ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a holistic legal advocacy organization that combats the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color. ACD’s foundation of civil and criminal legal representation, social services, impact litigation, policy and media advocacy, and community collaboration achieves and inspires justice and equitable outcomes for people throughout the St. Louis region and beyond.
ACD envisions a society liberated from systems of oppression where the promise of justice and racial equity is realized; communities where our approach to public safety prioritizes investment in well-being, health, and transformation without relying on criminalization and incarceration; and people living freely in their communities, thriving regardless of their race or income.
ACD and its partners in the organizing and advocacy community are at the center of efforts in the St. Louis region to:
● Re-envision public safety, promote community well-being through policy change, and hold public actors and institutions accountable for misconduct through litigation and zealous holistic representation.
● Challenge a system of policing, courts, and jails designed to meet municipal financial needs rather than the needs of those they purport to serve. Such practices attracted national spotlight during the 2014 Ferguson Uprising and remain widespread throughout our region.
● Engage in litigation and collaborative advocacy designed to bring abusive practices to an end and empower those communities that have been targeted by such practices.
ACD seeks a diligent and creative individual with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff of attorneys, paralegals, social workers, community organizers, and media and communication advocates who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of poverty and involvement with the legal system.
We seek a skilled attorney to join the team leading our landmark civil rights litigation representing poor people, those experiencing homelessness, and communities of color who have been locked in modern-day debtors’ prisons, denied counsel and access to the courts, charged illegal fees and fines that have destroyed their lives in the name of profit, and subjected to various forms of state violence.
● This attorney will report to the Managing Attorney for Civil Rights and Systemic Litigation and will play an important role in impact litigation, provide direct representation for plaintiffs, and work collaboratively with the systemic litigation team.
● Must have a demonstrated commitment to civil rights, holistic representation, and systemic change.
● Looking for a self-starter with a passion for racial justice.
● J.D. with admission to the Missouri Bar or ability to obtain admission through waiver or reciprocity;
● Demonstrated ability to manage high volume workload effectively;
● Excellent research and persuasive writing skills, including experience drafting persuasive pleadings, motions, and memorandum of law;
● Experience with the discovery process, including drafting requests for production of documents and interrogatories, conducting depositions, and related motion practice;
● Ability to identify and develop relationships of trust with impacted individuals, including by addressing other collateral legal needs;
● Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil rights, and the mission of ArchCity Defenders;
● Demonstrated experience advocating for clients in court, including the ability to argue motions, conduct evidentiary hearings/trials, and preserve a legal record;
● Jury trial and federal court experience preferred, but not required.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit materials as soon as possible.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to:
Subject: Civil Rights & Systemic Litigation Attorney
[email protected]
Wendy L. Werner
Werner Associates, LLC
Vice-Chair, ArchCity Defenders Board of Directors