The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) in Washington, D.C., is seeking an experienced staff attorney to provide training and technical assistance to Protection and Advocacy (P&A) program staff regarding the rights of adults with disabilities who are, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system; and in responding to the abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities who reside in institutions or are receiving outpatient treatment, especially those with mental health and intellectual disabilities. This attorney position is critical for NDRN to support the work of the P&A attorneys and advocate address the abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities within prisons and institutions which disproportionally impact persons of color.

Specifically, the staff attorney will assist NDRN and its members with legal and, as necessary, policy issues related to the following:

• The conditions of prisons and jails, services, diversion, re-entry and recidivism for adults with disabilities who are incarcerated or at risk of incarceration; and
• The response of law enforcement to incidents involving persons with mental health or intellectual disabilities.
• Abuse and neglect and rights violations of persons with disabilities in institutions through legally based advocacy, including complex litigation.

Who We Are:

NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities.  The P&A System is collectively the largest provider of legal services to persons with disabilities in the United States using various means, including administrative complaints and system litigation, to address a wide range of rights violations which impact persons with disabilities.

NDRN provides training, technical assistance, and legal support to the P&A agencies, which are in every state, U.S. territory, and for a consortium of Native American tribes. NDRN is also involved in legislative advocacy to create a society in which people with disabilities are afforded equal opportunity and are able to fully participate by exercising choice and self-determination.

Responsibilities Include:

• Deliver direct technical assistance to support P&A attorneys and advocates to pursue federally mandated legally based advocacy activities primarily involving 1) adult criminal justice issues for persons with disabilities; and 2) the rights of persons with disabilities who reside in institutions or are receiving outpatient treatment to be protected from abuse and neglect. Technical assistance may involve providing advice on litigation strategies along with other advocacy approaches.
• Develop, coordinate, and conduct remote and in-person trainings to meet the identified training needs of P&A legal and advocacy staff to enhance and expand their ability to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in prisons and jails, in institutions, or receiving outpatient treatment.
• Create, update, and maintain relevant training and technical assistance resources and participate on relevant forums in areas assigned.
• Broker expertise among the P&As and work with outside experts to promote the sharing of legal and other resources across the network.
• Develop and expand collaborations with federal agencies and other national advocacy
• Draft proposals and develop position papers regarding relevant regulations, policies, practices and funding opportunities designed to support the work of P&As and protect the rights of persons with
• Consult with and advise the executive director and other NDRN staff on relevant policy
• Provide subject matter expertise to support NDRN special projects and
• Contribute to and prepare articles and reports that enhance the image and visibility of the P&A System and promote collaboration with other disability organizations and state and federal policy
• Compile and draft reports which demonstrate the efficacy of the work of P&A agency and NDRN related to the adult criminal justice system, and the conditions and rights of persons with disabilities in institutions.

Required Qualifications:

• A Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school, with a minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in legal practice. Good standing to practice law in at least one state or the District of Columbia.
• Knowledge of disability rights, conditions and issues related to institutional care and adult criminal justice
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and social
• Knowledge or experience representing clients with mental health or developmental disabilit
• Effective communication skills, including writing skills.
• Excellent legal research and analytical
• Litigation experience in federal court.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including but not limited to sensitivity to other people and the ability to work cooperatively with

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior work with non-profit legal services programs.
• Experience in litigation involving conditions in prisons and jails, especially class action litigation.
• Understanding of institutional accreditation standards, federal conditions of participation in the Medicaid and Medicare program, or state level mental health or developmental disabilities services.
• Experience presenting and training with large and small groups to convey specialized content to adult

Location and Travel:

Location: Washington D.C.

NDRN follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, as needed, based on demands of specific tasks. Working from the office is encouraged, and may be required, when working on tasks that require a high degree of collaboration or in-person meetings.

The position requires some travel and occasional work on weekends. 

How To Apply: 

Submit a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements attention: David Hutt, Deputy Executive Director for Legal Services. See closing date below for more information on NDRN’s dates for reviewing applications.

E-mail to: LegalUnitPosition@ndrn.org (Subject: Staff Attorney Position); or

Mail to: 820 First Street, NE, Suite 740, Washington, DC

No phone calls please.

Closing date:

Candidates will be selected for consideration on a rolling basis beginning on January 17, 2023.  No application will be considered after February 10, 2023.

Candidates selected for an interview will be required to submit a writing sample.

Reasonable Accommodations:

NDRN provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify us at hr@ndrn.org.

NDRN is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, and we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Persons from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

About National Disability Rights Network

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. As the national membership association for the P&A/CAP network, NDRN has aggressively sought federal support for advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities, and expanded P&A programs from a narrow initial focus on the institutional care provided to people with intellectual disabilities in facilities to include advocacy services for all people with disabilities no matter the type or nature of their disability. P&As and CAPs work to improve the lives of people with disabilities by guarding against abuse; advocating for basic rights; and ensuring access and accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, voting, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. We’re the only legally based advocacy organization established by Congress to protect the rights of all individuals with disabilities. As part of that mandate, our network includes agencies in every state and U.S. territory, working to provide legal protection and advocacy services for people with disabilities.

Connections working at National Disability Rights Network