The District of Columbia Bar, created by the D.C. Court of Appeals in 1972, is among the largest unified bars in the United States. The precipitating force for the D.C. Bar’s creation was the legal commuity’s desire to have a single organization that could uphold the ethical standards and rules of professional conduct.

The District of Columbia Bar has an opening for a Writer in the Communications Office in the Operations Division. This position is responsible for reporting, writing, and editing assignments for the Bar. This position reports to the Managing Editor (ME).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Performs reporting assignments within the D.C. Bar  and the Washington legal community in general both by telephone and in  person in order to prepare news and feature articles for Washington Lawyer.

2. Evaluates the news value to the membership of releases received by the Communications Office and determining whether and how to reproduce such information in the Bar’s periodicals.

3. Writes news updates and provides content development for the Bar’s Web page.

4. Writes the Bar’s Annual Report.

5. Edits materials generated by the Bar for grammatical,  spelling, and factual accuracy.

6. Completes writing assignments for other cost centers.

7. Assists with proofreading.

8. Takes photographs of news events.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. BA/BS from an accredited university or college with a  focus in journalism or related field  with a minimum of three years of relevant  work experience or a combination of education and relevant work experience      equal to seven years or more.

2. A minimum of three years reporting and writing experience required.

3. Demonstrated ability to generate news and feature articles independently and to juggle several assignments at once.

5. Three or more years of experience working in a membership association or a similar nonprofit environment is strongly preferred.

6. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically with MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook.

7. Must be detail oriented, be able to multi-task and work in a fast paced environment.

8. Demonstrated ability as a writer including strong  emphasis on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and adherence to style  guide rules; detailed knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style is a must.

9. Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. Must work well in a team environment and be able to interact with Bar members, volunteers, vendors, the public and Bar employees.

10. Must work well under pressure, excellent  organizational abilities, set and meet deadlines, be  able to manage several priorities in a day; must be adaptable, creative and self-motivated.

11. Ability to handle and maintain the confidentiality of highly sensitive information is a must.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Under the Bar’s compensation structure, this position is in the Communications Job Family and at the Specialist Level.  Salary is commensurate with experience.  This is an exempt position.  The D.C. Bar has an excellent benefits package.

This is not an attempt to list all essential functions of this position.  It is recognized that job duties may change over time based on the Bar’s needs.

The District of Columbia Bar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Interested individuals should submit a cover letter, resume and 3 writing samples to: https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=10622272