Position Overview

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia (ACLUF-GA) seeks to hire a full-time, Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney (title dependent on experience of the hired applicant) to work out of our office in Atlanta. ACLUF-GA is the state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. Our mission is to preserve and expand the individual rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, the Georgia Constitution, and related federal and state civil rights laws.

The Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney works under the Legal Director’s supervision and in close collaboration with the legal department, law student interns, attorneys who are co-counsel on ACLU of Georgia cases, and attorneys from the National ACLU office. The Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney also works closely with staff from other departments, including the communications department and the political and advocacy department.

The Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney must be prepared to litigate a variety of civil rights and civil liberties issues, with a likely focus on voting rights. They will be able and willing—with minimal guidance and supervision—to research and learn complex legal issues and quickly put together high-quality legal filings, sometimes on short notice in response to late-breaking events. The successful candidate will move fluidly from the courtroom to the community and will be able to work with diverse allies and coalitions to achieve our ambitious goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Investigate and develop civil rights and civil liberties litigation and non-litigation advocacy, potentially with limited supervision. This includes conducting factual and legal research; drafting pleadings and briefs; leading or helping to lead large litigation teams; interfacing and building relationships with clients, witnesses, and experts; writing demand letters; conducting discovery; advocating and arguing in court; and negotiating settlements.
Respond quickly to late-breaking events, master new areas of law in a short amount of time, and otherwise work in a fast-paced environment.
Take risks and develop creative approaches to litigation or legal arguments regardless of whether they have been previously attempted.
Communicate with government attorneys or other government officials in attempts to resolve civil rights and civil liberties issues in an amicable and practical manner without resorting to litigation.
Provide legal research and analysis on legislative proposals and public education materials.
Collaborate with staff across the organization, including within the ACLU of Georgia’s legal department, communications department, political advocacy department, and with staff from the National ACLU office.
Engage in public speaking, including media interviews and panel presentations, and articulate ACLU of Georgia’s views and legal actions to a variety of audiences.
Recruit and supervise legal interns (together with other Staff Attorneys).
Other duties as needed.

Qualifications

J.D. degree.
Membership in good standing with the Georgia Bar or eligibility for admission on motion to the Georgia Bar. We are also open to considering applicants who must take the Georgia Bar exam.
Minimum of two years of litigation and/or clerkship experience.
Familiarity with voting rights, racial justice, and other civil liberties and civil rights issues is preferred; commitment to those issues is essential.

Demonstrated ability to write and to speak clearly and persuasively.
Diligent and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure.
Ability to both work independently and to work with a wide range of people and foster a team environment.
Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts.

Demonstrated commitment to diversity using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance. This includes having a mature understanding of how structural racism, sexism, and prejudice against all kinds of marginalized communities pervade our society.
Willingness to occasionally travel and to, when needed, work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Compensation

The ACLU Foundation of Georgia offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLUF-GA’s compensation scale. The anticipated salary range for this position is $75,000-$110,000, depending on experience. Excellent benefits include paid vacation, sick time, and holidays; medical, vision, and dental insurance; Flexible Spending Account; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) Defined Contribution Retirement.

To Apply:

Applications should include a cover letter, resume, and a relevant legal writing sample (no more than 10 pages) to jobs@acluga.org. To facilitate our review, your emails should have the subject line: “[Your last name] Staff Attorney Application.” We will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

This job announcement provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLUF-GA reserves the right to change the description and/or posting without advance notice.

The ACLU Foundation of Georgia is an equal opportunity / fair chance employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLUF-GA 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 or record of arrest or conviction. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: info@acluga.org.

#LI-DNI

Apply for this Job

* Required

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Resume/CV *

Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

Cover Letter *

Google Drive

(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)

LinkedIn Profile

Website

If you chose 'A race or ethnicity not listed,' please let us know how you self-identify:

______________________________________________________________

Gender

If you chose 'A gender not listed,' please let us know how you self-identify:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are committed to equal opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. To help us measure how well we are doing, we are asking you to tell us if you have a disability or if you ever had a disability. Completing this form is voluntary, but we hope that you will choose to fill it out. If you are applying for a job, any answer you give will be kept private and will not be used against you in any way.

If you already work for us, your answer will not be used against you in any way. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we are required to ask all of our employees to update their information every five years. You may voluntarily self-identify as having a disability on this form without fear of any punishment because you did not identify as having a disability earlier.

How do I know if I have a disability?

You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.

Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Blindness
Deafness
Cancer
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Autism
Cerebral palsy
HIV/AIDS
Schizophrenia
Muscular dystrophy
Bipolar disorder
Major depression
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair
Intellectual disability (previously called mental retardation)

Disability Status:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Veteran Status

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Significant Disability Status

Disability diversity in the workplace includes people with significant disabilities. A “significant disability” is one that is associated with particularly low employment rates. The federal government has recognized that individuals with certain disabilities, particularly manifest disabilities, face barriers to employment above and beyond the barriers faced by people with the broader range of disabilities. See Questions and Answers: The EEOC's Final Rule on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities in Federal Employment, (https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/qanda-ada-disabilities-final-rule.cfm). The ACLU’s affirmative action plan for people with disabilities includes an overall goal for people with a broad range of disabilities, and a “subgoal” for people with significant disabilities.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ The following demographic questions are optional. They are used to help us better understand our applicant pool and to continually improve our outreach and recruitment efforts. Individuals seeking employment at the ACLU are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Race and/or Ethnicity

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in ACLU - Affiliate Offices’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Gender

Are you Hispanic/Latino?

Please identify your race

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

Veteran Status

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Our system has flagged this application as potentially being associated with bot traffic. Please turn off any VPNs, clear your browser cache and cookies, or try submitting your application in a different browser. If this issue persists, please reach out to our support team via our help center.

Please complete the reCAPTCHA above.