Staff Attorney, Immigrants' Rights Project

Job Description

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney in the Immigrants' Rights Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA.

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. It works with the English and non-English language media, immigrant advocacy organizations, and ACLU affiliates around the country to empower immigrant communities through presentations about their rights and about current and proposed immigration laws.

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

RESPONSIBILITIES

• 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 summer 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
• 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
• Minimum of two years of relevant litigation experience preferred
• Admission to practice in New York and/or California; 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 other relevant foreign languages (written and spoken) is preferred, but not required

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: $85,000-$106,182
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $118,927-$140,309
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $146,732- $165,531
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $168,627-$178,198
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $179,880-$184,512
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $185,447-$189,246
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $190,158- $193,860

These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY. 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.