Staff Attorney (Limited Term)

Staff Attorney (Limited Term)

Salary: $104,000

This is a full-time, limited term position.

Location: This position will work on a hybrid basis out of the Detroit or Grand Rapids office and

includes occasional travel. Remote work will also be considered in certain circumstances (see

below).

The ACLU of Michigan is pleased to seek nominations and applications for the position of Staff

Attorney for a limited term through December 2028.

ABOUT THE ACLU OF MICHIGAN

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been at the forefront of every major civil liberties fight in

our country’s history. Whether it’s reducing the prison and jail population, achieving full

equality for the LGBTQ community, reducing immigration detention, or ending unjust laws that strip

people of their fundamental right to vote, we take up the toughest civil liberties issues to defend

all individuals from government abuse and overreach. With ACLU affiliate offices in all 50 states,

Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, we fight tirelessly to defend our rights in the courts,

influence public policy, and empower communities to advance rights for all. The ACLU of Michigan,

founded in 1959, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest organization dedicated to the defense

and expansion of civil liberties and civil rights in Michigan. We are a passionate, highly

motivated group of lawyers, public policy experts, lobbyists, community organizers, communicators

and fundraisers, and we’re looking for exceptional talent to join our team.

The ACLU is deeply committed to racial equity and social justice and is driven to act on these core

values. Applicants must be able to recognize ways our identities intersect and play out in the

work, especially with communities we serve, and must demonstrate the cultural competency to work

with a diverse team and effectively partner with historically marginalized communities.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The ACLU of Michigan seeks a full-time Staff Attorney who has experience investigating, building

and litigating complex cases involving federal government entities. This Staff Attorney will

increase our capacity to push forward our proactive litigation agenda as well as engage in

fast-moving, defensive battles against the Trump administration’s policies and other affronts to

civil rights and civil liberties. Specific areas of focus may include: immigration detention,

voting rights, and federal government overreach more broadly, but may include other advocacy and

litigation as needed.

LOCATION

This position will work on a hybrid basis out of the Detroit or Grand Rapids office at least two

(2) days a week and includes occasional travel. Candidates whose primary residence is located

outside of a reasonable commuting distance of 75 miles from our Detroit or Grand Rapids, Michigan

offices may be considered for remote work arrangements, but must also meet the relevant

qualifications and possess the ability to work independently with remote supervision.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

(1) Legal

• Identify, investigate, develop and litigate high-impact civil rights and civil liberties cases

involving federal government entities or government overreach in federal and state court (if bared

in Michigan or admitted to the Eastern or Western District Courts in Michigan). This includes

identifying and recruiting plaintiffs, conducting factual investigation and legal research,

preparing memoranda, writing demand letters, drafting pleadings and briefs, conducting discovery,

arguing motions, trying cases, negotiating and overseeing implementation of judgments and

settlement agreements, and representing clients in appellate proceedings if necessary.

• Write appellate and amicus curiae briefs.
• Supervise, lead, or staff litigation teams of associated attorneys; co-counsel cases with other

public interest groups and the national ACLU staff.

• Contribute to case selection, formulating legal strategy, and identifying the ACLU’s litigation

priorities.

• Recruit and work successfully with ACLU volunteer attorneys.

(2) Leadership, Public Advocacy and Teamwork

• Respond to interview requests from reporters, write editorials and blogs, and contribute to

social media about cases the staff attorney is involved in.

• Work with ACLU staff to implement integrated advocacy campaigns and high-impact strategies

utilizing the ACLU’s communication, legislative, community organizing and legal programs.

• Engage with coalition partners, policymakers, and community groups working on similar

issues.

• Demonstrate leadership by initiating cases, projects and programs that are sensitive to

community needs, are inclusive, and expand the ACLU’s network of supporters.

(3) Administration, Supervision and Support

• Proactively communicate with all staff so they are well-informed of upcoming hearings, judicial

decisions, and important developments in cases.

• Ensure that the Legal Director and Executive Directors are adequately informed of work. Solicit

direction and input from them appropriately and consistent with professional standards.

• Prepare administrative and grant reports, provide administrative and organizational support as

needed, and adhere to internal systems for attorney recordkeeping and information sharing.

SUPERVISION: The person in this position will report to the Legal Director or another senior member

of the legal department.

QUALIFICATIONS

While we expect any candidate to have learning curves in the role, we are excited to consider

candidates who bring strengths, abilities, and alignment with the ACLU of Michigan’s values in the

following areas:

Legal Expertise: Ideally, the successful candidate will have the following:

• J.D. with significant experience litigating complex cases involving federal government entities.

Eight years of experience or more is preferred.

• Member of the State Bar of Michigan or ability to waive in. If out of state, must be actively

admitted to the bar in at least one

U.S. jurisdiction and in good standing therein.

• A strong understanding of, and demonstrated commitment to, civil liberties, civil rights and the

mission of the ACLU. Experience in non-profit advocacy is a plus.

• Exceptional writing, research, communication and analytical skills are required.
• Demonstrated skills in litigating independently, jointly and under pressure.
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of constitutional law and civil liberties

issues.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with both legal and non-legal

audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with lawyers, other staff

members, and with community organizations and coalitions.

• A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects

differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, religion,

ability and socio-economic circumstance.

• Creative, result-oriented, self-starting, willing to learn, and able to manage an aggressive

schedule, working beyond 9-5 as needed.

• Willingness to travel across the state for litigation, local lawyers committee meetings and

speaking engagements. If not located in Michigan, willingness to travel to Michigan for hearings,

depositions, meetings, etc. as needed.

• Proficiency with computers, Windows and Microsoft Office in particular.

Personal Characteristics: Ideally, the successful candidate will be the following:

• Personally committed to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, goals and programs, with an

understanding of and commitment to the entire range of civil liberties issues and their

implications. Dedicated to building and promoting the ACLU.

• A flexible, reliable, creative and energetic person who can handle and prioritize multiple

activities and responsibilities; a self-starter and finisher.

• A team player, problem-solver and strategic thinker who inspires collaboration and functions

decisively; flexible and well organized.

• Emotionally mature and self-confident, with a sense of humor in order to maintain balance and

perspective.

Note to Potential Candidates: We know that not all strong candidates will have every skill we list.

That’s OK. We still want to hear from you. Research shows that women, non-binary people, and people

of color are less likely to apply for a position if they don’t meet every skill listed. At the ACLU

of Michigan, we believe our collective differences enable us to make better decisions, drive

innovation, and deliver better programmatic results. We are committed to creating a diverse,

inclusive, and equitable state and nation, and we know that begins with us doing the work

ourselves.

COMPENSATION

The ACLU values equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with the ACLU’s compensation

philosophy, there is a set salary for this role. The annual salary for this position is $104,000.

Excellent benefits, including health, vision, and dental insurance and a 401(k)-retirement plan

with matching contributions, an individual professional development budget, and an employee

assistance program are provided. The ACLU also facilitates a wide range of nationwide employee

resource groups.

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