Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney
American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU of Louisiana is looking for a full-time Staff Attorney to spearhead and manage a substantial portion of its Justice Lab: Putting Racist Policing on Trial docket.  With upwards of 40 cases filed in 2021 and 2022, and unprecedented Heck and qualified immunity wins achieved in two of its earliest cases, Justice Lab seeks to upend false narratives that justify police misconduct and lay critical groundwork for police accountability in Louisiana.  Working with more than 150 volunteers from national and multi-national corporations, more than 50 law firms functioning in a pro bono capacity, and multiple legal clinics, Justice Lab has processed more than 400 police misconduct complaints, and published more than 30 stories from victims of racist policing. 

Please use this link to learn more about ACLU of Louisiana’s Justice Lab.

At bottom, the ACLU of Louisiana takes on the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases in the state, litigating issues seeking to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. While recognized as one of the nation’s leading public interest law firms, the ACLU’s strength lies in an integrated advocacy approach, which requires collaboration between legal, advocacy, public education, and communications staff on comprehensive strategies to maximize impact.

The ACLU of Louisiana is the local affiliate of the National ACLU. Founded in 1956 with a growing staff of twelve, we are poised for growth and expansion. The Executive Director, Alanah Odoms carries on the affiliate’s legacy of defending the Constitution, with the new charge of refracting that work through the lens of racial justice.  The priorities of the ACLU of Louisiana include ending mass incarceration, defending the rights of the asylum seekers and vulnerable immigrant communities, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, preserving the right to vote, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, and the right to have an abortion.

For more information about the ACLU of Louisiana, please visit our website at https://www.laaclu.org/.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana (ACLU-LA) seeks a leader who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment to join our dynamic team. The Staff Attorney is a member of ACLU-LA’s Legal Department and will report to the Legal Director. In addition, the Staff Attorney will manage an array of civil rights and civil liberties cases centered around our initiative or achieving racial and gender justice. 

Reporting to the Legal Director, the Staff Attorney, will be accountable for performing duties which include:

RESPONSIBILITIES

Justice Lab

• Designing Phase 2 of the Justice Lab program by working with staff data analyst and analyzing and drafting a report about the strengths and weaknesses of the Phase 1 campaign with recommendations for Phase 2, including (i) departments on which to focus; and (ii) the number of cases to bring and the priority issue areas for each of those cases, including the limited number and types of Monell claims on which to focus (“Phase 2 Report”).
• Spearheading and supervising the launch of the Phase 2 intake process in accordance with the Intake and Storytelling Guide and updating the Guide as necessary based on the Phase 2 Report.
• Supervising and tracking assignment of intake to volunteers, legal externs or interns, and Justice Lab staff.
• Reviewing intake memos and assigning investigations to Justice Lab staff and partner teams or storytelling to intake volunteers in accordance with the priorities identified in the Phase 2 Report, the Intake and Storytelling Guide, and the Investigation and Litigation Guide.
• Reviewing and commenting on legal recommendation memorandum from investigation teams and assessing next steps, including finalizing recommendation for rejecting or recommending litigation.  Joining investigation team to relay news to the prospective litigation client and ensuring client has access to follow-on resources in the event litigation is not recommended.
• Playing quality control role in ensuring that Justice Lab specific guides and materials, including MOCHA, Litigation Map, and all MyCase files, are updated in accordance with the Case Management and Database Protocol.
• Liaising with Justice Lab litigation teams on clients’ criminal cases and representing and/or assisting criminal defense attorneys in representation to prevent or limit impact of any potential Heck bar.
• Ensuring all Justice Lab case teams are appropriately staffed and troubleshooting as necessary to ensure Justice Lab docket is appropriately balanced among Justice Lab staff.

Impact Litigation Docket

• Soliciting ACLU National’s direct involvement in litigating cases that fall outside the scope of policing or immigration. 
• Developing partnerships with National organizations other than ACLU if there is a core issue that affiliate deems worthy of litigation but that National turns down. 
• Setting up and maintaining tracking mechanism (i.e., Litigation Map) associated with intake, investigations, and litigation for impact docket.
• Liaising and co-counseling with ACLU National on cases for which it seeks to spearhead litigation in the State.  This responsibility includes conferring with ACLU National Projects on work in Louisiana and attending all intake calls and meetings with National Project Staff if they express interest in taking on a case even if the affiliate does not have capacity to fully litigate the issue. 
• Attending all scheduled coalition and client calls and traveling as necessary to meet with both prospective and current clients. 
• Developing and executing novel legal strategies (both procedural and substantive) in consultation and coordination with the Legal Director, the National ACLU, and co-counsel, staying abreast of all pertinent and relevant case law, actively and productively engaging in co-counseling and client relationships, and tracking case progress and deadlines to ensure all relevant deadlines are met.
• On cases in which the ACLU of Louisiana is operating as co-counsel but not lead counsel, providing edits and comments on complaints, briefs, and other legal filings and substantively contributing to same by actively drafting sections of legal filings, taking and defending of depositions and taking the direct and cross-examination of witnesses at trial. 
• On cases in which the ACLU of Louisiana is operating as lead counsel, supervising and, as necessary, directing litigation, including complaint drafting, all aspects of discovery, motion practice, evidentiary hearings, depositions, identifying and liaising with potential amici, identifying and liaising with potential experts, and drafting briefs in trial and appellate courts.
• Maintaining direct line contact with opposing counsel and filing all relevant pleadings on court docket as Louisiana-barred counsel and sponsoring all necessary pro hac vice motions filed.
• Liaise with ACLU affiliate colleagues, seeking insight and guidance into issue areas with which they already have expertise.
• Collaborate with law student legal research volunteers at partner law schools as appropriate and when legal research demands exceed extern and internship class capacity.
• Supervise interns and volunteers, including law students and others.

• Working collaboratively with affiliate by keeping it apprised on the progress of all impact litigation with which the affiliate is involved at monthly staff meetings.
• Must be willing to work flexible and non-traditional hours as needed and required by exigencies of the work. 
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes 
• Demonstrate a 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 regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts. 

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• J.D. and admission to the Louisiana Bar, or for an exceptional candidate, admission within one year of hire;
• A minimum of 5 years of litigation experience at the state and federal court levels, with a strong background in criminal justice, constitutional, voting or other civil rights litigation;
• Considerable experience litigating in federal courts, with strong preference for experience in civil liberties cases. 
• A deep and demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights, and strong support for the goals of the ACLU;
• Excellent research, writing, oral, advocacy, and analytical skills;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Strong self-motivation and capable of complex analytic work; and
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively.
• Willing to relocate to the New Orleans, Louisiana area

Leading applicants will have:

• Experience litigating in federal courts;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of constitutional law and civil liberties issues;
• Experience working with diverse communities, clients and coalition partners.

ABOUT THE AFFILIATE

The ACLU of Louisiana is the local affiliate of the National ACLU.  Founded in 1956 with a growing staff of twelve, we are poised for growth and expansion.  The Executive Director, Alanah Odoms carries on the affiliate’s legacy of defending the Constitution, with the new charge of refracting that work through the lens of racial justice.  The priorities of the ACLU of Louisiana include ending mass incarceration, defending the rights of the asylum seekers and vulnerable immigrant communities, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, preserving the right to vote, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, and the right to have an abortion.

For more information about the ACLU of Louisiana, please visit their website at https://www.laaclu.org/

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.

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. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail careers@laaclu.org.  If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Please follow the link here on BambooHR to apply.