The ACLU of Connecticut seeks a Staff Attorney to help litigate our cases, beginning on or about September 1, 2019. The position is full-time and will pay an annual salary of between $50,000 and $60,000 depending on experience. We are searching now so that candidates currently finishing law school or serving as law clerks may be considered.
Founded in 1948, the ACLU of Connecticut is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that promotes and preserves individual rights and liberties in courts, the General Assembly, and the state’s towns and cities. We carry out this work from our office in Hartford with a staff of twelve. We are one of 53 affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union nationwide.
As Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Connecticut, you will join a legal team committed to fighting the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. We envision a world in which the Constitution’s promises of liberty, justice, and equality are fully realized for all people from all walks of life. We fight for a more perfect union in which America protects the rights of vulnerable people who have not typically held the reins of political power. We seek to end mass incarceration, create police accountability, stop police brutality, achieve freedom for LGBTQ people, establish privacy protections in the digital age, ensure reproductive freedom, dismantle institutional white supremacy and racism, and more. In our seven decades of existence, our legal team has ended the state’s ban on abortion coverage for women enrolled in the state Medicaid program, defended the rights of people illegally searched by police, protected the free speech rights of conscientious objectors, struck down discriminatory jury selection practices, and consistently fought for incarcerated people’s rights.
Responsibilities
The Staff Attorney will:
• handle legal intake
• evaluate and investigate potential claims
• identify potential plaintiffs and defendants
• devise legal theory and strategy
• perform all aspects of legal research
• draft filings
• conduct depositions and engage in written discovery
• participate in and present oral arguments
• engage in non-litigation advocacy like public speaking and education
• work with community organizations
• meet with public officials
• give media interviews
• write blogs and articles
• work closely with the ACLU of Connecticut’s staff and volunteers
The ideal candidate will:
• possess a foundational commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and the ACLU’s mission
• be committed to fighting racism, and have a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance
• have demonstrated experience engaging and working with and/or on behalf of underrepresented communities.
• be licensed to practice law in Connecticut, or able to be so within six months of hire
• be able to work cooperatively on a variety of projects, with colleagues and diverse community organizations and coalitions
• have superior writing and analytical skills
• have the demonstrated ability to think strategically.
We will accept applications until 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time on October 31, 2018 and begin considering them thereafter. For consideration, email the phrase “I’m in” with your resume attached in PDF format to [email protected]. You need not send (and we will not read) a cover letter.
To interrupt perpetuation of the existing power structure within the legal profession, our initial reviews of candidates will be blind: candidates’ identifying information (including schools attended) will be redacted and reviewers will not know who is in the applicant pool. At a later stage, candidates may be asked for additional information that will also be considered anonymously. At the final, interview stage of the search, candidates’ identities will be revealed to evaluators, and performance samples and references may be sought.