Description:
About the Job:The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative of the ACLU's National office in New York, NY or Washington, DC. This position may be eligible for remote work in the United States. If hybrid, there is an in-office requirement of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. This is a term-limited position with an end date of December 31, 2027. The position has an ideal start date of January 2026.
The Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative (ACDI) is a first-of-its-kind program of the ACLU to confront the criminalization of abortion care in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. The ACDI team manages a network of experienced criminal defenders nationwide who are trusted partners, ready to represent people at risk of abortion-related criminal investigations and prosecutions. ACDI attorneys provide legal, strategic, and logistical assistance to support local counsel and drive a nationwide, coordinated defense response against the criminalization of reproductive healthcare. In addition, ACDI attorneys collaborate closely with other projects in the ACLU's national office as well as ACLU affiliates to lead advocacy and litigation to mitigate the harms of abortion criminalization and expand access to abortion care. The ACDI is situated between the ACLU's Trone Center for Justice and Equality and the Reproductive Freedom Project.
We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by November 21, 2025.
This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).
What You'll Do:
Reporting to the Director of the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will be focused on two related goals: (1) partnering with local defense counsel to represent people facing abortion related prosecution or investigation threats; (2) identifying opportunities and assisting in implementation of affirmative advocacy and litigation strategies to reduce the harms of laws that criminalize abortion access. In addition to partnering with local criminal defense attorneys, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will work closely with attorneys in the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project and other advocates in the Reproductive Rights and Justice movement. This role will include driving coordination between legal teams for clients facing multiple criminal and civil threats related to abortion. It may also include working with stakeholders and decision-makers, for example, with state attorneys general and governors, to fight against abortion criminalization harms.
Your Day to Day:
- Litigate complex and sometimes fast-paced cases in federal and state courts and at trial and appellate levels, as co-counsel or legal consultant
- Provide strategic and legal support to criminal defense attorneys representing those involved in abortion care, including advising on novel questions of constitutional and statutory law
- Identify strategic opportunities for affirmative litigation and policy advocacy to reduce the harm of laws that criminalize abortion access
- Assist in design, planning, and execution of ACDI trainings and public education efforts
- Engage in public communications about abortion criminalization
- Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials
- Support strategic collaboration and coordination across other ACLU projects, ACLU's state affiliates, and other partners engaged in criminal defense support of those involved in abortion care.
- Assist in identifying opportunities for and advancing advocacy to limit the harm of laws that criminalize abortion and advance protections for those accessing care through strategic litigation
- Analyze legislation to assist advocacy staff including to identify legal concerns
- Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
- Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
- Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
- Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts
- J.D. degree with extensive legal experience, including criminal defense experience; applicants with significantly more experience are encouraged to apply
- If hired for remote work, admission to the bar of the state of residence. If not remote, currently admitted to the New York Bar or District of Columbia bar.
- Significant experience engaging in complex litigation and courtroom advocacy
- Significant experience with client-centered advocacy and criminal defense
- Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team, including with numerous co-counsel or partner counsel teams
- Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks, and to lead and see projects through to completion
Compensation:
The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances)
- 0-2 years since law school graduation: $92,374-$115,393
- 3-5 years since law school graduation: $129,244-$152,480
- 6-10 years since law school graduation: $159,461- $179,891
- 11-15 years since law school graduation: $183,255-$193,657
- 16-20 years since law school graduation: $195,485-$200,519
- 21-25 years since law school graduation: $201,534-$205,663
- 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $206,654- $210,677
For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf
Why The ACLU
For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it's ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.
We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.
At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:
- Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
- Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
- Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
- We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops
Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we're in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People' means all of us.
With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage 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 and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
The ACLU 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 email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional informati
