Make California the best place to live, raise a family, and grow a business — one victory at a time.
Help expose government misconduct and protect civil liberties. We're building a team of fighters dedicated to accountability and justice.
We fight for good governance, civil liberties, and a society where people truly thrive.
The California Civil Defense Institute is a public interest law firm protecting civil liberties and economic freedom through policy advocacy, strategic litigation, and public investigations against government misconduct.
Open Positions
CCDI exists because California can lead the country again in prosperity, rights, family formation, public safety, private property, civil liberty, and citizen power. The problems are large, but many of the solutions are simple. They require people with the brains to see the truth, the integrity to live by it, and the courage to fight for it. CCDI is not looking for résumé collectors, career nonprofit people, or timid bureaucratic personalities. We are building a litigation-first civil liberties organization for people who believe citizens deserve better and are willing to say the hard things, expose the rotten systems, and fight for California’s future. CCDI is a technology-first legal and investigative organization. We expect team members, including attorneys, researchers, investigators, communicators, and operations staff, to responsibly use modern tools that increase speed, depth, volume, and accuracy. That includes AI-assisted research, drafting, document review, public-records analysis, litigation support tools, legal research platforms, data analysis tools, and automation. We do not use technology to replace judgment. We use it to multiply disciplined judgment. CCDI’s opponents are slow, bloated, and protected by bureaucracy. We intend to be faster, sharper, and harder to ignore.
FAQs
Find answers about roles, our mission, and what it's like to join the California Civil Defense Institute team.
Do I need to live in California?
Not necessarily. CCDI is California-first, but that does not mean every team member must live in California. Strong candidates outside California may be considered for many roles if they understand the mission and can work effectively with a remote team. Attorney roles may require California licensure or the ability to become licensed in California quickly. Roles involving court appearances, California law, public records, local government, or field work may favor candidates with California experience
Does CCDI offer benefits?
CCDI’s goal is to offer competitive benefits for full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision coverage. Because CCDI is an early-stage organization, benefits may depend on role type, hours, employment structure, and timing. Some roles may begin as contract, fractional, part-time, or project-based positions while CCDI grows. As the organization scales, CCDI intends to build a benefits program that is competitive and practical, with room for additional reimbursement programs that support health, family life, resilience, and real-world well-being.
Do I need a law degree to work at CCDI?
No. Some roles require a law degree and active bar membership, especially attorney positions. But CCDI also needs researchers, investigators, operators, writers, media people, donor relations professionals, technologists, data analysts, citizen watchdogs, and people who know how to find facts, build systems, expose abuse, and move work forward. CCDI is a litigation-first organization, but lawsuits require more than lawyers. They require records, research, communications, operations, funding, technology, and disciplined execution.
What is CCDI’s approach to schedule flexibility, PTO, and vacation?
CCDI is building a responsibility-based work culture. The goal is not to monitor adults like bureaucrats. The goal is to hire serious, mature people who manage their work, communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and take ownership of results. For full-time roles, CCDI intends to use core collaboration hours, generally around 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, so team members have predictable overlap while still having room for school drop-off, school pickup, family needs, appointments, focused work, and real life. Vacation and time away should be handled the same way: responsibly. Team members are expected to communicate, plan ahead, protect deadlines, coordinate with the team, and take the time they need without creating chaos for everyone else.
Is CCDI a remote-friendly workplace?
We're based in Northern California, but yes. CCDI is fully remote by default. Some roles may occasionally require travel for court appearances, public meetings, donor events, special projects, investigations, or team gatherings, but remote work is the standard operating model. CCDI is being built for serious people who can work independently, communicate clearly, and deliver results without being micro-managed..
Does CCDI use AI and modern technology?
Yes. CCDI is technology-first. Team members are expected to responsibly use tools that increase speed, depth, volume, accuracy, and accountability. That may include ChatGPT, Claude, vLex, legal research platforms, document review tools, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, spreadsheets, databases, Trello, Slack, Zoom, CRM systems, donor platforms, public records tools, transcription tools, video editing tools, design tools, social media scheduling tools, automation tools, and data-analysis tools. No one needs to know every tool on day one. But CCDI expects people to be technically capable, curious, adaptable, and willing to learn. Technology does not replace judgment. It multiplies disciplined judgment. CCDI intends to move faster than larger, slower institutions without sacrificing accuracy, legality, ethics, or credibility.
Still have questions?
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Join CCDI and defend civil rights
Submit your resume today to join our team fighting for government accountability and protecting civil liberties across Northern California.