American Civil Liberties Union

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY
NOTICE TO THIRD-YEAR LAW STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES
American Civil Liberties Union
National Security Project, NY

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU) invites applications for a two-year Fellowship with the ACLU’s National Security Project which will begin in September 2010. The Fellow will work with a team of lawyers in the New York National Office on the ACLU’s national security docket.

Since September 2001, the ACLU has litigated numerous challenges to government policies that restrict civil liberties and human rights in the name of National Security. We currently represent several victims of the CIA’s “rendition” program – a program under which the CIA kidnapped foreign nationals and transferred them to the custody of countries that use torture. We are engaged in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation to demand information about the torture and mistreatment of detainees held in U.S. custody abroad. We represent one of three current Guantánamo detainees who were apprehended by the U.S. military as juveniles. We represent U.S. organizations in a First Amendment challenge to the government’s practice of denying visas to foreign nationals on the basis of their political beliefs and associations. We represent a Muslim charity in a challenge to the government’s unconstitutional seizure of its assets. And, on behalf of a broad coalition of human rights, media, and legal organizations, we have challenged the constitutionality of dragnet wiretapping conducted under the amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Fellow will function as part of the National Security Project’s legal team. The responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct legal research and analysis
• Develop theories to support new litigation projects
• Draft pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs
• Interview witnesses and potential plaintiffs
• Participate in discovery and trial practice
• Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials such as fact sheets, reports, blogs, and op-eds.
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys and supervise student interns

The Fellow may also be asked to do some public speaking and attend meetings or conferences.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• J.D. degree or expect to receive one by the Spring of 2010
• Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
• Applicants should be self-motivated and should have the ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
• A demonstrated interest in civil liberties issues related to national security is preferred, but not required

COMPENSATION:
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, two letters of recommendation, and at least one legal writing sample to:

Human Resources
Re: Fellow, National Security Project
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad St., 18^th Floor
New York, NY 10004

The application deadline is November 1, 2009. Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this opportunity posted.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”