Research Assistant/Analyst, Strategic Initiatives

Position Summary: Are you a mission-driven researcher with a passion for defending democratic institutions and tracking the forces working to undermine them? If so, Democracy Forward Foundation ("Democracy Forward") is looking for a Research Assistant to join its Strategic Initiatives team. Democracy Forward seeks a highly collaborative researcher to join its team of litigators and policy professionals to help track and assess the activities of the right-wing legal movement and coordinated efforts to undermine liberal democracy in the United States.

The Research Assistant will help drive Democracy Forward’s research and data collection on right wing legal organizations, attempts to undermine or eliminate DEIA policies and practices, and efforts to advance anti-democratic law and policy. The role will identify and track these trends, help maintain and develop Democracy Forward’s data systems, work across the organization to develop timely and insightful analysis, and support Democracy Forward’s collaboration with key stakeholders and partners outside the organization to turn data into action. This position is full-time.

Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging 2 times per week). Remote candidates within the United States will also be considered.

If a candidate is outside of the DC area, travel to DC is expected 1–2 times per quarter. The application deadline for this role is July 23, 2026 at 11:59pm ET.

Key Responsibilities

: Below are the key areas of responsibility for this role. The specifics of each responsibility may vary based on the needs of the organization and department. Support efforts to track, analyze, and report on the organization and litigation strategies of the right-wing legal movement and its efforts to undermine democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Qualifications

: We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the

listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply. For Research Assistant: 0-2 years of experience working in research, policy, or legal environments and/or organizations that work at the intersection of government, law, and policy For Research Analyst: 3+ years of experience working in research, policy, or legal environments and/or organizations that work at the intersection of government, law, and policy Demonstrated experience with legal, policy, and media databases and tools, including Westlaw, Docket Alarm, PACER, AirTable, Muck Rack, and Google News.