Staff Attorney-ACLUF Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, NY
August 2, 2011
Career Opportunity
STAFF ATTORNEY [SPT-06]
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, NY
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), founded in 1920, is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with more than 500,000 members dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the Constitution. The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York City seeks applications for a full-time Staff Attorney.
OVERVIEW
The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project is part of the ACLU’s Center for Democracy, which works to strengthen democratic institutions and values, including the values of government transparency and accountability, and to reinforce the United States’ commitment to human rights and the rule of law. The Center for Democracy includes – in addition to the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project – the Human Rights Project and the National Security Project, and also works closely with staff from the ACLU’s Communications Department, Affiliate Support and Advocacy Department, and Washington Legislative Office.
The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project is dedicated to protecting and expanding the First Amendment freedoms of expression, association, and inquiry; expanding the right to privacy and increasing the control that individuals have over their personal information; and ensuring that civil liberties are enhanced rather than compromised by new advances in science and technology. The Project is currently litigating cases and conducting other advocacy efforts on a variety of issues, including political protest, freedom of expression online, privacy of electronic information, journalists’ rights, scientific freedom, and openness in the courts.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Staff Attorney will contribute to all aspects of the Project’s litigation and non-litigation work, including but not limited to:
- Litigating free speech, privacy, and technology-related civil liberties cases in the trial and appellate courts.
- Developing new cases and non-litigation advocacy projects relating to free speech, privacy, technology, and civil liberties.
- Managing case development and conduct client and witness interviews.
- Serving as a resource for ACLU legislative and policy work, and advancing ACLU policy goals through public education, organizing, and participating in coalitions.
- Developing and writing advocacy materials for audiences comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers.
- Communicating with the media about the work of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project and the work of the ACLU more generally.
- Working in collaboration with other members of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, other Projects within the ACLU’s Legal Department, particularly the other Projects within the Center for Democracy, other ACLU departments including in particular Communications, Affiliate Support and Advocacy, and the Washington Legislative Office, and state affiliates.
- Supervising legal fellows and law students.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The applicant should possess the following qualifications:
- A J.D. degree and one year of litigation experience, preferably including experience litigating cases involving free speech, privacy, technology, and civil liberties issues.
- A demonstrated commitment to public interest generally and civil liberties in particular.
- Excellent legal research, writing and verbal communication skills.
- An ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact-finding.
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
- An ability to manage cases without close supervision.
- Experience dealing with the media.
- Ability to travel.
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
Applications should consist of a cover letter, a resume, the names of two references, and two writing samples, at least one of which should be a legal research memo, brief, or article. Please send materials to hrjobsSPT@aclu.org and reference [SPT-06/ACLU-W] in the subject line, or by mail to:
Human Resources
RE: [SPT-06/ACLU-W]
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Please indicate in your cover letter where you learned of this career opportunity.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including 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.”