Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel, Capital Punishment Project

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time,
term-limited position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the Capital Punishment Project of the ACLU’s National office in Durham, NC or New York, NY
. This is a two-year, term-limited position.
This position may be eligible for remote work in the United States.

The Capital Punishment Project, part of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. The Project engages in public advocacy and strategic litigation, including the direct representation of capital defendants, challenges to systemic problems in the administration of capital punishment, and amicus briefings.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

This position is a new role dedicated to identifying and implementing strategies to challenge and expose unlawful execution practices by outlier states. Reporting to the Project Director
, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will develop and strengthen narratives and strategies for systemic litigation, public education, and stakeholder meetings and trainings. The position may include litigation of individual clients’ cases in state and federal court.

• Identify strategic and creative opportunities to bring systemic litigation and/or disrupt unjust practices, including, in particular, rushed executions
• Participate in litigation as an advisor and/or counsel of record
• Lead public communications about executions, including writing opinion pieces and giving media appearances
• Organize brainstorming and case consults with individual teams and help plan and implement trainings
• Develop and/or review state repeal education strategies
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

• J.D. degree and significant years of legal experience
• If hired for remote work, admission to the bar of the state of residence. If not remote, admission to the state bar of the applicable national office (NY or NC) or agreement to become admitted within one year of hire
• Willingness to travel throughout the country
• Familiarity with capital punishment litigation, including state post-conviction and federal habeas law
• Experience in litigation of capital punishment cases
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Demonstrate commitment to client centered advocacy

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: $92,374-$115,393
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $159,461-$179,891
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $183,255-$193,657
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $195,485-$200,519
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $201,534-$205,663
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $206,654-$210,677

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY where are National Offices are headquartered. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..pdf

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…