Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney

The ACLU Voting Rights Project

The ACLU seeks a full-time Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney in the Voting Rights Project at the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Washington, D.C. This hybrid role requires two (2) in-office days per week or eight (8) days per month.

Established in 1965, the Voting Rights Project (VRP) has worked to protect the gains in political participation won by voters of color since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA). Since its inception, the VRP has litigated hundreds of voting rights cases and aggressively challenged efforts to suppress voting or dilute minority voting strength.

Mission and Impact

The ACLU Voting Rights Project was founded in the same year as the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) and has since litigated over 350 cases. Its mission is to build and defend an accessible, inclusive, and equitable democracy free from racial discrimination.

Core Principles:

1. All Americans should be eligible to vote.
2. Voting should be free and easy.
3. All people should count equally.

The Project uses an integrated advocacy approach, combining legislative advocacy, public education, and litigation. It currently has active cases in over a dozen states and has recently pursued high-profile lawsuits, including:

• Department of Commerce v. New York: Successfully challenged the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
• Trump v. New York: Opposed the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the population count for apportioning the House of Representatives.
• Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP (2023): Challenged South Carolina’s congressional map as racially gerrymandered.
• Allen v. Milligan (2023): Successfully contested Alabama’s congressional map for diluting Black voting power under Section 2 of the VRA.

The ACLU Voting Rights Project continues to litigate cases nationwide, addressing voter suppression and minority vote dilution.

What You’ll Do

As a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, reporting to the Project Director or Deputy Project Directors, you will:

• Litigation:
  • Participate in constitutional and statutory cases on voting rights issues.
  • Research and draft pleadings, briefs, and legal memoranda.
  • Engage in discovery, motion practice, evidentiary hearings, and oral arguments.
• Advocacy and Education:
  • Analyze legislation for potential litigation.
  • Develop new cases and advocacy projects.
  • Identify and work with potential plaintiffs and witnesses.
  • Collaborate with ACLU state affiliates.
  • Provide technical assistance and legal advice to cooperating attorneys.
  • Advance ACLU policy goals through public education and coalition participation.
• Collaboration and Outreach:
  • Work with staff across ACLU departments and state affiliates.
  • Travel as needed for litigation, conferences, and client development.

What You’ll Bring

• Requirements:
  • J.D. degree with bar membership in New York or Washington, D.C.
  • Litigation experience (including clerkships or fellowships).
  • Demonstrated commitment to voting rights and racial justice.
  • Strong analytical, legal research, and writing skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Compensation

The ACLU’s litigator scale determines salaries based on years since law school graduation:

• 0-2 years: $89,250-$111,491
• 3-5 years: $124,873-$147,324
• 6-10 years: $154,069-$173,808
• 11-15 years: $177,058-$187,108
• 16-20 years: $188,874-$193,738
• 21-25 years: $194,719-$198,708
• 26-30+ years: $199,666-$203,553

Salaries reflect New York, NY rates and may be adjusted for other locations.

Why the ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has defended individual rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. From ending mass incarceration to defending voting rights, the ACLU tackles the toughest civil liberties issues.

Benefits Include:

• Generous paid time off.
• Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, vision).
• Parental leave, gender-affirming care, and fertility treatment.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Annual professional development funds.

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The ACLU is committed to creating a culture of belonging and fostering meaningful change through anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism practices.

We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

For accommodations during the application or interview process, please email [email protected].

Learn more here