The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah seeks to hire a passionate Staff Attorney to join our team. This position will engage in legal advocacy in furtherance of ACLU of Utah priorities in both state and federal courts and will participate in policy advocacy as part of integrated organizational campaigns. The Staff Attorney plays an important role of supporting the legal department’s work with our communications, policy, and campaigns colleagues. As such, an ideal candidate for this position will have prior experience providing legal guidance to non-attorneys in coalitions or other collaborative settings.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
The ACLU of Utah is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage and greatly value applications from women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
Position Overview and Functions:
The Staff Attorney is a highly collaborative team player who will develop and litigate cases in state and federal court and engage in other legal advocacy efforts on a range of civil rights and civil liberties issues. The Staff Attorney will also: assist the ACLU of Utah’s effective response to requests for help through the intake process; work with cooperating attorneys and other legal partners to develop litigation; and advance the mission and work of the ACLU of Utah’s legal advocacy efforts as a whole.
The Staff Attorney is a Full-Time, Salaried, and Exempt position that will work under the supervision of the Legal Director. This position is classified as “For-Cause” after the defined 6-month probationary period as indicated in our affiliate Handbook.
Specifically, the Staff Attorney will:
- Effectively pursue the ACLU of Utah’s strategic priorities and fulfill the Legal Department’s stated goals in furtherance of those priorities through legal advocacy in state and federal courts, including investigating, developing and litigating high-impact cases in furtherance of civil rights and civil liberties priorities, often alongside co-counsel from other firms and organizations.
- Engage in non-litigation legal advocacy efforts for the same purposes, including but not limited to administrative advocacy, legislative analysis, and records requests.
- Assist with legal research, document review, and citation checks for legal filings.
- Assist in the ACLU of Utah’s responses to requests for assistance received through the intake process, which is managed by the Intake Program Manager.
- As directed by the Legal Director, assist other departments in an integrated advocacy approach to further the mission and strategic priorities of the ACLU of Utah.
- As assigned by the Legal Director, assist in public education efforts in collaboration with the Campaigns and Communications teams.
- Consult with other departments of the ACLU of Utah, under the direction of the Legal Director, on organizational priorities.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum qualifications for the position of Staff Attorney are noted below. Individuals with litigation experience—including law school clinics, clerkships, and direct client representation—are preferred and are strongly encouraged to apply.
Staff Attorney: at least one year of civil or criminal litigation experience, including experience taking/defending depositions, participating in evidentiary hearings and/or trials, drafting motions or appeals, and experience engaging in complex discovery.
SALARY & BENEFITS:
The Staff Attorney salary range is $70-75,000 based on experience. Excellent benefits include; paid time off, medical, vision, and dental insurance, and a 401(k) plan with employer matching contribution that vests immediately.
TO APPLY:
Please submit a resume and cover letter in order for your application to be considered.
Application review will begin in April and will continue until the position is filled.
*The ACLU of Utah 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 e-mail HR at [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.