Pro Bono and Intake Senior Attorney

New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation • New York, NY

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The NYCLU seeks a senior staff attorney (6 or more years of legal experience) to manage pro bono relationships and intake in the NYCLU’s legal department. This role involves developing relationships with pro bono partners to assist NYCLU clients and take on matters in conjunction with the NYCLU, coordinating with NYCLU staff to identify firms to staff specific projects, and identifying pathways to expand the program. The senior staff attorney will also be responsible for coordinating the intake program, including by managing the team that responds to members of the public seeking assistance, referrals, and/or resources. Pro bono and intake matters will involve the full range of NYCLU work, including challenging institutional and systemic racism that undermines civil rights and civil liberties, immigrants’ rights, government transparency, free expression, equal protection, reproductive justice, criminal legal system, detention, the rights of LGBTQ communities and gender equity, police misconduct, student rights, and privacy. This position is a part-time position of approximately 20-25 hours per week. The NYCLU’s Legal department is comprised of seventeen lawyers, a director of legal operations, an investigator, two paralegals, a data research analyst, and a legal assistant. Legal Department staff work on a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts and in administrative tribunals. They also support the legislative, advocacy, communications, and field work of the NYCLU.

Requirements

• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and communication skills.
• Six or more years of legal experience, with a preference for significant public-interest litigation experience.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and advocate effectively, including an ability to coordinate with teams working on public-interest litigation or advocacy.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse public-interest setting and to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Demonstrated commitment to the goals and priorities of the NYCLU.
• Prior experience with civil rights or constitutional law is a significant plus.
• Admission to the New York Bar.

Nice To Haves

• Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with pro-bono partners and networks.
• Consult with attorneys and staff across the NYCLU on pro-bono matters.
• Draft and prepare pitches for pro bono projects; follow up on engagements to ensure successful completion.
• Manage intake team of volunteers and non-litigators evaluating and following up on requests from the public for assistance, resources, or referrals.
• Prepare demand letters and/or Freedom of Information Law and Freedom of Information Act requests where appropriate.
• Consult with attorneys and staff on intake matters and referrals.
• Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues in the form of speaking engagements and published writings.
• Collaborate with leaders and staff across the NYCLU— including the Education Policy Center, Racial Justice Center, Policy, Communications, and Field Departments —to ensure that the NYCLU has an integrated approach to address injustice.
• Supervise and mentor law students as part of the NYCLU summer-intern program and contribute to the professional development of other members of the legal department.

Benefits

• Subject to the NYCLU’s attorney salary scale, which is based on years of legal experience
• This position may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed