Staff Attorney-ACLU of Texas

Affiliate Offices
Texas

September 12, 2012
Job Posting: Staff Attorney
Posted September 2012
 
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas seeks a full-time, permanent Staff Attorney to be based in Houston.
 
The ACLU works to defend and expand the individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state and federal civil rights laws. The ACLU legal team litigates a broad range of constitutional cases in state and federal courts, including free speech, freedom of religion, lesbian and gay rights, reproductive freedom, criminal justice, prison and jail conditions of confinement, immigrants’ rights, and privacy rights. An affiliate of the national ACLU, the state affiliate has members across Texas and engages with all levels of government.
 
Under the direction of the Legal & Policy Director, the Staff Attorney will litigate cases and participate in non-litigation advocacy to advance civil rights in Texas. The Staff Attorney’s responsibilities include serving as lead and co-counsel on a variety of civil liberties cases; working with national ACLU lawyers; and investigating, developing, and litigating cases at the trial and appellate level in state and federal court. 
 
The Staff Attorney is also responsible for non-litigation advocacy: public speaking; media interviews; outreach; and writing op-eds, reports, and other public education material with a legal content. The Staff Attorney will be responsible for recruiting and working with cooperating attorneys and the ACLU State Legal Panel.
 
Specific Responsibilities:
  1. Legal
  • Investigate, develop, and litigate civil liberties and civil rights cases in state and federal court.  This includes conducting factual and legal research, preparing memorandums, writing demand letters, drafting pleadings and briefs, conducting discovery, arguing motions, trying cases, writing appellate briefs, presenting oral argument on appeal, and writing amicus briefs.
  • Supervise, lead, or participate in a team of associated attorneys; co-counsel cases with other public interest groups.
  • Recruit and work with ACLU volunteer attorneys.
  • Review, comment on, and edit letters and briefs of co-counsel and other ACLU staff.
  • Provide legal analysis and develop legal strategy with senior ACLU legal staff.
 

2.  Advocacy/Public Education

  • Advocate for civil liberties and serve as a spokesperson for the ACLU with the press and as a public speaker.
  • Work with ACLU staff to implement priority campaigns and develop high-impact strategies that use the ACLU’s communication, legislative, field organizing and legal programs.
 

3.  Administration, Coordination and Support

  • Contribute to the maintenance of the legal docket.
  • Ensure that all pleadings are filed timely and that representation is in accordance with court rules and the rules of professional ethics.
  • Supervise law students and interns.
  • Work with intake staff and volunteers to develop promising civil liberties cases.  
 

4. Support for the Leadership Team

  • Assist with all legal program activities as needed, ensure members of the leadership team are adequately informed of work, and prepare reports and provide support as needed.
 
Qualifications:
  • JD with at least 3 years of litigation experience, preferably raising constitutional, criminal justice, and/or discrimination claims in federal court;
  • Texas law license or eligibility to waive in to the Texas bar;
  • Substantive knowledge of constitutional law and commitment to the mission and principles of the ACLU;
  • Demonstrated skills in litigating independently, jointly, and under pressure;
  • Demonstrated skills in legal analysis, research, and strategic thinking;
  • Exceptional writing and analytical skills;
  • Excellent communication skills for legal and non-legal audiences;
  • Excellent time management skills and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously;
  • Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with lawyers, other staff members, and community organizations and coalitions;
  • Creative, result-oriented, self-starting, willing to learn;
  • Able to manage an aggressive schedule, working beyond 9 to 5 and traveling throughout the state as needed;
  • Bilingual, Spanish-English, strongly preferred;
  • Judicial clerkship experience strongly preferred;
  • Proficiency in Windows and Microsoft Office.
 
Personal Characteristics: 
Ideally, the successful candidate will be:
  • Personally committed to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, goals, and programs, with an understanding of the range of civil liberties issues and their implications;
  • A flexible, reliable, creative, and energetic person who can handle and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities; a self-starter and finisher;
  • A team player who inspires collaboration and functions decisively; flexible and well organized; and
  • Emotionally mature and self-confident, with a sense of humor in order to maintain balance and perspective.
 
Compensation:
Salary range is based on experience and the ACLU’s salary scale. Compensation is comparable to other public interest law firms in the area. The ACLU provides excellent benefits including health insurance and a 401(k) plan.
 
Application Procedure:
Applications will only be accepted electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format and must include the following:
  • A detailed letter of interest,
  • ACLU of Texas employment application (available at: http://www.aclutx.org)
  • Resume,
  • Brief (5-10 page) legal writing sample, and
  • Contact information for three professional references.
 
Applications should be should be emailed to aclujobs@aclutx.org, with a copy to Rebecca Robertson, rrobertson@aclutx.org, and include “Staff Attorney Application” in the subject line. 
 
The position will remain open until filled.
 
The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, people of color, person with disabilities, and lesbians, gays and transgendered persons are encouraged to apply.
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