Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel, Immigrants' Rights Project

The ACLU seeks applicants for the Full time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the Immigrants' Rights Project of the ACLU's National office in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The Immigrants' Rights Project is a national project of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation with offices in New York and California. Using targeted impact litigation, advocacy, and public outreach, the Project carries on the ACLU's historic commitment to protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of immigrants. In state and federal trial and appellate courts, including the Supreme Court, the Project conducts the nation's largest impact litigation program dedicated to defending and expanding the rights of immigrants, enforcing the guarantees of the Constitution, and achieving equal justice under the law.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will conduct impact litigation and advocacy to advance and enforce immigrants' rights.

• Identify and develop new litigation and other advocacy projects by conducting factual, legal and strategic analysis, and devising relevant theories and materials.
• Litigate immigrants' rights cases, including legal research; fact development; working with clients; drafting pleadings, briefs and legal memoranda; engaging in discovery and motion practice; and conducting evidentiary hearings and oral arguments in the trial and appellate courts.
• Work with colleagues in the ACLU's Communications and National Political Advocacy Departments to develop public education and other advocacy materials on immigrants' rights.
• Articulate ACLU views to a variety of audiences, through public speaking, traditional and social media, and other means.
• Work with ACLU legislative and policy advocates and campaigners to advance the ACLU's goals on immigration.
• Support legislative advocacy with legal and policy analysis.
• Work with and advise ACLU state affiliates and partner organizations on immigrants' rights issues.
• Help manage legal internship program and supervise student interns.
• Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and other advocacy opportunities.
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned by IRP leadership.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU.
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives.
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts.

• Three to eight years of relevant litigation experience preferred.
• Admission to practice in New York or California (depending on office placement); if not currently admitted, agreement to become admitted within one year of hire.
• Commitment to and familiarity with immigrants' rights, racial and social justice, and civil liberties issues.
• Superior analytic, research, and writing skills.
• Proven ability to work independently as well as within a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or other relevant foreign languages (written and spoken) is preferred, but not required.

The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation:

• 0-2 years since law school graduation: $89,250-$111,491
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $124,873-$147,324
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $154,069- $173,808
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $177,058-$187,108
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $188,874-$193,738
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $194,719-$198,708
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $199,666- $203,553

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY where our National Offices are headquartered. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization - one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible.

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