Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel for the Supreme Court Docket in the Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, or Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications received by March 13, 2026.

The ACLU runs one of the country’s most active Supreme Court practices. The ACLU’s National Legal Director is responsible for all ACLU filings in the Supreme Court of the United States, by both the National ACLU and its 54 state affiliates. The ACLU frequently represents parties in matters on the Supreme Court’s certiorari, merits, and emergency dockets, and also frequently files friend-of-the-Court briefs. In recent years, the ACLU’s Supreme Court docket has grown substantially. For example, the ACLU has been counsel for a party in about three to five merits cases and filed approximately ten to fifteen amicus briefs, and has filed or opposed between ten and twenty certiorari petitions each year. Additionally, the ACLU has had 10 matters on the Court’s emergency docket since the end of the Supreme Court’s 2024-25 term.

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

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the National Legal Director, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel will work with the National Legal Director, another Supreme Court docket attorney, the ACLU’s Supreme Court paralegal, other national and affiliate ACLU colleagues, and co-counsel on cases before the Supreme Court. This includes legal research, drafting briefs, coordinating with amici and other partners, overseeing the printing and filing briefs in the Court, helping to prepare for oral arguments, and tracking and strategizing about the ACLU’s Supreme Court work. In addition, the Staff Attorney will be a generalist in the National Legal Department and will assist with other litigation as directed and as time permits.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Participate in ACLU cases and amicus briefs before the Supreme Court in collaboration with the National Legal Director and other ACLU attorneys and co-counsel
• Draft, edit, and file briefs in U.S. Supreme Court on cutting-edge civil rights and civil liberties issues, either as amicus or as counsel for a party
• Participate in moot courts for Supreme Court and other appellate arguments
• Participate in the development and execution of strategies for the ACLU’s engagement in the Supreme Court
• Help coordinate and manage the Supreme Court docket
• Identify cases of constitutional importance in the federal courts of appeals and state high courts
• Engage in public education about the ACLU’s Supreme Court work, including though the ACLU’s website, public speaking, media interviews, and other channels
• Hire and supervise law student interns
• Collaborate with staff across the ACLU, including colleagues in the ACLU’s Legal Department and other departments including the Communications Department, the National Political Advocacy Department, and state affiliates
• Assist other ACLU projects with litigation outside of the Supreme Court docket as time permits

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• 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

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• J.D. degree required; with extensive legal experience strongly preferred
• Appellate experience is required; an appellate clerkship is strongly preferred
• Experience and an interest in constitutional law and civil rights and civil liberties  
• Excellent research, writing and oral advocacy skills
• Strong strategic and organizational skills
• Interest in working collaboratively, ability to work with a wide range of people
• Excellent communicator with strong diplomatic acumen and a commitment to fostering a team environment with both internal and external partners
• Interest and commitment to mentoring interns
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Willingness to travel 
• Admission to the bar of the state in which one will work is required

COMPENSATION

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
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $129,244-$152,480
• 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://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf

WHY THE ACLU

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 our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  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, anti-ableism, 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.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage 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.    

The ACLU 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 you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.