Senior Associate Corporate Counsel

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Senior Associate Corporate Counsel in the Corporate Counsel’s Office of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The ACLU leverages the resources of outside contractors to supplement the talents of its own staff and maximize its impact. To protect its tax-exempt status and its fundraising, advocacy, and litigation capabilities, the ACLU must maintain rigorous compliance with a myriad of federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Office of Corporate Counsel provides the primary support for both of those efforts. We draft and negotiate contracts that vastly expand the organization’s reach and support the functions of every department. We create compliance programs, train staff, and provide compliance advice, all with the goal of maintaining the highest standards of professional and business conduct.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

The Senior Associate Corporate Counsel will serve to support the Co-Chief Corporate Counsels with regulatory compliance matters, primarily, within the Office of Corporate Counsel.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Advise regularly on all compliance matters related to tax-exempt organization federal tax law issues, particularly focusing on managing political campaign intervention and lobbying definitions, and other important principles for 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 527 organizations
• Advise staff across the organizations on federal tax law principles including unrelated business income tax, private benefit and commerciality analyses, Form 990 completion, formation and control of additional entities, and cost sharing protocols and processes
• Support the Co-Chief Corporate Counsel for Regulatory Compliance in managing compliance with a variety of other regulatory regimes, specifically focusing on charitable solicitation law and consumer protection regulations
• Assist as needed with contract drafting and negotiation, particularly contracts involving tax law or charitable solicitation law components (such as helping staff decided about entities to involve in the contract, licensing arrangements with commercial entities, event sponsorships. and charitable sales promotion agreements)
• With the Co-Chief Corporate Counsels, lead development of training programs and processes for federal tax law compliance, as well as charitable sales promotion and cause marketing trainings and materials
• Partner and advise on all federal tax law timekeeping, budget coding, and other tax compliance reporting for the organizations, working closely with ACLU Finance and program staff to track, prepare, and review data on rapid timeliness and to implement ongoing system improvements
• Assist the Co-Chief Corporate Counsels with nonprofit governance issues as needed, including state nonprofit corporation law research and review of internal governance documents
• Work effectively with outside counsel as necessary

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• 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

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• A JD degree from an accredited university
• Admitted to practice in at least one state (NY preferred)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Three to four years’ experience practicing in the areas of U.S. federal tax law for tax-exempt organizations, in an in-house or law firm environment
• Experience with charitable solicitation regulation and commercial co-ventures
• Experience with other regulatory regimes, including consumer protection regulation, trade sanctions, and state and local tax law, and with nonprofit corporate governance issues
• Ability to navigate a complex organization and work in a fast-paced environment

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

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

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

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 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.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.