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About the Role

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU NorCal) is hiring Staff Attorneys and/or Senior Staff Attorneys to litigate and advocate for civil rights and civil liberties, with a focus on the criminal legal/immigration system and technology, privacy, and speech. Attorneys will work under supervision and can be based in San Francisco, Sacramento, or Fresno, with a preference for Fresno. Positions are eligible for hybrid work.

Responsibilities

Engage in investigation, development, initiation, and litigation of high-impact cases, including discovery, legal research, drafting pleadings, evaluating claims, identifying plaintiffs, issuing public records requests, coordinating amicus briefing, and responding to reactive litigation.
Engage in local and state policy advocacy, including legal and policy research, developing policy models, drafting advocacy letters, providing expertise to policymakers, and drafting reports and public education materials.
Forge and maintain relationships with community members, coalition groups, experts, government officials, and academics for collaborative projects.
Participate in team, department, and other meetings.

Requirements

J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and 3 years’ post-law school litigation experience in federal or state court.
Admission to California State Bar or willingness to sit for the next available Bar Examination.
Experience engaging in the investigation, development, initiation and litigation of high-impact cases, including discovery, motion practice, hearings, trials, and appeals.
Ability to manage fact and expert discovery in fact-intensive litigation.
Experience with policy advocacy, including drafting, evaluating, and working to advance key legislation and administrative policies.
Strong legal research, analysis, and writing abilities, and ability to craft novel and successful litigation and/or other advocacy strategies in response to inequitable systems.
Ability to effectively communicate, through both writing and public speaking, to various audiences about complex legal and technical issues.
Demonstrated initiative and creative problem-solving.
Experience working directly or in coalition with grassroots and community-based organizations.
Strong project and time management skills, including a high level of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through, while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities.
Relationship-building skills and willingness to work as part of a team, and to be an engaged, proactive member of internal cohorts, as well as outside coalitions.
Demonstrated ability to hold and foster difficult and necessary conversations about race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, and other identity-based issues.
Senior Staff Attorneys must have demonstrated ability to lead and manage complex litigation, strategic direct representation, or legal advocacy projects.
Senior Staff Attorneys must build intentional relationships and understand how to navigate organizational ecosystems within and between ACLU-NorCal, California ACLU affiliates, ACLU National, and other partners to be effective leaders and accomplish substantive issue goals.
Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Skills

Litigation
Policy advocacy
Legal research
Legal analysis
Legal writing
Public speaking
Project management
Time management
Organization
Attention to detail
Relationship-building
Teamwork
Communication

Location

San Francisco
Sacramento
Fresno

Work Type

Hybrid work

Experience Level

3 years’ post-law school litigation experience
Senior Staff Attorneys must have demonstrated ability to lead and manage complex litigation, strategic direct representation, or legal advocacy projects.

Education Level

J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school

Salary/Compensations

$130,110 - $230,404 annually

Benefits

Generous paid time-off policies
Comprehensive healthcare benefits (Including fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage as well as parental leave and a fertility benefit)
401k plan and employer match
Annual professional development funds

About the Company

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU NorCal) advances equity and inclusion in the workplace.
The organization provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.
ACLU NorCal will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).

Equal Opportunity

The ACLU NorCal is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.
The ACLU NorCal advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, and any other basis prohibited by law.
This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment.
Through this policy, the ACLU NorCal strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is free from discrimination and supportive of a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our communities and the people we serve.