisionmaking and how tools like cost‐benefit analysis and distributional analysis can improve policy design. Policy Integrity’s docket covers a range of issue areas, with a particular emphasis on federal environmental protections and federal‐ and state‐level electricity policies, as well as a steady stream of projects on public health and consumer protection.

Policy Integrity’s successful advocacy outcomes include ensuring that agencies are required to consider the lost social benefits and other harms of any deregulatory actions; guiding state utility regulators on the need to value environmental externalities in energy policy decisions; convincing both federal and state courts to endorse the use of the social cost of carbon for monetizing avoided climate damages; and prompting the Department of the Interior to analyze the option value of delaying offshore oil leases.

Responsibilities

In general, attorneys and senior attorneys may be assigned projects across a range of substantive areas or may be tasked to specialize in a key area depending on the attorney’s experience and Policy Integrity’s priorities. This attorney or senior attorney position will focus primarily on appellate litigation and emerging administrative law issues but may also work on other state or federal regulatory issues.

The attorney or senior attorney will work with Policy Integrity’s directors, economists, and fellows to:

• Draft amicus briefs to the Supreme Court, D.C. Circuit, and other federal courts in cases challenging significant agency rulemakings and policies
• Track and analyze emerging issues in administrative law at the federal level
• Author reports and academic papers on emerging issues in administrative law
• Represent Policy Integrity in partnerships with other academic institutions, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations
• Draft regulatory comments and other formal submissions to federal and state agencies
• Draft op-eds, respond to media inquiries, and discuss Policy Integrity’s work at conferences, on social media, and elsewhere
• Supervise legal and economics fellows, summer law clerks, research assistants, and students in the NYU School of Law’s Regulatory Policy Clinic

Senior Attorneys, in addition to the list above, will: 

• Provide programmatic leadership addressing emerging developments in administrative law, help shape Policy Integrity’s positions on key issues, and direct research and manage projects in their areas of expertise
• Work with other Policy Integrity staff to devise and implement strategies for Policy Integrity’s broader energy, environmental, and climate efforts, and help oversee organizational operations

Requirements and Qualifications

• Commitment to advancing Policy Integrity’s mission
• J.D., with superior academic achievement
• Admission to the New York Bar or willingness to seek New York Bar admission within one year of employment
• 3+ years of relevant legal experience for attorney candidates, 6+ years of relevant legal experience for senior attorney candidates
• Specialized knowledge in administrative law is desired but not required, especially if the candidate has a strong background in appellate litigation or other substantive areas related to Policy Integrity’s mission, such as economics or environmental law
• Litigation experience and/or a federal clerkship are desired but not required, especially if the candidate has a strong background in administrative law or other substantive areas related to Policy Integrity’s mission, such as economics or environmental law
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Ability to navigate high-stakes and complex situations under time pressure, and excellent judgment about how to approach uncertain policy considerations  

Policy Integrity is committed to a culture in which all people are welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. We welcome and encourage applications from diverse applicants, and we consider multiple aspects of diversity.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

Benefits and Terms of Employment

In compliance with New York City’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual salary range is $93,600–$101,800 for the attorney position, or $105,000–$135,000 for the senior attorney position. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

NYU offers an excellent, comprehensive benefits package including generous paid time off and retirement contributions.  Information about benefits can be viewed here. Partial relocation assistance (exact amount based on distance) will be provided. Policy Integrity staff members also have access to academic enrichment opportunities at NYU School of Law, including some faculty workshops, colloquia, and other scholarly forums.

Policy Integrity follows a hybrid schedule that requires three days in our New York City office per week. For this position, occasional travel is also expected.

To Apply

Interested applicants should send:

1. a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and your relevant experience,
2. a resume,
3. law school and undergraduate transcripts,
4. two writing samples, with a preference for independently authored briefs*, memoranda, articles, blog posts, public comments, reports, or other relevant writings,
5. a brief statement (less than one page) on how your background or experiences would enhance the diversity, inclusivity, and perspectives of Policy Integrity, and
6. the names and contact information of three references.

All materials should be sent to [email protected], with “Attorney Application—Litigation and Administrative Law” in the subject line. We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis starting on January 3rd, 2025. The position will remain open until filled. Candidates coming from law firms will be able to delay a start date until receiving annual bonuses in early 2025.