ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU’s National Prison Project (NPP), located in our national office in Washington, D.C., seeks rising third-year law students and recent law graduates to apply for sponsorship for an externally funded fellowship such as Equal Justice Works, Skadden, Justice Catalyst, or other public interest fellowships, to begin in the fall of 2025. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

Founded in 1972, NPP is the only organization that litigates carceral conditions cases on a national level; we are currently litigating cases across the country, from the U.S. Virgin Islands to California. NPP works to ensure that our nation’s prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and immigration detention centers comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. Through litigation, public education, and other forms of advocacy, we fight to ensure that conditions of confinement are consistent with health, safety, and human dignity; to center the humanity of incarcerated people, their families, and their communities; and we work to reverse the laws and policies that give the U.S. the highest incarceration rate in the world, disproportionately imprisoning people of color and people with disabilities. Our priorities include improving health care in prisons, eliminating violence and maltreatment, ending solitary confinement, defending the First Amendment and other Constitutional rights of incarcerated people, and increasing oversight and accountability in carceral facilities.

We will review applications and begin interviews on a rolling basis as applications are received, and priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by July 19, 2024.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Fellow will both work on existing cases and also focus on their fellowship project to advance the body of law for incarcerated people.

The legal fellow must secure external funding, please email hiring@aclu.org for funding requirements. Our staff will work with candidates to develop their proposals to external funders for submission, helping to tailor the proposal to address an important civil liberties issue for incarcerated people. Proposed projects often combine litigation and advocacy with community outreach and public education. NPP has identified the following issues as priority project proposal topics, but welcome proposals and ideas not listed below:

Appellate litigation in federal and state appellate courts to advance the law on priority issues, including: sexual abuse and harassment; reproductive justice and access to reproductive health care behind bars; solitary confinement; incarcerated people with disabilities; treatment for substance use disorder and Hep C; and fighting the efforts to use an "originalist" interpretation of the Eighth Amendment to what was cruel or unusual in the 18th Century. The fellow would track and review lower court cases, and where the plaintiff has been proceeding pro se, would offer representation solely for the purpose of an appeal. The fellow would respond to requests for amicus briefs and draft amicus briefs in cases.
Challenging solitary confinement of people with mental health disabilities in immigration detention. A recent report found that ICE placed detained people in solitary confinement 14,264 times in the past five years alone. Many people had preexisting mental health conditions or other vulnerabilities. The fellow would develop a multi-disciplinary project to work closely with detained immigrants, organize with legal service, mental health service, and community partners, and develop novel litigation theories to press for the release of immigrant detainees held in long-term solitary confinement from custody.
Litigation to move people with mental illness found incompetent to stand trial out of jails and detention centers, and into the least restrictive environment. In our litigation against jails, all too often we find that the people spending the longest periods of time in jails, awaiting trials, are those with serious mental illness who are either awaiting competency evaluation or have been found incompetent to stand trial. These people often cycle in an out of solitary confinement units at jails, due to their poorly managed mental health care. The fellow's work would build off the work done by some ACLU affiliates in state and federal courts challenging the long-term incarceration of people in need of community mental health services through litigation, advocacy, and public education.
Advocacy to repurpose carceral facilities and to prevent the construction of new carceral facilities. This fellowship project will work to support community campaigns that aim to close or prevent the construction of jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers. In recent years, advocates have succeeded in reducing the number of incarcerated people through sentencing reform or other reform measures, or in terminating government contracts to detain or incarcerate people at specific facilities. But without addressing the continued existence of the facility means it could be used to incarcerate in the future.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects
Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs
Interview witnesses and potential clients
Monitor prison and jail systems’ compliance with settlement agreements
Participate in discovery and trial-court practice
Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials
Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys
Engage in public speaking and attend meetings and/or conferences as needed

