Employment Status: Full-Time, limited term (2 years)

Supervisory Role: No

Bargaining Unit Member: Yes

Organization Department: Legal

Reports to Position: Legal Director

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000

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Summary/Objective

Under the supervision of the Legal Director, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for investigating, researching, developing, and pursuing civil liberties and civil rights impact litigation across the entire range of civil rights and liberties issues. The attorney will litigate individual and class action cases raising constitutional, statutory, and common law claims. The Staff Attorney will litigate D.C. and federal courts, at trial and appellate levels, through direct representation and the filing of amicus briefs. The Staff Attorney should have the ability to exercise sound judgment in litigation strategy and impact-litigation case selection, usually operating as part of a team but occasionally operating independently. The Staff Attorney will collaborate with staff in other departments to set goals and implement strategies that advance ACLU-DC priorities.

Among the matters currently on our docket are: representing Black Lives Matter-DC and individual activists in challenging the attack by federal and local law enforcement on civil rights demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020; a challenge to the D.C. government’s practice of warehousing children who have been adjudicated delinquent in a jail-like detention facility instead of promptly transferring them to the rehabilitative placements to which they are entitled by law; a lawsuit seeking to reform the District’s practice of sending police and not trained mental health professionals to respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises; the representation of two D.C. agency workers who faced discrimination based on their family responsibilities (child care) in the application of remote work policies; a challenge to the D.C. police department’s practice of retaining arrestees’ cell phones for months or years after the owners are released or charges are dropped; a hostile work environment case on behalf of a D.C. Jail officer subjected to harassment and abuse based on his sexual orientation; and eleven cases against policies and practices of the second Trump administration—six regarding immigration, two on trans rights, one voting rights, one about family planning funding, and a series of administrative complaints about the purge of federal workers associated with DEI.

This is a limited-term role with funding for 2 year(s), with the possibility for extensions depending on a variety of factors including but not limited to budget and organizational workload.

This position is a member of the ACLU-DC staff bargaining unit represented by the Washington Baltimore News Guild and is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. For the purposes of classifying this position within the unit, this is a temporary position.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Legal

• Investigate, develop, and litigate civil liberties and civil rights cases in D.C. and federal court, including interviewing prospective clients, conducting factual and legal research, writing demand letters, writing pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, negotiating settlements, trying cases, presenting oral argument, and writing appellate and amicus briefs.
• Participate in ACLU-DC case selection process and case strategy discussions.
• Maintain ACLU-DC legal and litigation files, intake database, and other legal program administrative files.

Policy, Communications, and Community Outreach

• Represent the ACLU-DC publicly through speaking engagements, media interviews, and community engagement (such as know-your-rights presentations and building connections with community leaders), as needed.
• Advise the Policy Department on legislative matters, as needed.
• Assist in developing communication materials, including press releases, op-eds, articles, blog posts, and social media assets, as needed.

Administration, Coordination and Support

• Supervise law students, interns, and volunteer attorneys as needed.
• Participate in hiring teams for new legal and non-legal staff as needed.
• Assist with all program activities as needed, keep Legal and Executive Directors adequately informed of work.

Education and Experience

Required

• Juris doctor from an accredited law school.
• Member of the District of Columbia Bar or must pass next D.C. Bar Examination or obtain D.C. Bar licensure promptly through reciprocity.
• 3-5 years of experience as a full-time attorney (counting fellowships and clerkships)
• At least 2 years of experience as a full-time litigator.

Preferred

• Experience litigating complex constitutional civil rights matters.
• Non-profit experience.
• Experience working and communicating with marginalized or vulnerable communities.
• Clerkship experience.

Competencies

• Broad substantive knowledge of constitutional law and civil rights.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to people of different backgrounds and levels of training or education.
• Ability to interview and work with clients, potential clients, and witnesses.
• Excellent writing skills.
• A personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, sex, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance.
• Commitment to and working knowledge of civil liberties, civil rights, and the mission of the ACLU.
• Ability to work with diverse coalitions and community groups, work across the political spectrum, and value differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstance.
• Ability to juggle and prioritize many concurrent tasks at once, manage a high-volume workload, adapt quickly to changing organizational priorities, and meet moving deadlines.
• Ability to take initiative, problem-solve, multi-task, and work independently.
• Personal enthusiasm, optimism, and a sense of humor.
• Ability to work long hours and weekends when needed.
• Ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with lawyers, organizers, other staff members, and with diverse community organizations and coalitions.
• Familiarity with District of Columbia.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position does not supervise permanent employees.
• This position may supervise interns and volunteers as needed.

Work Environment

• Organization is currently in a hybrid remote work environment.
• The on-site environment is a professional office.

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Frequent written and verbal communication.
• Frequent and extended periods of standing and sitting.
• Visual activity for extensive reading, preparing, analyzing information, and viewing a computer terminal.

Travel Required

• Occasional travel and flexibility to work outside standard hours, including evenings and weekends, may be required.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance Requirements

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Diversity & Equal Opportunity Statement

The ACLU of the District of Columbia is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to maximizing our team’s diversity and want to involve all those who can contribute to our inclusive culture. We support all qualified individuals within our workforce without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to supporting persons with disabilities in their work and encourage their request for needed job accommodations.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Hiring Process

We are committed to a thorough and transparent hiring process designed to ensure the best fit for both our organization and potential team members. If you have a disability and need accommodation regarding any part of the application process, please contact us at [email protected].

To Apply

The deadline for applying is 11:59pm Eastern time on Wednesday, November 5, 2025; nonetheless, due to the pace of the search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To complete the application, you will need to upload:

1. A resume that lists relevant experience and education
2. A cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position.
3. A writing sample that is your own work, with a brief explanatory note describing the extent of others’ involvement (e.g. “I wrote this draft entirely myself with no input” or “This is a second draft based on feedback from a supervisor but it’s all my own writing” or the like). This sample should be no more than 10 pages, and may be a section of a larger document (with a note explaining the context if it’s unclear from the sample alone). The most useful samples are litigation-related documents containing legal analysis or argument, such as briefs or research memos about potential litigation. Legal academic articles and complaints are less useful.
4. A list of three references, including a sentence about each one identifying what information the person can provide. At least one of your references should be a practicing attorney.

Applications without all of the above will not be considered. Please apply through https://acludc.bamboohr.com/careers/51.