Jobs

Senior Staff Attorney

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The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU of Texas) invites applications for the position of senior staff attorney. The ACLU is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 500,000 members dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied within the U.S. Constitution. ACLU of Texas is a leader in the field of advocacy that addresses various problems facing marginalized communities.

The ACLU of Texas Legal Department coordinates all litigation and investigation conducted on behalf of the ACLU of Texas. Under the direction of the Legal and Policy Director, the Attorney’s primary responsibility will be the development and administration of an active litigation program around a range of issues including but not limited to: criminal justice, racial profiling, and immigrants’ rights, religious freedom, youth rights and freedom of speech. Our legal staff frequently works with pro bono attorneys and/or collaboratively with attorneys from other ACLU affiliates or the national office.

Responsibilities
Develop and manage an active legal docket:
• Review and investigate complaints received through the ACLU of Texas intake system as well as referrals from other agencies and attorneys;
• Research civil liberties issues that arise, and prepare legal memoranda, demand letters, advocacy letters, complaints and briefs;
• Present selected cases to the Legal Committee for evaluation and authorization of litigation;
• Join other staff in securing the services of and expanding the pool of cooperating attorneys for litigation the ACLU undertakes;
• Monitor litigation being handled by cooperating attorneys and provide back-up assistance as needed;
• Participate directly in litigation in selected cases; either as co-counsel with cooperating attorneys or as lead counsel when necessary;
• Obtain the assistance of and supervise legal interns, law students, and other legal volunteers;
• Prepare necessary dockets and reports for the Legal Director, Legal Committee, the Board and the Executive Director;
• Coordinate with ACLU of Texas strategic campaign leaders and Legislative Team to advance our larger agenda;
• Develop and maintain relationships with legal staff at the national ACLU, its projects and other affiliates;
• Participate in national ACLU legal conferences and maintain the requisite CLE requirements;
• Provide assistance and recommendations to the Legal Director; ACLU of Texas leadership; private attorneys and others who seek assistance; and
• Research and draft materials for public education

At the request of the Legal Director, the Senior Staff Attorney will also be required to:
• Work with the Development Director and associated staff to participate in fund raising efforts;
• Work with the Public Education Director and associated staff to engage in public speaking and articulate ACLU views to the public and the media on a broad range of topics; and
• Travel to attend local, statewide, or national meetings, and travel for the purposes of litigation.

Qualifications
• Ideally, 6-8 years of experience litigating constitutional issues;
• Experience litigating complex federal class action claims is a plus;
• Broad substantive knowledge of constitutional law and a strong and demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights;
• Exceptional analytic, research, writing, and oral advocacy skills, including the capacity to research and think quickly under pressure;
• Capacity for administrative work, including the supervision of others and coordinating with others inside and outside the ACLU;
• Licensed to practice law;
• Being a member of the State Bar of Texas is a plus;
• Ability to work well with a diverse range of strong personalities;
• Spanish speaking and writing ability strongly preferred; and
• Strong consideration will be given to applicants with federal law clerk experience, although such experience is not a prerequisite for submitting an application.

Salary and Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience and competitive with nonprofit salary scales. Additionally, the ACLU of Texas offers excellent benefits including a generous Paid Time Off policy, medical and dental insurance, disability insurance and a matching 401(k) plan.

Application Procedure
Applications should include a cover letter, resume and an ACLU of Texas Employment Application. Two writing samples are also required, at least one of which should be a substantive legal research memo, brief, or article. Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job posting. Previous applicants need not reapply. Applications should be sent electronically in MS Word format or Adobe PDF to:

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aclujobs@aclutx.org

Absolutely no unsolicited calls.

Applications accepted until position is filled.

NOTE: the Employment Application must be completed in full. Download ACLU OF TEXAS job application at: http://www.aclutx.org/files/ACLU%20TX%20Employment%20Application.doc

The ACLU of Texas is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBT individuals are encouraged to apply.

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