Senior Staff or Staff Attorney, Economic Justice Team

Southern Poverty Law Center•Jackson, MS

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The SPLC is seeking a Senior Staff or Staff Attorney who is committed to racial and economic justice! The Economic Justice team is working to advance the SPLC's strategic goal to eradicate poverty by expanding access to opportunity and eliminating racial economic inequality in the Deep South. In the area of Land Justice, we protect and reclaim land in Black and Brown communities to build generational wealth and support community-driven visions of economic development. We also seek Housing Justice by advancing the human right to housing, ending the criminalization of homelessness, and dismantling racially discriminatory policies that deny Black and Brown communities the right to safe, secure, and affordable housing and essential housing-related services. Our other work includes Protecting the Social Safety Net to ensure equitable access to government programs so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Our work on Ending the Exploitation and Criminalization of Poverty focuses on stopping exploitative and punitive policies that siphon wealth from Black and Brown communities by government and predatory private actors.

Requirements

Experienced. Demonstrated experience litigating individual and class action civil rights cases in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels.
Advocate. Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to promote economic justice.
Committed. Demonstrated interest and commitment to community-oriented and movement-supportive lawyering.
Analytical. Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.
Researcher. Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.
Creative. Ability to create vision and take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies to move litigation forward.
Collaborative. Demonstrated ability to work with other Advocacy Litigation & Impact Teams (ALITs), external organizations, and stakeholders to execute specific strategies to advance the work and cases of the Economic Justice ALIT.
Communicative. Exceptional communication skills and ability to communicate persuasively to a variety of audiences through writing and speaking.
Mission, Vision & Culture Alignment. Demonstrates an understanding of and a commitment to SPLC's mission.
At least one (1) year of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school (for Staff Attorney I-II).
At least six (6) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school (for Senior Staff I-IV).
Membership in good standing of at least one state bar in the United States, preferably in Mississippi.
J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

Responsibilities

Lead the implementation of SPLC’s economic justice legal advocacy strategies, especially in the Deep South.
Develop new cases in consultation with SPLC staff and community partners.
Senior Staff Attorneys will train, and mentor legal staff as needed.
Develop and maintain collaborations and partnerships with community organizations.
Investigate, gather information, and interview clients and witnesses.
Collaborate with team members of other ALITs in the Legal Department as well as all other members of other SPLC Departments to advance the impact goals and campaigns of SPLC.
Write legal memos and briefs.
Represent SPLC in various forums, including before community groups, legislators, and state agencies.
Respond to requests for legal assistance.
Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.
Uphold our JEDI principles by seeking diverse collaborators and partners that can deliver genuine, authentic and impactful work while ensuring their contributions are directed towards the shared mission, vision and values of the Center and Legal Department’s goals.