Senior Staff Attorney

New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation • New York, NY

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is seeking a senior staff attorney with six or more years of legal experience to conduct litigation and related advocacy within its legal department. This role will engage in the full spectrum of NYCLU's work, with a particular emphasis on immigration and immigrants' rights, challenging institutional and systemic racism, reproductive justice, the criminal legal system, LGBTQ+ rights and gender equity, government transparency, free expression, equal protection, police misconduct, student rights, and surveillance and privacy. The Legal department consists of seventeen lawyers, a director of legal operations, an investigator, three paralegals, a data research analyst, and a legal assistant, all of whom work on a variety of civil rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts and administrative tribunals, while also supporting the NYCLU's legislative, advocacy, communications, and field work.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

• Significant public-interest litigation experience.
• Prior experience with immigration, impact litigation, civil rights or constitutional law.
• Fluency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Conduct litigation in federal and state courts and in administrative forums.
• Prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs; conduct discovery; present oral arguments; and handle appeals.
• Engage in pre-litigation analysis and advocacy, including evaluating and following up on intakes; conducting factual investigations and legal analyses; utilizing the Freedom of Information Law and the Freedom of Information Act; and preparing demand letters.
• Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues through 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 an integrated approach to addressing injustice.
• Supervise and mentor law students as part of the NYCLU summer-intern program.
• Contribute to the professional development of other members of the legal department.
• Mentor NYCLU staff attorneys.
• Develop relationships with pro-bono partners and networks.

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: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed