The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU-VA) is growing! This position is funded for an initial two-year term with the potential for future funding. The Staff Attorney is responsible for proactively developing and executing litigation and other legal advocacy strategies to achieve the ACLU-VA’s strategic priorities and to advance civil liberties and civil rights in Virginia. They will litigate on a variety of issues, including criminal legal reform, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrants’ rights, reproductive rights, and freedom of speech and religion. The Staff Attorney will also participate in non-litigation advocacy to advance the ACLU-VA’s strategic priorities, including supporting legislative and policy work, participating in public speaking engagements, and working with our communications team to draft press or public education materials. See full job description for complete details.

The ACLU-VA strives to be Virginia's premier guardian of civil liberties and a recognized champion of civil rights for all Virginians. For just over a hundred years (56 in Virginia), the ACLU has made a profound difference in the lives of clients and community members, as well as historic contributions to our country and state. Now, more people than ever before have turned to the ACLU to fight back against unprecedented new attacks on civil rights and liberties. We are also committed to pursuing impactful policy changes at the local and statewide levels to achieve racial equity and advance civil liberties and civil rights for everyone. The ACLU-VA is committed to ending racist policing, cutting the number of people incarcerated in Virginia, increasing access to quality mental and medical care, ending sex and gender-based discrimination at work and in schools, and securing a constitutional right to vote for everyone.

You’ll help us protect and advance the ACLU’s mission by:

Developing and executing litigation and legal advocacy strategies

• Developing and executing a wide range of federal, state, and administrative litigation, including impact litigation, complex class-action litigation, appeals, and amicus briefs;
• Participating in case selection and development and participating in all phases of litigation;
• Appearing and arguing in federal court, state court, and before administrative agencies;
• Seeking out and cultivating relationships with the national ACLU, with other advocacy organizations, and with cooperating attorneys to partner in potential litigation;
• Monitoring litigation being handled by partner organizations and cooperating attorneys and provide assistance as needed.

Assisting with the overall administration of the legal program

• Providing input on litigation priorities and potential legal advocacy strategies to advance those priorities;
• Assisting in the implementation of legal program policies, procedures, and systems
• Participating in the review and consideration of intakes and other requests for assistance received by the ACLU of Virginia;
• Developing and conducting, as appropriate, staff training sessions, workshops, continuing legal education events, and other events on specific issues;
• Developing and maintaining relationships with the legal staff at the national ACLU; with legal services agencies, law firms, and other public interest attorneys in Virginia

Supporting the legislative, policy, organizing, and communications work of the affiliate

• Serving as a spokesperson for the ACLU of Virginia on cases and legal issues for the media and speaking at public forums, meetings, and events on various civil liberties and civil rights topics
• Writing material for the ACLU of Virginia website and acting as a resource for communications and programmatic staff, and drafting memoranda, reports, public education materials, and legislative advocacy materials

And more….See the full job description here.

Our “Must Have’s”

• D. from an accredited law school.
• Membership in good standing with the Virginia State Bar or another state bar provided admission to the Virginia State Bar is obtained within six months.
• Experience litigating cases in federal and/or state courts.
• Willingness and availability to work beyond the normal workday, on weekends, and/or more than 40 hours a week as necessary.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Virginia, and occasionally to other states for conferences and training.
• A commitment to the mission and values of the ACLU of Virginia, and to racial justice and civil rights issues and an understanding that these issues are central to the overall protection of civil liberties.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, to refrain from unlawful discrimination and to comply fully with all applicable laws; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity and national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance, and able to work with diverse individuals within the organization and broader community.
• Familiarity with office technology and information systems, including databases, case management software, digital legal research sources, online communications, and word processing.

The ACLU of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, bi- or multi-lingual (including Indigenous languages) speakers, multi-cultural individuals, members of the LGBTQ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated or are currently under supervision, and other people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. We seek to build a diverse team and an inclusive organizational culture. All qualified applicants who share our vision and who have a desire to contribute to our mission are encouraged to apply.

The salary range for this position is $64,000 to $90,700 with a midpoint of $77,350. Recent law school graduates will be starting closer to the bottom of the range. Compensation offers will generally be somewhere between the starting point and the midpoint of the range and are based on a candidate's specific experience and current market factors at the time of the offer. To preserve the opportunity for advancement, we do not typically hire above the midpoint of the range. The ACLU of Virginia is a unionized workplace, and this position is part of the bargaining unit.

In addition to salary, we offer excellent benefits including paid time off, generous paid holidays, a 401k plan with employer contribution, flexible spending account, paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, 50% employer-paid dependent medical coverage, life insurance, wi-fi stipend, wellness stipend, student loan assistance, annual sick leave, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and professional development allowances.

Due to COVID-19 and our desire to keep our employees safe, our organization is currently following a long-term hybrid work policy. All ACLU-VA staff must reside within the Commonwealth of Virginia or within a 150-mile radius of our downtown Richmond office.

Please review the complete job description on our Careers page and apply from our career site. A resume and cover letter will be required. Our HR team will review applications on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Submit your application as soon as possible. We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.