The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLUF-SDIC) seeks a Racial and Economic Justice Staff Attorney.

As part of the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team, the Racial and Economic Justice Staff Attorney will help to design, coordinate, and implement strategic litigation and integrated advocacy that challenges inequities in the education system and the criminalization of poverty, particularly of unhoused communities. This role is for a self-starter that likes to develop and implement strategy and is comfortable with having management responsibilities. The ACLUF-SDIC is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) civil liberties and civil rights organization. working to advance equality, freedom and justice through public education and litigation. Together with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that does our legislative lobbying work, we are a prominent force for the protection and expansion of fundamental rights in California’s second-most populous county (San Diego) and the county with the highest per capita Latina/o population (Imperial). While there are more than 50 ACLU affiliates nationwide, our work covers the length of California’s border with Mexico. We work collaboratively with the National ACLU and with ACLU affiliates in California, on the U.S-Mexico border and throughout the United States. In addition, we value partnerships and collaboration with community organizations and groups across the state and throughout the binational border region. The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties (known collectively as ACLU-SDIC) have a proven track record of success combining impact litigation, policy advocacy, legislation, research and analysis, public education, strategic communications and community organizing to achieve meaningful social change. We are dedicated to confronting issues that threaten our most cherished civil rights and freedoms and defending the progress the ACLU has made over its 100-year history. Deciding to apply for any position is an investment of your time and energy. We are providing the detail below to help you decide if exploring this opportunity feels right to you. To learn more about us and have a small peek into our organizational work, please watch the videos linked below.

Videos: Why we do this work | Hope for the Future

Position Summary:

The Racial and Economic Justice Staff Attorney will be responsible for participating in the development and management of litigation on equity issues, including educational equity and housing justice, in partnership with the community, as well as supervision of legal fellows and interns as needed.

The Racial and Economic Justice Staff Attorney is responsible for investigating, analyzing, and addressing issues related to education and housing justice in San Diego & Imperial Counties that may be caused by violations of legal and policy protections and/or prevented by improvements in those protections. Working within the affiliate’s Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team and in collaboration with the statewide ACLU of California Racial and Economic Justice Issue Teams, the attorney will work to devise and implement strategies to address problems through legal advocacy and litigation, policy reform and implementation, community education, and strategic communications.

The Racial and Economic Justice Staff Attorney will be in the Advocacy and Legal Department and supervised by the Advocacy and Legal Director with the Managing Legal Director providing supervision on litigation matters.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The ACLU SDIC’s “integrated advocacy” model unites legal advocacy, policy advocacy, organizing, communication strategies and base building for maximum impact. In keeping with that approach, the Staff Attorney will work on cases, advocacy projects, public education, and campaigns. The attorney’s responsibilities will be the following:

1. Working with the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team, Managing Legal Director and impacted communities identify, research, develop, and pursue legal and policy initiatives consistent with affiliate priorities developed through the Issue Teams;
2. Provide legal and policy expertise on issues related to education equity and housing justice issues, including by:
3. Researching, drafting, or editing legal advocacy letters, amicus briefs, legislation, regulatory comments, reports, policy briefs and coalition sign-on letters;
4. Participating in legislative briefings and meetings with federal, state, and local government officials; contributing legal analysis and support to designated legal, policy, organizing, communications, or development work of the affiliate as appropriate; and
5. Conducting legal and policy research to support the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team;
6. Investigate, monitor, and advocate for local and federal compliance with existing legal and policy requirements, and identify and develop strategies and novel legal claims to challenge police practices under state and federal law, investigating practices of various agencies for potential litigation and/or advocacy work, and identifying opportunities to leverage impact litigation to catalyze policy efforts in local communities;
7. Research and maintain up-to-date awareness of current tactics and trends related to your work, and communicate those tactics and trends as appropriate to the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team and appropriate affiliate staff as well as across the ACLU state and national organizational structure;
8. Participate in strategic litigation and direct service representation as necessary or appropriate, consistent with priorities developed by the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Issue Team and under the supervision of the Managing Legal Director;
9. Provide technical support and strategic leadership and support to community partners, allies, stakeholders, and coalitions in the region, and build and nurture relationships by participating in regular meetings with community leaders and members and pursuing shared advocacy goals with them;
10. Draft content for “Know Your Rights” materials, op-eds, blog posts, and other media regarding education and housing justice, and participate in community outreach, education, and public speaking on issues impacting the Advancing Racial and Economic Justice issue area;
11. Supervise investigators, interns or fellows as needed, and support summer intern hiring.

Our Must Haves:

1. Commitment to racial justice and civil liberties principles;
2. Current attorney with proven litigation experience in state and/or federal court.
3. Applicants must have excellent research, writing, analytic, interpersonal, communication, and time-management skills, as well as patience, emotional intelligence and cultural competency. Applicants must be able to occasionally work evenings and weekends, and travel as needed inside or outside the U.S.
4. Strong candidates will have demonstrated experience using advocacy, community engagement, and litigation as part of a creative response to civil rights violations in affected communities; relevant experience working on issues related to the educational and/or housing systems; and be a flexible team player but also comfortable working independently and taking initiative.
5. Must be admitted to the California Bar and in good standing.

Cultural Competencies:

Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences including record of arrest or conviction. Courage and impeccable integrity.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to exchange accurate information, detect/identify documents and the information contained in them, move between areas in and out of the office to complete their role. The employee may need to move various equipment including computer to their work location.

Hybrid Working:

The ACLUF-SDIC is headquartered in San Diego, California, though employees have hybrid schedules that allow for remote work.

Travel Requirements: