LOCATION

Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, or Bakersfield (NOTE: HYBRID OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AND APPROVAL.)

DEPARTMENT

Advocacy

DEADLINE DATE

Open until filled

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) seeks a Senior Staff Attorney to build and lead litigation, legal, legislative and policy advocacy to protect and expand transformational criminal legal system changes throughout Southern California. The Senior Staff Attorney will also provide technical assistance to community groups and develop advocacy to expand the rights of people who are or have been in contact with the criminal legal system.

Founded in 1923, the ACLU SoCal has been at the forefront of many major efforts to protect civil liberties, civil rights, and equal justice in California. Principled and nonpartisan, ACLU SoCal has offices in Los Angeles, Orange County (Orange), the Inland Empire (Riverside), and Kern County (Bakersfield). ACLU SoCal tackles a vast array of issues, including, police practices, First Amendment rights, voting rights, gender equity and reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, immigrants' rights, education equity, and economic justice.

Overview

The Senior Staff Attorney will develop and litigate state and federal cases; create, implement, and participate in campaigns that seek approaches to community safety that are community-based, holistic, and transformative; engage in public education; and provide technical assistance on criminal justice issues to coalitions, community partners, government officials, and government bodies.

The Senior Staff Attorney will advocate on the full range of criminal justice issues on which the ACLU SoCal engages locally and statewide. Litigation, legislative, policy, and public education campaigns might include: reducing incarceration; increasing diversion, restorative justice, alternatives to incarceration; improving reentry for people impacted by the criminal legal system, increasing the civic participation of those released from jails and prisons, and enhancing criminal justice-related transparency, accountability, and responsiveness from elected officials’ offices.

The Senior Staff Attorney will be part of the ACLU SoCal’s Criminal Justice Project and the statewide criminal justice team which brings together staff from ACLU California Action, ACLU NorCal, and ACLU San Diego and Imperial Counties working together for transformative change to our criminal legal systems. The Senior Staff Attorney will also work with other attorneys, policy advocates, organizers, and communications staff from other ACLU of SoCal Projects and departments as needed and when intersectional issues arise.

The Staff Attorney will be supervised by the Director of Criminal Justice Project within the ACLU SoCal Advocacy Department.

CLASSIFICATION

Full-time, Exempt

This is a bargaining unit position in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers union.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The ACLU SoCal’s “integrated advocacy” model unites legal advocacy, policy advocacy, organizing, and base building for maximum impact. In keeping with that approach, the Attorney will work on cases, advocacy projects, public education, and campaigns. The attorney’s responsibilities will be the following:

Conduct legal advocacy and investigate, develop and litigate high-impact cases at the trial and appellate level in federal and state courts.
Supervise and manage litigation teams, serve as co-counsel, and work in conjunction with other legal, policy, and organizing staff within ACLU SoCal, the other two California ACLU affiliates, and partner organizations.
Supervise the work of more junior lawyers, policy advocates, organizers, interns and support intern hiring.
Serve as a policy expert and advocate on state and local criminal justice issues in support of legislation and other campaigns, with responsibilities including public speaking, media interviews, and outreach, as well as writing op-eds, and reports.
Provide technical support to community groups, advocates, and organizers in the region.
Run trainings for activists and organizers.
Establish and cultivate collaborative relationships with community partners, coalitions, stakeholders, and ACLU members.
Conduct outreach, advocacy, and provide technical assistance to public officials and government bodies.
Devise and present engaging "know your rights" presentations, trainings, and engage in public speaking.
Organize, lead, and participate in community education events and meetings.
Organize and attend lobbying visits with state and local officials, provide testimony to administrative agencies and governing bodies, and develop and cultivate relationships with lawmakers and decisionmakers to advance organizing and policy advocacy objectives.
Forge and maintain relationships with people impacted by the systems we are working to change, community partners, decision-makers, government officials, allied organizations and academics to implement collaborative projects and foster positive, effective working relationships while focusing on a people power-based theory of change.
Meaningfully incorporate people who have been impacted by the legal system we are working to change, helping to elevate and center their expertise and leadership whenever possible.
Build and facilitate coalitions when necessary and attend and actively participate in community partner meetings and coalitions.
Collaborate with and provide support to people in other ACLU affiliates in California and the Sacramento legislative office, as well as colleagues at the national ACLU.
Develop advocacy sign-on letters, fact sheets, advocacy materials, toolkits, action alerts, op-eds, blog posts, and social media content.
Support the ACLU SoCal’s base building and volunteer leadership development work, as needed.
Other duties, as needed and assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ACLU SoCal anticipates hiring an attorney with approximately 10-15 years of experience for this position and will consider all applicants with approximately that level of experience with a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights, racial justice, and strong advocacy and litigation skills. The ideal candidate will be a hard-working leader with a proven record of accomplishments working with, advocating with, and/or organizing with legal-system-involved and legal-system-impacted individual, other marginalized populations, and community-based organizations.

Required

Excellent research, writing, analytic, and speaking skills.
Ability to develop and litigate impact cases.
Ability to work in diverse coalitions and develop advocacy campaigns.
Demonstrated ability to participate in, create, and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all.
Demonstrated ability to lead projects, provide supervision, build strong relationships, and work well in collaboration with others.
A deep commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights.
Travel within Southern California, as well as occasionally to other parts of the state.
Extremely strong project and time management skills, including a high level of organization, attention to detail and follow-through, while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities.
Admitted to practice law in the state of California or willingness to promptly take the California bar exam.

Desired

Familiarity working in the area of criminal legal system reform and experience working with people who are incarcerated. People with personal experience with the criminal legal system, including people who are formerly incarcerated or have a close family experience with incarceration, are encouraged to apply for this position. Familiarity with or experience working on social justice issues in Southern California.
A demonstrated commitment and track record of doing intersectional advocacy.
Experience planning and facilitating workshops, trainings, meetings, and other community events.

RACIAL EQUITY COMPETENCIES

Understanding and Applying Racial Equity (0-17 months)
Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understand of racial equity:
Core terms and concepts such as structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.
The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society.
How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
Personal/implicit/unconscious bias.
Working for Racial Equity (18+ months)
Consistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts ofpolicies, activities, and decisions within the context of their job responsibilities; race/ethnicity, intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation.
Consistently adhere to organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, includingthose that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion.
Consistently identify and disrupt ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team.

BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $114,381.85 - $131,007.18. Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members and their eligible dependents; life and long- term disability insurance; 401(k) plan with employer match; ample vacation and sick leave and 22 paid holidays.

TO APPLY

Please upload your resume, cover letter, and writing sample to our Application Portal.:

https://secure.onehcm.com/ta/ACLUSC.careers?ShowJob=553800768

(NO Phone Calls PLEASE)

COVID vaccination and proof of being fully vaccinated (includes booster) is a condition of employment.

ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve. The ACLU SoCal is an equal opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply and value people of all races, genders (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientations, disabilities, citizenships, ages, religions, and national origins and who have different marital statuses, family caregiving responsibilities, lived experiences with the criminal justice systems, and genetic information. ACLU SoCal does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these characteristics.

The ACLU SoCal is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail hrsupport@aclusocal.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

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Senior Staff Attorney - Criminal Justice Project

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