Deputy Legal Director

ACLU of DC•Washington, DC

1d•$130,000 - $148,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Deputy Legal Director (DLD) assists the Legal Director (LD) in the leadership, administration, and management of the ACLU-DC’s legal program, and supervises, co-counsels, and personally litigates individual and class action cases raising constitutional, statutory, and common law claims across the entire range of civil rights and liberties issues. The DLD needs the ability to exercise sound judgment in litigation, docket-building, departmental, organizational, and inter-organizational strategy; to uphold high standards of ethics and professional excellence; and to support a collaborate, diverse, and inclusive workplace. The DLD will supervise and mentor individual attorneys; oversee the process of intake and case investigation; lead or supervise litigation teams, including both internal teams and teams involving co-counsel; help develop and administer polices and processes for the Legal Department; compile reports and review documents as needed for other departments and the ACLU-DC Board of Directors; speak publicly and develop key relationships on behalf of the ACLU-DC; and advise and assist the LD in managing partnerships both inside and outside the organization and in charting a strategic course for the ACLU-DC legal program in the broader context of the ACLU-DC’s integrated advocacy combining litigation, policy advocacy, and public education. The DLD will assume LD roles and tasks when needed and is a member of the ACLU-DC leadership team. Among the matters currently on our docket are: representing Black Lives Matter-DC and individual activists in challenging the attack by federal and local law enforcement on civil rights demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020; a lawsuit seeking to reform the District's practice of sending police and not trained mental health professionals to respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises; a challenge to the D.C. police department's practice of retaining arrestees' cell phones for months or years after the owners are released or charges are dropped; and eighteen cases against policies and practices of the second Trump administration including on immigration, trans rights, voting rights, federal workers’ rights, and freedom of speech.

Requirements

Juris doctor from an accredited law school.
Member of the District of Columbia Bar or must pass next D.C. Bar Examination or obtain D.C. Bar licensure promptly through reciprocity.
8-15 years of experience as a full-time attorney (counting fellowships and clerkships)
At least 5 years of experience as a full-time litigator.
Experience as a supervisor or manager of litigators (personnel management, supervising work product, or — ideally — both).
Experience litigating complex constitutional civil rights matters.
Broad substantive knowledge of constitutional law and civil rights, including both substantive law (e.g., First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, equal protection, due process), and doctrines of civil rights enforcement (e.g., justiciability, qualified immunity, municipal liability).
Ability to work effectively under pressure.
Excellent research and analytical skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to people of different backgrounds and levels of training or education.
Ability to interview and work with clients, potential clients, and witnesses.
Excellent writing skills.
A personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, sex, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstance.
Commitment to and working knowledge of civil liberties, civil rights, and the mission of the ACLU.
Ability to work with diverse coalitions and community groups, work across the political spectrum, and value differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstance.
Ability to juggle and prioritize many concurrent tasks at once, manage a high-volume workload, adapt quickly to changing organizational priorities, and meet moving deadlines.
Ability to take initiative, problem-solve, multi-task, and work independently.
Personal enthusiasm, optimism, and a sense of humor.
Ability to work long hours and weekends when needed.
Ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with lawyers, organizers, other staff members, and with diverse community organizations and coalitions.
Ability to think strategically and critically about the uses and limitations of impact litigation.
Ability to skillfully supervise attorneys, students and legal support staff, including ability to give specific feedback that is both candid and tactful, and help staff improve performance and realize their potential.
A team player who inspires collaboration and can prioritizes the professional development of others.
Creative and strategic approach to litigation that draws on both legal tools (e.g., facility with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) and non-legal tools (e.g., ability to cultivate community partnerships, send of when and how media coverage might help with a case).
Well-organized and self-directed, able to meet and enforce deadlines for both legal and internal/administrative functions.
Willingness to engage in robust but cordial debates over legal theories and strategy, including ability to voice unpopular views, challenge consensus, and keep an open mind.
This position supervises permanent employees.
This position may supervise interns and volunteers as needed.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Frequent written and verbal communication.
Frequent and extended periods of standing and sitting.
Visual activity for extensive reading, preparing, analyzing information, and viewing a computer terminal.
Occasional travel and flexibility to work outside standard hours, including evenings and weekends, may be required.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Non-profit experience.
Experience working and communicating with marginalized or vulnerable communities.

Responsibilities

Fulfill the duties of the LD in the LD’s absence.
Directly supervise and mentor 1-3 members of the Legal Department, who may be staff attorneys, fellows, and/or paralegal/intake coordinator — including weekly check-ins, regular substantive feedback, and yearly performance evaluations.
Manage development of staff, including identifying, supporting, and developing staff strengths, and — for attorneys — ensuring opportunities for writing, discovery, arguments, and other professional-growth points.
Maintain strictest confidentiality of client and organizational information.
Help design, implement, and improve department policies and procedures, and oversee and maintain efficiency in existing legal department policies and procedures (e.g., electronic case file maintenance, procedures for opening and closing cases, recordkeeping, website, accounting procedures).
Assist the LD with and/or lead the process for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and managing new legal staff and fellows, including assisting prospective legal fellows with fellowship applications. Manage or oversee the process for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and managing legal interns.
Collaborate with the LD and leadership team on strategic organizational decisions.
Participate in strategic planning and budgeting for the Legal Department and the organization.
Assist in coordination with the Policy and Communications Departments on integrated advocacy.
Compile reports and review documents as needed for other departments and the ACLUDC Board of Directors.
Assist with all other legal program activities as needed and as assigned.
Supervise the litigation of civil rights and liberties cases, including reviewing and editing draft filings and discovery requests, supervising client interviews and case investigation, helping prepare other ACLU-DC attorneys and co-counsel for depositions and court appearances, and helping ensure sound legal, strategic, and ethical decision-making.
Investigate, develop, and litigate civil liberties and civil rights cases, including conducting factual and legal research, writing demand letters, writing pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, negotiating settlements, trying cases, presenting oral argument, and writing appellate and amicus briefs.
Serve as lead or sole co-counsel on cases litigated jointly with the National ACLU or nonACLU cooperating attorneys, providing feedback on strategy and filings.
Assess requests for legal assistance, make decisions about what if any further investigation is necessary, and recommend appropriate cases to litigate and the appropriate responses to cases we do not take.
Advise the LD in the development of the ACLU-DC legal docket as a whole.
Proactively build the ACLU-DC’s docket of cases by identifying impact litigation opportunities and (with approval of the Legal Director) pursuing them or assigning them to other ACLU-DC attorneys.
Ensure that appropriate client retainer agreements are executed.
Maintain ACLU-DC litigation files and legal program administrative files.
Develop expertise on government practices, procedures, structures, and rules regulating demonstrations in the District of Columbia, and advise partner organizations and demonstrators about their rights.
Represent the ACLU-DC publicly through speaking engagements, media interviews, and (occasionally) legislative meetings or testimony.
Serve as the primary legal advisor (and perhaps occasional presenter) for our know-your-rights presentations.
Review, edit, and (where asked) assist in developing communication materials, including press releases, op-eds, articles, blog posts, and social media assets.
Develop strong relationships with partner organizations, other lawyers and law firms, and community coalitions and members.
Provide guidance (where asked) to the Policy Department on legislative advocacy.
Work with clients to prepare them to speak with the media.
Work closely with the LD to align integrated advocacy strategy among the ACLU-DC Legal, Policy, and Communications departments.