Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, Senior Counsel, Capital Punishment Project

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time, term-limited position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the Capital Punishment Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Durham, NC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The ACLU seeks an experienced attorney for a two-year term to build and file creative, systemic litigation.

The Capital Punishment Project, part of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. The Project engages in public advocacy and strategic litigation, including the direct representation of capital defendants, challenges to systemic problems in the administration of capital punishment, and amicus briefing.

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

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Project Director, this position is a new role dedicated to identifying and implementing strategies to further the project’s strategic goals, particularly in the face of efforts by some jurisdictions to expand the death penalty rather than employing it sparingly and judiciously. This attorney will develop and strengthen narratives and strategies for systemic litigation, state legislative campaigns, stakeholder trainings, and presentation of issues in individual clients’ cases in state and federal court.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Identify strategic and creative opportunities to bring systemic litigation and/or disrupt unjust practices, including in the face of proposals to expand the death penalty
• Participate in such litigation as an advisor and/or counsel of record
• Lead public communications about the death penalty, including writing opinion pieces and giving media appearances
• Organize brainstorming and case consults with individual teams and help plan and implement trainings
• Develop and/or review state repeal education strategies
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned

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

• J.D. degree and significant years of legal experience
• Admission to the state bar of the applicable national office (NY or NC) or agreement to become admitted within one year of hire
• Willingness to travel throughout the country
• Familiarity with capital trials and/or the federal death penalty
• Understanding of the influence of structural racism on mass incarceration and capital punishment
• Experience in litigation of criminal and capital punishment law and/or civil rights law
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Demonstrate commitment to client centered advocacy

COMPENSATION

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: $89,250-$111,491
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $124,873-$147,324
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $154,069- $173,808
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $177,058-$187,108
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $188,874-$193,738
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $194,719-$198,708
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $199,666- $203,553

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

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.