Staff Attorney, Capital Punishment Project

Job Description

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney in the Capital Punishment Project of the Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in Durham, NC/Remote*.

The ACLU National Legal Department is comprised of fourteen subject matter projects, clustered in three Centers. The National Legal Director supervises the work of all the projects, and handles all of the ACLU’s Supreme Court work, whether it arises from a national project or an affiliate. In addition, the National Legal Director manages the national legal department and advises and assists on trial and appellate court litigation on an as-needed basis.

The Capital Punishment Project, part of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. The Project engages in public advocacy and strategic litigation, including the direct representation of capital defendants, challenges to systemic problems in the administration of capital punishment, and amicus briefing.

Reporting to the Project Director , the Staff Attorney will be responsible for litigating cases in state trial and appellate courts, writing amicus briefs, leading national trainings related to capital punishment, and devising and implementing systemic reform litigation.

*Note: this position may be approved for remote work from a different U.S. location

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Litigating capital cases in state and appellate courts
• Identifying and developing systemic litigation strategies for priority areas
• Conceptualizing and drafting amicus briefing in appellate courts
• Consulting with trial and post-conviction teams in high priority jurisdictions
• Coordinating litigation work with advocacy opportunities
• Drafting strategic communications around the death penalty
• Leading national and state trainings
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
• 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

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• J.D. degree is required
• Admission to the state bar of the attorney's residence is required. If the attorney plans to move to North Carolina, admission to the bar of another state and agreement to become admitted to the North Carolina state bar within one year of hire is required
• Client centered advocacy
• Excellent research, writing and verbal communication skills
• Ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact finding
• Demonstrated ability to write and to speak clearly and persuasively
• Ability to work with a wide range of people and foster a team environment
• Proven project management and organizational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines while under pressure
• Willingness to travel throughout the country when travel resumes. Due to COVID-19 current conditions, non-essential case travel is currently suspended
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of five years of capital or criminal defense experience is preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to social and criminal justice
• Strong understanding of trauma, capital mitigation generally, and mental health issues

COMPENSATION

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 (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances):

• 0-2 years since law school graduation: $62,640-$72,052
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $76,735-$85,813
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $88,387-$99,481
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $102,465-$115,325
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $118,785-$133,694
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $137,704-$154,987
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $159,637-$179,673

These salaries are reflective of positions based in Durham, NC. The salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 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 LGBTQ+ 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.

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. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

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. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

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 email [email protected] . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.