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

J.D. or expected to receive a J.D by the spring of 2025
Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and criminal justice issues
Willingness to work closely with NPP through the funding application process
Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team
Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion
Prior experience with mass incarceration (via work or personal / familial experience) preferred but not required
Fluency in a foreign language commonly spoken by incarcerated people is preferred but not required

COMPENSATION

The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances):

0-2 years since law school graduation: $89,250-$111,491
3-5 years since law school graduation: $124,873-$147,324
6-10 years since law school graduation: $154,069- $173,808
11-15 years since law school graduation: $177,058-$187,108
16-20 years since law school graduation: $188,874-$193,738
21-25 years since law school graduation: $194,719-$198,708
26-30+ years since law school graduation: $199,666- $203,553

These salaries are reflective of positions based in Washington, DC. The salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work remotely outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

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

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU 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 email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Apply for this Job

* Required

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Resume/CV *

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

Cover Letter *

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

Legal writing sample of no more than 10 pages *

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

Pronouns (optional)

At the ACLU, we deeply value diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We actively work to ensure that we are addressing everyone appropriately and that we’re acknowledging their identity as they would like. Examples of common pronouns are 'she/her/hers,' 'he/him/his,' and 'they/them/theirs.' This is optional, but if you’re comfortable, please share your pronouns.

First Name/Common Use First Name (optional)

A common use name (sometimes known as a chosen name, nickname, or a name-in-use) is the use of a name, usually a first name, that is different from a person's legal name. Common use names can be used in organizational communications and informational materials such as email correspondence, staff directories, business cards, software and similar systems which do not require the use of a legal name. Legal names will continue to be used where required by law or organizational policy, including but not limited to, formal organizational and employment correspondence in addition to immigration, payroll, tax, benefits and insurance documents.

Are you a current employee? *

Referral Source

Please share how you heard about the job. This information will be kept confidential and shared only with our Human Resources department for tracking purposes.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ The following demographic questions are optional. They are used to help us better understand our applicant pool and to continually improve our outreach and recruitment efforts. Individuals seeking employment at the ACLU are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Race and/or Ethnicity

If you chose 'A race or ethnic group not listed,' please let us know how you self-identify:

______________________________________________________________

Gender

If you chose "A gender not listed," please let us know how you self-identify:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are committed to equal opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. To help us measure how well we are doing, we are asking you to tell us if you have a disability or if you ever had a disability. Completing this form is voluntary, but we hope that you will choose to fill it out. If you are applying for a job, any answer you give will be kept private and will not be used against you in any way.

If you already work for us, your answer will not be used against you in any way. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we are required to ask all of our employees to update their information every five years. You may voluntarily self-identify as having a disability on this form without fear of any punishment because you did not identify as having a disability earlier.

How do I know if I have a disability?

You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.

Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Blindness
Deafness
Cancer
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Autism
Cerebral palsy
HIV/AIDS
Schizophrenia
Muscular dystrophy
Bipolar disorder
Major depression
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair
Intellectual disability (previously called mental retardation)

Disability Status:

Significant Disability Status

Disability diversity in the workplace includes people with significant disabilities. A “significant disability” is one that is associated with particularly low employment rates. The federal government has recognized that individuals with certain disabilities, particularly manifest disabilities, face barriers to employment above and beyond the barriers faced by people with the broader range of disabilities. See Questions and Answers: The EEOC's Final Rule on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities in Federal Employment, (https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/qanda-ada-disabilities-final-rule.cfm). The ACLU’s affirmative action plan for people with disabilities includes an overall goal for people with a broad range of disabilities, and a “subgoal” for people with significant disabilities.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Veteran Status

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in ACLU - National Office’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Gender

Are you Hispanic/Latino?

Please identify your race

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

Veteran Status

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

Security Code *

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.

Fall 2025 Fellowship Sponsorship, National Prison Project

ABOUT THE JOB

WHAT YOU'LL DO

YOUR DAY TO DAY

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Apply for this Job

Voluntary Self-Identification

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability