Reporting to the Advocacy & Legal Director, the Deputy Legal Director will provide leadership and support for the ACLU-SDIC’s litigation program, including developing and litigating high-impact cases. The Deputy Legal Director will be responsible for executing the overall litigation strategy as part of a robust approach to advance the ACLU-SDIC’s mission and oversee the management and coordination of its docket and network of cooperating attorneys. ACLU-SDIC's integrated advocacy approach centers issues teams, bringing together organizing, advocacy, legal, philanthropic and communications staff to support the organization’s priorities.
The Deputy Legal Director will work with the Advocacy & Legal Director to align litigation activity with the organization's priority areas of criminal justice, immigrants’ rights, racial and economic justice, as well as other civil rights and liberties issues. The Deputy Legal Director will work in close coordination with national and California ACLU litigation staff, and other local and national partners engaging in an integrated advocacy model to advance organizational goals.
The Deputy Legal Director’s responsibilities include:
-Legal Expertise
- Staff Management
- Communication and External Relations
About ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties
The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) civil liberties and civil rights organization working to advance equality, freedom and justice through public education and litigation. Together with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that does its legislative lobbying work, the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties is a prominent force for the protection and expansion of fundamental rights in California’s second-most populous county (San Diego) and the county with the highest per capita Latina/o population (Imperial).
Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and civil liberties and client-centered advocacy consistent with the mission and goals of ACLU-SDIC.
- Minimum of 8 years legal experience, including substantial state and/or federal litigation at trial court and appellate levels, including class actions, with a strong background in issue areas aligned with the ACLU-SDIC’s priorities.
- Demonstrated record of moving legal cases forward from investigation and development to completion (e.g., settlement, trial, and compliance).
- Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity.
- Management experience that includes training, managing, and retaining a diverse, high-performing litigation team.
- Admission to the California bar (or licensed in another state and qualified to apply for admission in California within 6 months).
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this role is $100,000 - $130,000 annually. The ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties offers an excellent benefits package that includes four weeks paid vacation; 18 office holidays; medical and dental insurance for staff members and their families; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) plan with employer match.
The ACLU-SDIC is headquartered in San Diego, California, though employees have hybrid schedules that allow for remote work. While candidates located in or around San Diego are preferred, candidates from outside San Diego will be considered if they are willing and able to travel as needed to the city in the short-term, and able to move to San Diego or surrounding area within 6 months.
Trisha Sutrisno and Amber Gomes of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your materials by filing out a Talent Profile or email [email protected] and [email protected] directly. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- Experience working with volunteers and non-profit organizations, including allies from across the political spectrum. Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences including record of arrest or conviction.
- Experience representing and working with activists and grassroots and other non-governmental organizations; experience working with these partners in a border region similar to San Diego a plus.
- Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Excellent at collaborating across disciplines and being open to innovation and cross-departmental planning to achieve organizational priorities.
- Excellent organizational skills and a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving and litigation including a demonstrated ability to exercise sound professional judgement. Courage and impeccable integrity.
- Goal-oriented and project-oriented, with an ability to recognize and maximize opportunities on behalf of the organization.
- Values and has experience working collaboratively and respectfully with teams and coworkers, including toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts.
- While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to exchange accurate information, detect/identify documents and the information contained in them, move between areas in and out of the office to complete their role. The employee may need to move various equipment including computer to their work location.
- Excellent communication, media, presentation, written, and analytical skills.
- Must be able to travel for court hearings and conferences as needed.