ABOUT THE JOB

The Immigrants’ Rights Project is part of the Legal Department of the national ACLU, and has offices in New York and San Francisco. For over 30 years, the Project has litigated in trial and appellate courts across the country, including the Supreme Court, to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of immigrants and seek equal justice under the law. Our work has focused on due process, access to the courts, unfair detention, equal treatment, and state and local laws and policies. For example, we have challenged family separation; the Muslim ban; multiple attacks on the asylum system; indefinite and mandatory detention; immigration detainers; state and local anti-immigrant laws, including Arizona’s SB 1070; racial and language profiling connected to immigration enforcement; and attempts to eliminate judicial review. We work closely with partners at the national ACLU and affiliates, as well as allied organizations, to pursue litigation and to engage in and support other forms of advocacy and education.

The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to two years. The Immigrants' Rights Project of the National office in New York, NY seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Equal Justice Works or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2022.

Reporting to the Project Director, the Fellow will conduct impact litigation and advocacy to advance and enforce immigrants' rights.

Our staff will work with candidates to develop their proposals for submission, helping tailor the proposal to address an important civil liberties issue. Proposed projects often combine litigation and advocacy with community outreach and public education.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with IRP staff to develop a fellowship project to advance immigrants’ rights through litigation and advocacy
• Identify and develop new litigation and other advocacy projects by conducting factual, legal and strategic analysis and devising relevant theories and materials
• Litigate immigrants’ rights cases, including legal research; fact development; working with clients; drafting pleadings, briefs and legal memoranda; engaging in discovery and motion practice; and conducting evidentiary hearings and oral arguments in the trial and appellate courts
• Work with colleagues in the ACLU’s Communications and National Political Advocacy Departments to develop public education and other advocacy materials on immigrants’ rights
• Articulate ACLU views to a variety of audiences, through public speaking, traditional and social media, and other means
• Work with ACLU legislative and policy advocates and campaigners to advance the ACLU’s goals on immigration
• Work with and advise ACLU state affiliates and partner organizations on immigrants’ rights issues
• Help manage summer legal internship program and supervise student interns
• Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and other advocacy opportunities, consistent with public health guidance on COVID-19
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• J.D. or expected to receive a J.D by the spring of 2022
• Admission to practice in New York; if not currently admitted, agreement to become admitted within one year of hire
• Demonstrated commitment to and familiarity with public interest law, civil liberties, immigrants’ rights, and racial and social justice issues
• Willingness to work closely with the Immigrants’ Rights Project through the funding application process
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion

• Fluency in Spanish and other relevant foreign languages (written and spoken) is preferred, but not required

COMPENSATION

The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances):

• 0-2 years since law school graduation: $72,000-$82,818
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $88,201-$98,635
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $101,594-$114,345
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $117,776-$132,558
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $136,534-$153,671
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $158,281-$178,146
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $183,491-$206,521

These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY. The salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.