Job Abstract

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney in the Disability Rights Program of the ACLU’s National office in San Francisco, CA, or Washington, D.C. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by May 1, 2024.

The Disability Rights Program’s mission is to achieve an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting and civic engagement. We fight to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer segregated into, and over-represented in, civil and criminal institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons.

The ACLU has fought for decades for the rights of people with disabilities - achieving key wins to stop coerced mental health treatment and unnecessary institutionalization, as well as playing a role in the drafting of the ADA. In 2012, the ACLU established the Disability Rights Project. DRP litigates and advocates to use disability rights laws to end the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system, including pursuing first of its kind litigation to ensure that municipalities provide trained, non-police responders to people experiencing mental health crises. We also litigate and advocate to promote alternatives to guardianship and to secure equal access to the ballot. We also provide support to affiliates and the National office on disability rights issues that intersect with core civil liberties. While the ACLU’s Legal Department is headquartered in New York, the Disability Rights Program is housed in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices.

Reporting to the Director of the Disability Rights Program, we seek an experienced litigator with experience in disability rights to be a core member of a small, collaborative and strong team working to advance disability rights issues that intersect with key civil liberties.

• Create and implement multi-pronged strategies using litigation, public education, and legislative and policy advocacy to further the ACLU’s disability rights strategic plan
• Lead litigation, including: writing pleadings and briefs, conducting discovery and motion practice, handling hearings and trials, arguing appeals in both federal and state courts, and managing litigation teams
• Work with ACLU political advocacy and affiliate staff on bills in state legislatures and in Congress
• Draft policy analysis designed to effect change in state and federal administrative agencies
• Engage in community outreach and public speaking, including representing ACLU positions to the media and the public generally
• Work closely with legal and non-legal program staff, particularly legislative, communications, advocacy, and fundraising professionals
• Develop strong co-counsel relationships with other public interest lawyers and pro bono attorneys
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys.
• Coach and mentor junior staff members and interns
• Travel as required for litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, conferences, and public speaking.

• 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

• J.D. degree, bar admission in one state (admission to the bar in California or D.C. will eventually be necessary)
• Significant litigation experience
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest law, constitutional law and/or civil rights
• Ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact investigation in impact litigation, policy and legislative advocacy settings, sometimes under tight deadlines
• Superior analytic skills and excellent research skills
• Demonstrated ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively
• Self-motivated, diligent, and able to meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently, as well as with a wide range of people, and to foster a collaborative environment

• Seven or more years of experience as a litigator
• Knowledge of disability rights laws, including the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Help America Vote Act
• Deep connections with the disability community
• Demonstrated ability to work creatively – across disciplines – to use the law, the media, and legislation to achieve social change
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a wide-range of civil rights organizations with diverse agendas
• Ability to recognize the common factors across civil rights issues, and to creatively link advocacy strategies

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: $85,000-$106,182
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $118,927-$140,309
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $146,732- $165,531
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $168,627-$178,198
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $179,880-$184,512
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $185,447-$189,246
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $190,158- $193,860

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 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.

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

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 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 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 and 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.