The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA) is seeking experienced attorneys to build, file, and litigate through trial complex civil actions in state and federal courts to protect and advance civil liberties for all Washingtonians—work that is important now more than ever.

This attorney position will give us the capacity to push forward our affirmative agenda as well as engage in fast-moving, defensive battles against attacks on civil liberties.

OVERVIEW
The ACLU-WA is one of the largest affiliates of the nation-wide ACLU. We work in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect and extend American rights to freedom, fairness, and equality. The ACLU is both nonprofit and nonpartisan. We have a staff of 50+ and nearly 60,000 supporters statewide.

Whether it is ending mass incarceration and police brutality, achieving full equality for LGBTQ+ people, protecting privacy in the digital age, preserving the right to vote, or ensuring reproductive freedom, the ACLU-WA is willing to take on tough civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government and corporate abuse and overreach. And we’re successful. In the past several years in Washington State, among other victories we’ve won an injunction against police abuse of racial justice protestors, a nationally significant lawsuit for a gay couple who was denied service by their local florist, treatment in jails and prisons for people suffering from opioid use disorder, access to employment for people with criminal records, and relief from discrimination for people who are transgender.

The ACLU of Washington is committed to ending racism in Washington State and throughout the country. This includes how we work with each other, and with our partners and allies in the communities we serve. We are committed to bringing anti-racism to all aspects of ACLU-WA’s internal and external functions, including but not limited to recruitment; hiring and human resources; strategic planning; ally, donor, and volunteer relations; Board and committee processes; and deciding what cases to litigate and what legislation to support and oppose. We are looking for candidates who share this commitment to advancing racial justice, both internally in our organization and externally in the communities that we serve.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Participation in ACLU-WA’s race equity work. This may include utilizing ACLU-WA race equity tools, adopting ACLU-WA race equity practices, etc.

The senior staff attorney will be responsible for investigating, filing, and litigating through trial civil liberties and civil rights cases in both federal and state courts. This includes legal research, investigative work, identifying and signing up named plaintiffs, complaint drafting, discovery and motion practice, and handling trials and appeals, as well as participating in work on amicus briefs.

The senior staff attorney will be responsible for maintaining an active docket of their own cases, typically with assistance from outside cooperating attorneys and a senior staff attorney, as well as helping to supervise interns and fellows in the department as applicable and needed.

The senior staff attorney will also engage in advocacy, coordinate with the various policy-focused attorneys and other staff in the office, provide legal analysis to advance other ACLU-WA policy work, and conduct community outreach as needed. Along with other staff members, the staff attorney will represent the ACLU-WA publicly, speaking to the media and others, as assigned.

Travel, as well as some work on nights and weekends, may be necessary. Along with all employees, the staff attorney is expected to help maintain a positive, respectful, and welcoming work environment for employees and volunteers.

In addition to the above primary responsibilities, the senior staff attorney may also be asked to assist in the supervision and management of cases brought by other attorneys inside and outside the office, the drafting and review of internal and external department reports, and other non-litigation tasks essential for the smooth running of the Legal Department as needed.

For more information, including how to apply, click here.