Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel, Immigrants' Rights Project

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel, in the Immigrants’ Rights Project (IRP) of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or San Francisco, CA. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The Immigrants’ Rights Project is part of the Legal Department of the national ACLU and has offices in New York and San Francisco. For nearly 40 years, the Project has litigated in trial and appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of immigrants and seek equal justice under the law. Our work has focused on due process, access to the courts, unfair detention, equal treatment, and state and local laws and policies. For example, we have challenged attacks on birthright citizenship; removals under the Alien Enemies Act; the targeting of student activists for arrest, detention, and deportation; family separation; the Muslim ban; multiple attacks on the asylum system; indefinite and mandatory detention; immigration detainers; state and local anti-immigrant laws; racial and language profiling connected to immigration enforcement; and attempts to eliminate judicial review. We work closely with partners at the national ACLU and affiliates, as well as allied organizations, to pursue litigation and to engage in and support other forms of advocacy and education.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

Reporting to the Deputy Project Director or Project Director, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will conduct impact litigation and advocacy to advance and enforce immigrants’ rights. 

• Litigating in federal courts throughout the country and potentially in state courts  
• Handling a substantial caseload in federal court, working closely with other staff attorneys, local counsel, immigrant rights organizations, and clients 
• Conducting legal research and writing legal memoranda 
• Organizing and participating in multi-organization rapid responses to immigration enforcement events 
• Fact-gathering through interviews and investigations 
• Analyzing legislation for potential litigation 
• Drafting pleadings and briefs, engaging in discovery and motion practice, and conducting evidentiary hearings and oral arguments 
• Providing technical assistance and expert legal advice to local ACLU affiliates, cooperating attorneys and others who seek assistance from the Project 
• Conducting policy advocacy on immigrants’ rights 
• Developing new cases and non-litigation advocacy projects 
• Engaging in public speaking and articulating ACLU views to a variety of audiences on a broad range of immigrants’ rights issues 
• Supervising paralegals and legal interns 

• 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 and active Bar membership in NY or CA (based on office assignment) 
• A minimum of two years complex civil litigation experience in federal courts  
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as within a team. Ability to foster and contribute to a collaborative team environment 
• Excellent legal research and writing skills 
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex legal analytical work 
• Demonstrated ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively 
• Self-motivation, diligence, and the ability to meet strict deadlines while under pressure 
• Ability to travel frequently, on short notice, and for extended periods 

• Fluency in a language commonly spoken by immigrants in the U.S. preferred
• Demonstrated experience working in immigrant community settings preferred 
• Experience working with reporters and the media preferred 

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: $96,069 - $120,009
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $134,414 - $158,579
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $165,839 - $187,087
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $190,585 - $201,403
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $203,304 - $208,540
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $209,595 - $213,890
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $214,920 - $219,104

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY where are National Offices are headquartered.  Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.  

For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf

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

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 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 complete the Accommodation Request Form

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.