Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel

ACLU - National Office • Washington, DC

18d • Hybrid

About The Position

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel for the Supreme Court Docket in the Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, or Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications received by March 13, 2026.
The ACLU runs one of the country’s most active Supreme Court practices. The ACLU’s National Legal Director is responsible for all ACLU filings in the Supreme Court of the United States, by both the National ACLU and its 54 state affiliates. The ACLU frequently represents parties in matters on the Supreme Court’s certiorari, merits, and emergency dockets, and also frequently files friend-of-the-Court briefs. In recent years, the ACLU’s Supreme Court docket has grown substantially. For example, the ACLU has been counsel for a party in about three to five merits cases and filed approximately ten to fifteen amicus briefs, and has filed or opposed between ten and twenty certiorari petitions each year. Additionally, the ACLU has had 10 matters on the Court’s emergency docket since the end of the Supreme Court’s 2024-25 term.
This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

Requirements

• J.D. degree required; with extensive legal experience strongly preferred
• Appellate experience is required; an appellate clerkship is strongly preferred
• Experience and an interest in constitutional law and civil rights and civil liberties
• Excellent research, writing and oral advocacy skills
• Strong strategic and organizational skills
• Interest in working collaboratively, ability to work with a wide range of people
• Excellent communicator with strong diplomatic acumen and a commitment to fostering a team environment with both internal and external partners
• Interest and commitment to mentoring interns
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Willingness to travel
• Admission to the bar of the state in which one will work is required

Responsibilities

• Participate in ACLU cases and amicus briefs before the Supreme Court in collaboration with the National Legal Director and other ACLU attorneys and co-counsel
• Draft, edit, and file briefs in U.S. Supreme Court on cutting-edge civil rights and civil liberties issues, either as amicus or as counsel for a party
• Participate in moot courts for Supreme Court and other appellate arguments
• Participate in the development and execution of strategies for the ACLU’s engagement in the Supreme Court
• Help coordinate and manage the Supreme Court docket
• Identify cases of constitutional importance in the federal courts of appeals and state high courts
• Engage in public education about the ACLU’s Supreme Court work, including though the ACLU’s website, public speaking, media interviews, and other channels
• Hire and supervise law student interns
• Collaborate with staff across the ACLU, including colleagues in the ACLU’s Legal Department and other departments including the Communications Department, the National Political Advocacy Department, and state affiliates
• Assist other ACLU projects with litigation outside of the Supreme Court docket as time permits

Benefits

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through 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