Staff Attorney Position Available

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), founded in 1920, is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with more than 500,000 members and is dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the Constitution. The National Security Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York City seeks applications for a full-time Staff Attorney. The Staff Attorney will work with the Project’s team of lawyers on civil liberties and human rights issues relating to national security.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Applicants should be prepared to contribute to all aspects of the Project’s litigation and non-litigation work, including but not limited to:

• Litigate national security/civil liberties cases in the trial and appellate courts.
• Develop new cases and non-litigation advocacy projects relating to national security and civil liberties.
• Manage case development and conduct client and witness interviews.
• Serve as a resource for ACLU legislative and policy work, and advance ACLU policy goals through public education, organizing, and participating in coalitions.
• Develop and write advocacy materials for audiences comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers.
• Communicate with the media about the work of the ACLU’s National Security Project and the work of the ACLU more generally.
• Work in collaboration with other members of the ACLU’s National Security Project, other Projects within the ACLU’s Legal Department, and particularly the other Projects within the Center for Democracy.
• Supervise legal fellows and law students.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

The applicant should possess the following qualifications:

• J.D. degree and a minimum of four years of litigation experience required, preferably including experience litigating cases involving national security and civil liberties issues.
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest generally and civil liberties in particular.
• Excellent legal research, writing and verbal communication skills.
• A demonstrated ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact-finding.
• Must be able to work independently as well as within a team.
• A demonstrated ability to manage cases without close supervision.
• Experience in motivating and directing staff.
• Experience dealing with the media.

HOW TO APPLY

Login to Symplicity today for all the application details. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, which will not be before January 1, 2011.