Administrative Assistant

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system. LDF continues to make an impact in the area of public service and was recognized by Fast Company as one of its 2023 Brands That Matter under its public service category.

In 2021, LDF took its effort to expand educational opportunities to the next level with the launch of the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP). MMSP is an innovative scholarship and legal training program designed to produce a highly skilled cadre of racial justice attorneys committed to working in the Southern region of the United States alongside Black communities. Unparalleled in its scope, MMSP will significantly increase the number of students LDF assists, expand the ways these students are supported and prepared, create a path for MMSP Scholars to realize an exceptional, equal educational opportunity, and support and launch their careers as civil rights attorneys.

MMSP will seed the South with a cohort of well-trained and highly dedicated civil rights attorneys to provide superior legal representation to African American communities. It is LDF’s intent that the Program will provide pathways to leadership, self-sufficiency, and socio- economic progress. Moreover, LDF aims to develop individuals to become ambassadors and eventually advocates for transformational change in African American communities, bringing increased and much-needed resources to the South. By providing a broad range of support—financial, educational, and mentoring—the Program will offer a new generation of law students the opportunity to succeed and transcend barriers. The Program is a critical and ambitious investment toward building the pipeline for tomorrow’s civil rights leaders.

LDF seeks an Administrative Assistant to support the MMSP. This position reports to the MMSP Program Director (Director) and serves as the point person on all administrative matters for the MMSP team.

LDF operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office a minimum of two days per week, unless otherwise indicated.

Responsibilities Include

Administrative Support

• Serve as administrative point person on all assigned matters for Director of MMSP and other members of the MMSP team, anticipating the Director’s or team’s needs and leading logistical arrangements and information handling;
• Organize and coordinate meetings, including preparing and circulating agendas, reserving conference rooms, arranging catering, and communicating with participants, as appropriate;
• Use problem solving skills, initiative, general research, inquiry, and follow-up to execute administrative tasks;
• Assist the MMSP Director and team with scheduling meetings with LDF Senior Leadership, Scholars, partners, and other stakeholder (i.e., meetings, conference calls, travel);
• Responsible for travel arrangements for the MMSP Director;
• Arrange correspondence and communications for the MMSP Director, as needed, including direct inquiries to appropriate persons;
• Create and maintain contact lists and databases for the MMSP Team;
• Draft correspondence for review and signature;
• Provide basic word processing support, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel;
• Assist with document production (i.e. scanning, copying, formatting);
• Responsible for the organization, maintenance and control of the filing, both paper and electronic, for the MMSP Team;
• Creating systems for document management, LDF Central reporting, information flow, business process and organizational planning.
• Establishing effective and efficient engagement of IT support services.
  
  

Program Coordination

• Coordinate the preparation of various agreements and correspondence with donors, scholars, and other partners;
• Works with the MMSP Team to maintain current, detailed, and complete program records; maintains hard copy and electronic filing systems; prepares records for annual audits;
• Acts as liaison between program staff, scholars, donors, and partners to provide information and updates regarding MMSP activities and programs;
• Assists in the coordination of MMSP special events such as scholar retreats, conferences, receptions and other events as planned;
• Assist with logistical arrangements for the MMSP Selection Committee; scheduling and coordinating meetings, preparing materials, and attending meetings;
• Prepare and send correspondence to applicants and scholars;
• Promote and communicate with scholars, including organizing their attendance at LDF events and trainings;
• Maintain up-to-date scholar information in a scholarship database and coordinate information exchange with other departments, especially Development and Communications; and
• Other responsibilities as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of Administrative Assistant or project management experience;
• Excellent writing, telephone, interpersonal, and communications skills;
• Highly motivated, exceedingly professional in demeanor;
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF;
• Possess excellent administrative, organizational and time management skills;
• Possess excellent computer skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), and internet research skills;
• Demonstrate high level of executive and legal support;
• Excellent attention to details;
• The ability to work in a high-paced environment; and
• Flexibility with work schedule to meet the demands of a dynamic legal organization.
  
  

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts or requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

The salary range(s) for this position is $39,2000-$58,000.

LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package. To learn more click the following link 2025 Benefits Overview.

* * * * *

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.