Senior Editor – SCOTUSblog Professional Subscription at The Dispatch (Remote)

The Dispatch·4d ago

Role details

Work type

Remote

Employment

Full-Time

Job description

SCOTUSblog is launching a daily, business‑docket newsletter for appellate lawyers, corporate counsel and commercial litigators that includes circuit court decisions, relists, denials, en banc grants, notable dissents, and other procedural moves.

What You’ll Do

Triage federal appellate opinions and orders; identify items with business impact (e.g., securities, antitrust, L&E, IP, arbitration, class actions, bankruptcy)
Track SCOTUS activity (relists/denials), en banc developments, and emerging circuit splits.
Publish the newsletter by 11am ET, Mon–Fri (except federal holidays).
Fact‑check and cite‑check to newsroom standards; handle corrections transparently.
Help refine workflows (alerts, searches, templates, automation) that ensure full coverage daily.

What You’ll Bring

J.D. required; bar membership a plus.
1-4+ years in commercial litigation, appellate practice, or a federal judicial clerkship.
Proven ability to read fast, synthesize accurately, and explain complex decisions clearly for non‑specialists.
Reliable, self‑directed work in a remote setting and strong time management.

Nice to Have

Prior federal appellate clerkship.
Depth in one or more: securities, antitrust, L&E, IP, class actions, arbitration, bankruptcy.
Experience with PACER, CourtListener/RECAP, Westlaw/Lexis/Bloomberg Law, and a newsletter CMS (Substack/Beehiiv/Mailchimp).

Compensation & Logistics

Employment type: Full‑time/W‑2.
Target pay: Less than your law firm, but more than you think.
Location: Remote with overlap to meet the daily publishing window.
This is editorial content, not legal advice; conflicts must be disclosed.

Why work at The Dispatch

Mission-Driven Work: Employees have the opportunity to work for a company that is explicitly committed to high-quality, ethical journalism and is trying to prove that "good journalism can be a good business."
Culture of Thoughtfulness: The company values thoughtful analysis and civil disagreement, and its editorial culture is described as independent and intellectually rigorous.
Remote-First & Hybrid Options: The company is remote-first, with a physical presence in Washington, D.C., offering hybrid roles for those in the area. builtin.com
Full-Time Employee Benefits: Includes health insurance (80% paid for individuals), company equity, FSA/HSA, short-term and long-term disability, 401K match, and a cell phone benefit. thedispatch.com
Growth Stage: Having launched in 2019 and recently acquired SCOTUSblog, the company is in a growth phase, offering opportunities for impact as it scales.

About The Dispatch

Company Overview

One-liner: The Dispatch is a subscription-based digital media company providing fact-driven news, analysis, and commentary on politics, policy, and culture from a conservative perspective.
Entity Type: Private (Subscription-based, bootstrapped in philosophy; aims to be profitable through reader revenue, not venture capital)
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA
Founded: 2019
Founders: Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and Toby Stock

Core Business

Primary Industry: Digital Media & Journalism
Target Customers: Engaged citizens (B2C) seeking thoughtful, fact-based conservative news and analysis; primarily a subscriber/member model.
Mission Statement: To provide fact-based reporting and commentary on politics, policy, and culture—informed by conservative principles—and to build a genuine community for thoughtful discussion, rejecting the clickbait and partisan boosterism prevalent in modern media.

Products & Services

The Dispatch Website: The primary online publication featuring on-the-ground reporting, incisive analysis, and explanatory journalism.
Newsletters: A core product, offering ad-free, high-quality newsletters delivered directly to subscribers (e.g., The Morning Dispatch, The G-File).
Podcasts: A suite of popular podcasts (e.g., The Remnant, Advisory Opinions) that provide in-depth discussion and commentary.
SCOTUSblog: Acquired by The Dispatch in 2025, this is the leading independent blog devoted to comprehensive, unbiased coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Community & Events: A robust membership program that fosters direct engagement between staff, writers, and readers, including virtual and in-person events.

Market Standing

Valuation/Market Cap: Not publicly available (privately held).
Key Metric: Not publicly available. The company is subscription-based and has stated it rejects the ad-driven traffic model, focusing on sustainable reader revenue.
Notable Investors/Partners: Not publicly available. The Dispatch was launched by its founders and is not known to have taken significant outside venture capital, instead relying on its subscription model.
Growth Signals:
- Acquired SCOTUSblog in 2025, a major addition to its editorial portfolio.
- Has built a loyal and growing subscriber base, described by members as "the most believable news organization on the planet."
- Expanded its editorial team and product offerings since its 2019 launch, adding new writers and podcasts.
- Maintains a strong and active online community.

Competitive Advantages

Subscription-First Model: The Dispatch is not reliant on advertising revenue, freeing it from the "clickbait" pressure that drives much of digital media. This allows it to prioritize quality over quantity and focus on reader experience (no pop-up ads, auto-play videos, or spam).
Clear Editorial Perspective: The Dispatch is transparent about its conservative principles but is fiercely independent, rejecting partisan boosterism. This creates a distinct, trustworthy brand for readers tired of both mainstream media and partisan echo chambers.
High-Trust Brand: The company has built a strong reputation for fact-based reporting, thoughtful analysis, and civil disagreement, earning high praise and loyalty from its members.
Strong Community Focus: The Dispatch views its subscribers as "members" and "participants," not just customers, fostering a unique sense of community and direct engagement with its journalists.

Strategic Focus

Expanding Editorial Coverage: The acquisition of SCOTUSblog signals a strategic focus on deepening its coverage of the Supreme Court and the judiciary, a key area of interest for its audience.
Growing the Subscription Base: The core strategy is to continue growing a base of paying members who value the product, rather than chasing scale for advertising.
Maintaining Independence: A central strategic priority is to remain independent and sustainable through reader support, avoiding the compromises that come with ad-driven or investor-backed models.
Strengthening Community: Continuing to build out community and events programs to deepen member engagement and retention.

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