Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney - Salt Lake City, Utah
Founded in 1958, the ACLU of Utah is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that utilizes legal, legislative, and public education approaches to fight for individual rights and fundamental freedoms. Our mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, including reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, free speech, racial justice, privacy, religious liberty, LGBTQ rights, and more. For more information, please visit www.acluutah.org.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah seeks to hire a passionate Senior Staff Attorney or Staff Attorney to join our team. This position will engage in legal advocacy in furtherance of ACLU of Utah priorities in both state and federal courts and will participate in policy advocacy as part of integrated organizational campaigns. The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney plays an important role of supporting the management of the legal department. As such, an ideal candidate for this position will have prior experience with project and people management.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
The ACLU of Utah is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage and greatly value applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
Position Overview and Functions:
The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney is a highly collaborative team player who will develop and litigate cases in state and federal court and engage in other legal advocacy efforts on a range of civil rights and civil liberties issues. The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney will also: manage the ACLU of Utah’s effective response to requests for help through the intake process; work with cooperating attorneys and other legal partners to develop litigation; and advance the mission and work of the ACLU of Utah’s legal advocacy efforts as a whole.
The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney is a Full-Time, Salaried, and Exempt position that will work under the supervision of the Legal Director and will directly supervise the Intake Coordinator. This position is classified as “For-Cause” after the defined 6-month probationary period as indicated in the Handbook.
Specifically, the Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney will:
QUALIFICATIONS:
This position is for a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, commensurate with experience. Minimum qualifications for each position level are noted below. Individuals with more significant litigation experience are preferred and are strongly encouraged to apply.
Qualified candidates will have:
Strong candidates will also have:
Physical Demands:
Work Environment:
SALARY & BENEFITS:
The Staff Attorney salary will be no less than $65,000. The Senior Staff Attorney salary will be no less than $70,000. Excellent benefits include; paid time off, medical, vision, and dental insurance, and a 401(k) plan with employer matching contribution that vests after one year of employment.
TO APPLY:
Click the following link to be directed to the ALCU Job Board Posting.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
The ACLU of Utah is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage and greatly value applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
Position Overview and Functions:
The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney is a highly collaborative team player who will develop and litigate cases in state and federal court and engage in other legal advocacy efforts on a range of civil rights and civil liberties issues. The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney will also: manage the ACLU of Utah’s effective response to requests for help through the intake process; work with cooperating attorneys and other legal partners to develop litigation; and advance the mission and work of the ACLU of Utah’s legal advocacy efforts as a whole.
The Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney is a Full-Time, Salaried, and Exempt position that will work under the supervision of the Legal Director and will directly supervise the Intake Coordinator. This position is classified as “For-Cause” after the defined 6-month probationary period as indicated in the Handbook.
Specifically, the Sr. Staff Attorney / Staff Attorney will:
- Effectively pursue the ACLU of Utah’s strategic priorities and fulfill the Legal Department’s stated goals in furtherance of those priorities through legal advocacy in state and federal courts, including investigating, developing and litigating high-impact cases in furtherance of civil rights and civil liberties priorities in federal and state courts, often alongside co-counsel from other firms and organizations.
- Engage in non-litigation legal advocacy efforts for the same purposes, including but not limited to administrative advocacy and records requests.
- Directly supervise the Intake Coordinator, which primarily includes regular meetings, annual goal setting and reviews, and professional development for that position.
- Oversee the ACLU of Utah’s responses to requests for assistance received through the intake process, which is managed by the Intake Coordinator. This role includes formulating specific and general responses to help requests; determining the process or providing direct assistance in specific cases; ensuring that such assistance is provided by the legal department or other departments in the ACLU of Utah; and ensuring that intake materials are up to date and legally accurate with the assistance of the Legal Director
- As directed by the Legal Director, assist other departments in an integrated advocacy approach to further the mission and strategic priorities of the ACLU of Utah.
- As assigned by the Legal Director, assist in public education efforts.
- Consult with other departments of the ACLU of Utah, under the direction of the Legal Director, on subjects relevant to their work.
QUALIFICATIONS:
This position is for a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, commensurate with experience. Minimum qualifications for each position level are noted below. Individuals with more significant litigation experience are preferred and are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Staff Attorney: at least two years of civil or criminal litigation experience, including experience taking/defending depositions, participating in evidentiary hearings and/or trials, and experience engaging in complex discovery.
- Senior Staff Attorney: At least six years of civil or criminal litigation experience, including experience managing complex litigation and significant experience in all facets of litigation, including taking/defending depositions, participating in evidentiary hearings and/or trials, brief writing, and managing litigation teams.
Qualified candidates will have:
- An active license to practice law in Utah or ability to obtain one as soon as possible but within approximately six months after hire date;
- Ability to effectively oversee and manage the performance of others;
- Strong organizational, communication, and time management skills;
- Experience working on a team with shared goals or objectives, preferably including team members from other firms or organizations;
- Ability to work independently while communicating with Supervisor and colleagues;
- Ability to convey legal information to nonlawyers;
- Ability to communicate with and learn from diverse audiences and community members through lenses of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging;
- A demonstrated commitment, through previous professional, volunteer or lived experience, to civil rights and civil liberties;
- A strong commitment to diversity- a personal approach that values the individual and respects difference of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, involvement with the criminal legal justice system, and socio-economic circumstance.
Strong candidates will also have:
- Some experience engaging in litigation involving civil rights cases such as Indigenous Justice, Immigrants’ Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Reproductive Freedom, Criminal Legal Reform, or Participatory Democracy;
- Experience supervising staff in a legal setting;
- Familiarity with legal practice before the federal or state courts in Utah.
Physical Demands:
- Ability to work at a computer for multiple hours per day;
- Ability to participate in person at court and at times in other settings;
- Ability to travel short distances within Salt Lake City and its immediate vicinity.
Work Environment:
- Hybrid work requirement consisting of approximately a 40-hour work week, with work from home permitted when work responsibility allows.
SALARY & BENEFITS:
The Staff Attorney salary will be no less than $65,000. The Senior Staff Attorney salary will be no less than $70,000. Excellent benefits include; paid time off, medical, vision, and dental insurance, and a 401(k) plan with employer matching contribution that vests after one year of employment.
TO APPLY:
Click the following link to be directed to the ALCU Job Board Posting.
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