WSJ seeks a national legal affairs reporter

The Wall Street Journal is looking for a seasoned journalist to join its Law Bureau as a national legal affairs reporter.

This position provides endless story opportunities for a versatile reporter who is passionate about the law and comfortable managing a broad beat. The successful candidate will be part of a small, nimble team that covers legal developments around the U.S.

In recent months, the Journal’s law team has driven much of the paper’s abortion coverage and produced a steady stream of stories on issues including guns, Covid-19 legal issues and white-collar crime. The team has covered criminal trials against lawmakers, business executives and entertainers, and civil proceedings in cases including Sarah Palin’s defamation litigation against the New York Times.

The job will give you space to develop sourcing and expertise in areas of interest, but it will also require flexibility and a willingness to jump into a variety of news stories involving complex legal topics. The Journal’s mix of legal coverage aims to appeal to a general readership as well as business-minded news consumers. One week you may be writing about insider trading or environmental law. The next it could be criminal justice or voting litigation.

You will:

• Dig into some of the biggest stories and issues in the nation, which often intersect with the world of law.
• Cover trials and rulings from both state and federal courts.
• Partner with colleagues across the newsroom, including reporters who cover industry, finance, technology and politics, as well as regional correspondents based throughout the U.S.

You have:

• At least five years of reporting experience.
• Familiarity with legal issues.
• The ability to deliver scoops, write quickly on breaking stories, and produce longer-form legal-analysis and enterprise stories.

The job reports to Brent Kendall, our law bureau chief, and will likely require some travel. The position can be done from any U.S. city where there is a WSJ office, including New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Houston.

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter outlining how you would approach the job and several examples of your best journalism, with an emphasis on clips in the legal arena.

The Journal’s reporters, editors, developers, and audio and visual journalists create important and impactful stories, firmly rooted in fact and adhering to the highest ethical standards. We report without fear or bias, and we maintain a proper sense of perspective, detachment and objectivity in our reporting.

To apply, go here.