Legal Administrative Assistant, Voting Rights Project

Job Description

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Legal Administrative Assistant in the Voting Rights Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY.

The ACLU Voting Rights Project was established in 1965 – the same year that the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) was enacted, and has litigated more than 300 cases since that time. Its mission is to build and defend an accessible, inclusive, and equitable democracy. We have three principles: (1) all Americans should be eligible to vote; (2) voting should be free and easy; and (3) all people should count equally. The Project employs an integrated advocacy approach, combining legislative advocacy, public education, and litigation, and has active cases in over a dozen states. Within the last few years, the Voting Rights Project has litigated cases in the Supreme Court including Department of Commerce v. New York , successfully challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census; and Shelby County v. Holder , defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act.

Reporting to the Deputy Project Director the Legal Administrative Assistant will be responsible for providing primarily administrative, with some litigation, support to the Project’s attorneys. This includes, but is not limited to, processing invoices, generating expense reports, and handling travel arrangements, as well as cite checking and formatting litigation documents, maintaining litigation calendar and files and other litigation items, and providing onsite administrative, logistical and other support for trials and hearings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide litigation, administrative, and research support to the work of VRP attorneys
• Handle general administrative duties for the Project including processing invoices, tracking expenses, case costs, generating expense reports and ordering supplies, etc.
• Answer telephones, route calls, and take messages
• Schedule meetings and conference calls, and prepare relevant material
• Handle travel arrangements
• Maintain and organize electronic and hard-copy filing systems for cases and advocacy projects
• Prepare, file, review and organize litigation documents such as briefs, motions, declarations, deposition summaries, discovery requests and responses, and correspondence with co-counsel, including cite-checking, proofreading, and formatting such documents
• Provide logistical, administrative, and document management support for hearings and trials
• Maintain case files, attorneys’ correspondence files, and internal litigation tracking systems including case summaries and calendar of litigation deadlines and court dates
• Arrange for service of legal documents; research court rules and procedures
• Organize, type and proofread legal and other documents Provide administrative support for manager review of applications for intern positions
• Work jointly with interns and communicate routine and/or procedural guidance on projects assigned by managers
• Handle special projects and other duties as assigned
• Conduct Internet and other factual research

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must take initiative, be highly organized and detail-oriented, and possess strong interpersonal and time-management skills
• Strong research, including intern research, and writing skills
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team while maintaining a high level of efficiency and professionalism
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and see projects through to completion
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and experience with Internet research
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree and/or at least one year of related experience
• At least one year of administrative experience
• Strong computer skills with advanced knowledge in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.)
• Demonstrated interest in civil rights and civil liberties issues

COMPENSATION

Salary for this position is $62,871. Excellent benefits package provided.

ABOUT THE ACLU

For 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the

ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e- mail [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.