Staff Attorney (New York Statewide)

## Description

### Position
Staff Attorney

### Department
Racial Justice Center

### Terms of Employment
Regular Full-Time / Exempt / Local 2320 Union
(NYCLU staff currently work in a hybrid model; a minimum of two days in-office each week, in addition to other in-person work requirements such as legislative visits, community events, and court appearances.)

### Location(s)
55 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 / New York Statewide

### Salary
$92,000 – $111,000
(Current starting salary for a lawyer with 2 years of experience is $92,000; for 6 years, $111,000, in accordance with the Attorney Pay Scale.)

### Application Deadline
Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

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The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation’s leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not‑for‑profit, nonpartisan organization with more than 90,000 members and supporters, and eight offices statewide. We work in the courts, in the legislatures, and on the streets to advocate for racial and economic justice, free speech, freedom of religion, privacy, and equality before the law for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit [www.nyclu.org](http://www.nyclu.org).

The Racial Justice Center (RJC) was established in 2023 to expand and deepen the NYCLU’s racial justice portfolio. The RJC collaborates closely with NYCLU departments and centers across all organizational priorities. The RJC also leads its own advocacy, legislation, and litigation docket, with a primary focus on environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and restorative efforts.

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## DEI Vision Statement

The NYCLU is committed to building an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist workplace that centers the voices of marginalized and directly impacted communities. This commitment strengthens our mission to protect civil liberties and advance justice across New York. We welcome candidates of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and others whose experiences reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

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## Summary Description

The NYCLU seeks an experienced, innovative, and dynamic racial justice legal expert who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced organization. The candidate should be able to skillfully implement and support the NYCLU’s interdepartmental approach to racial justice and broad docket of civil rights and civil liberties issues. This position will play a key role in executing the Racial Justice Center’s strategic priorities.

The staff attorney will focus on the intersectionality of racial justice with NYCLU priority areas, such as environmental racism and its impacts on school-aged children, Indigenous rights, and restorative justice matters including racial disparities in education. The attorney will use a range of strategies to advance racial justice in New York State, including legal research, identifying legislative priorities and threats, joining and initiating litigation, and civic engagement such as submitting public comments, testifying at hearings, Know Your Rights education, movement lawyering, coalition development, and strategic communications.

This position is situated in the NYCLU’s Racial Justice Center and reports directly to the Racial Justice Center Director.

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## Roles & Responsibilities

• Community-centered legal advocacy that enables impacted communities to meaningfully participate in solution-driven campaigns.
• Independently review state and local legislation and engage in related legislative advocacy and lobbying aligned with RJC strategic priorities.
• Conduct pre-litigation analysis, including evaluating and following up on intakes; conducting factual investigations and legal analyses; utilizing the Freedom of Information Law; and drafting demand letters.
• Collaborate closely with the NYCLU Legal Department on developing RJC litigation strategies, including developing claims, preparing pleadings and briefs, conducting discovery and depositions, handling hearings and trials, and arguing motions and appeals.
• Develop and conduct litigation in federal and state courts and administrative forums. All NYCLU attorneys identify potential litigation and advocacy opportunities, prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs; conduct discovery; present oral arguments; and handle appeals.
• Build strong relationships with civil rights advocacy organizations and represent the NYCLU in coalitions and working groups.
• Prepare and deliver testimony at public hearings and draft public comments.
• In collaboration with NYCLU Communications staff, provide expert commentary to the media, participate in media briefings, and contribute to op-eds, blog posts, and other publications.
• Work closely with staff across the NYCLU—including the Education Policy Center, Legal, Policy, and Field Departments, and Regional Offices—to ensure an integrated approach to furthering the RJC’s mission and expanding its issue areas.

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## Qualifications

• At least 3–5 years of relevant experience.
• Must be licensed to practice in New York State.
• Experience with litigation, drafting and amending legislation, legislative advocacy, community engagement, and leading legal priorities.
• Preferred experience with racial justice issues, such as environmental racism, infrastructure equity, land-use laws, restorative principles (e.g., reparations), education equity, and Indigenous rights.
• Significant experience in policy, legal, or government settings; strong familiarity with public and legislative policy and legal procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with organizations representing communities of color, including Black, Latine, AMEMSA, AAPI, and Indigenous communities and/or Tribes.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and communication skills.
• Excellent research, writing, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex legal and policy issues to government decision makers and the general public.
• Ability to work quickly and accurately, managing multiple projects and deliverables under pressure.
• Commitment to supporting the NYCLU’s internal and external work on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Willingness to travel throughout New York State.

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## How to Apply

To be considered for this position, please submit via:
[https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/4095894/New-York-Civil-Liberties-Union-Foundation/Staff-Attorney-New-York-Statewide]

Submit as a single PDF document:
1) A cover letter explaining your interest in the position and describing your qualifications
2) An up-to-date resume
3) A writing sample of your choosing, not to exceed five (5) pages

We strongly prefer writing samples that are recent and entirely or largely your own work. A wide variety of writing samples may be submitted, such as legal briefings or memos, pleadings, excerpts from legal research, public comments, advocacy letters, or creative writing.

The NYCLU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to having a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

The NYCLU 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 [email protected]. If selected for an interview, you will receive additional information on how to request accommodation for the interview process.

This position may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.