The Beacon Center is Tennessee’s premier free market public policy organization and public interest law firm. Beacon is pound for pound the most effective and efficient state-level think tank on the planet. With a staff of just 12, Beacon has achieved remarkable policy and legal victories that have empowered Tennesseans to reclaim and protect their freedoms. Among our accomplishments, we have:
- Secured the repeal of the state death tax and Hall Income Tax, becoming just the second state in history to eliminate an income tax. These tax cuts have cumulatively saved taxpayers more than $4 billion to date.
- Established the nation’s fourth education savings account program, and successfully defended that program from subsequent legal attacks all the way up to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
- Helped usher in the nation’s first Right to Earn a Living Act to bring about occupational licensing reform. We have also brought multiple lawsuits to successfully eliminate licensing restrictions on a range of occupations, including barbers, hair braiders, and shampooers, online auctioneers, and tech startups.
- Protected property rights by obtaining a ruling striking down Nashville’s original Airbnb law as unconstitutional and using strategic litigation and community engagement to overturn Nashville’s home business ban, which was the most restrictive in the nation.
- Become the state’s only public interest litigation firm that focuses on restoring Tennesseans’ economic liberty and property rights against government overreach at the state and local levels. We have taken cases all the way up to the Tennessee Supreme Court at the state level and the Sixth Circuit at the federal level.
- Our legal cases have been featured in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Billboard Magazine.
As a result of our work, thousands of Tennesseans can now realize the American Dream. But we’re still not satisfied, and we won’t be until Tennessee becomes and remains the freest, most prosperous state in the nation. To help us advance this vision, we are looking for new talent. Beacon seeks a Director of Legal Affairs who will help take our organization—and the freedom of our fellow Tennesseans—to the next level.
Our Director of Legal Affairs will lead Beacon’s acclaimed legal arm. Our team of litigators has been recognized nationally and is well-respected (and often feared, particularly by bureaucrats) for their vociferous and successful advocacy on behalf of our clients.
In addition to being a seasoned litigator, our Director of Legal Affairs should have an entrepreneurial spirit and a high velocity of work, and be persuasive, results-oriented, optimistic, and curious. We believe that the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government enshrined in the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions are the foundation of a prosperous and opportunity-laden society. Our Director of Legal Affairs must believe in and abide by these core principles.
We have an office in Nashville, but offer a hybrid work environment. Team members choose the work location that is best for their day, whether it be working from the office, at home, or some combination thereof. We are open to negotiating the daily work structure and location for this role.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Work side-by-side with Beacon’s CEO and COO to advance our mission
- Lead Beacon’s legal team of attorneys who litigate on behalf of Tennesseans’ economic liberty and property rights against government overreach
- Select the cases we will pursue, and then vet and prepare clients for potential litigation, and prepare cases for approval by the CEO and Board of Directors
- Represent Beacon in litigation pertaining to its mission, and represent our clients in pro bono litigation to preserve their constitutional liberties
- Expand our legal team by adding new talent to take on more cases on behalf of Tennesseans across our state
- Review, approve, and draft amici curiae briefs for filing on matters directly related to Beacon’s mission
- Speak on behalf of Beacon in media interviews and occasionally write opinion articles in newspapers about our cases and legal efforts
- Collaborate with other Beacon team members to advance overlapping priorities
Required Experience:
- Juris Doctor from accredited school of law
- License to practice law in Tennessee or ability to become promptly licensed in the state
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Affinity for liberty and free market principles
Preferred Experience:
- 6+ years of litigation experience
- Federal litigation experience or being admitted to practice in federal courts is a plus
How to Apply:
Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:
- Cover letter, which should detail your philosophical interest in Beacon’s mission and your salary requirements
- Résumé
Applications should be submitted to Stephanie Whitt at stephanie@beacontn.org. Questions can also be directed to Stephanie at this email. No phone calls, please.
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. Only direct and complete applications will be considered.