Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel, National Prison Project

ACLU • San Francisco, NY

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The ACLU seeks a Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel for the National Prison Project in its National office. The position may be based in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; or New York, NY, and is hybrid, with in-office requirements of two days per week or eight days per month. It is a full-time, two-year term-limited position and is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU), a collective bargaining unit.

The National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention facilities comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. Its priorities include reducing overcrowding, improving health care, eliminating violence and maltreatment, increasing oversight and accountability, and reversing policies that contribute to mass incarceration and the disproportionate incarceration of people of color. The attorney will contribute to litigation and non-litigation work, with a special focus on immigration detention, and will report to the Deputy Project Director for Immigration Detention.

Requirements

• J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Demonstrated litigation experience.
• Admission to practice, based on office assignment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to foster and contribute to a collaborative team environment.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex legal analytical work.
• Ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively.
• Self-motivated and diligent, with the ability to meet strict deadlines under pressure.
• Commitment to advancing the ACLU’s mission and to equity, inclusion, belonging, and respectful collaboration.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with issues related to conditions of confinement.
• Proficiency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Litigate in federal and state courts, including appellate courts, throughout the country.
• Carry a substantial federal and state court caseload, working closely with other staff attorneys and local counsel.
• Conduct legal research and write legal memoranda.
• Analyze legislation for potential litigation.
• Draft pleadings and briefs; engage in discovery and motion practice; and conduct evidentiary hearings and oral arguments.
• Provide technical assistance and expert legal advice to local ACLU affiliates, cooperating attorneys, and others seeking assistance from the Project.
• Conduct policy advocacy on immigration detention, prisoners’ rights, and criminal justice issues.
• Develop new cases and identify and work with potential plaintiffs and witnesses.
• Speak publicly to varied audiences about immigration detention, prisoners’ rights, criminal justice, and civil liberties issues.
• Travel as required for litigation, case management, conferences, and client development.
• Engage in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.
• Advance the ACLU’s mission and embed equity, inclusion, and belonging in the work, respecting and valuing multiple perspectives.
• Work collaboratively and respectfully to resolve obstacles and conflicts.

Benefits

• Generous paid time-off policy.
• Comprehensive health care benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Parental leave.
• Gender-affirming care and fertility treatment.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs, and workshops.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree