Description
Position(s): Senior Staff Attorney
Department: Legal
Terms of Employment: Permanent Part-Time/Exempt/Local 2320 Union Position (Approximately 20-25 hours per week) NYCLU staff are currently working in a hybrid model. A number of in-person days will be required.
Location: New York Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad Street, NY, NY 10004
Salary: Subject to the NYCLU’s attorney salary scale, which is based on years of legal experience (current full-time starting salary for a lawyer with 6 years of experience is $118,000 and will be prorated according to hours worked).
Application Deadline: September 7, 2026 (Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and will be considered until hiring is complete).
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951, as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with more than 90,000 members and supporters, and eight offices statewide. We work in the courts, in the legislatures and on the streets to advocate for racial and economic justice, free speech, freedom of religion, privacy and equality before the law for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit our website: www.nyclu.org.
DEI VISION STATEMENT
The NYCLU is committed to building an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist workplace that centers the voices of marginalized and directly impacted communities. This commitment strengthens our mission to protect civil liberties and advance justice across New York. We welcome candidates of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and others whose experiences reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
The NYCLU seeks a senior staff attorney (6 or more years of legal experience) to manage pro bono relationships and intake in the NYCLU’s legal department developing relationships with pro bono partners to assist NYCLU clients and take on matters in conjunction with the NYCLU; coordinating with NYCLU staff to identify firms to staff specific projects; and identifying pathways to expand the program. The senior staff attorney will also be responsible for coordinating the intake program, including by managing the team that responds to members of the public seeking assistance, referrals, and/or resources. Pro bono and intake matters will involve the full range of NYCLU work, including challenging institutional and systemic racism that undermines civil rights and civil liberties, immigrants’ rights, government transparency, free expression, equal protection, reproductive justice, criminal legal system, detention, the rights of LGBTQ communities and gender equity, police misconduct, student rights, and privacy.
This position is a part-time position of approximately 20-25 hours per week.
The NYCLU’s Legal department is comprised of seventeen lawyers, a director of legal operations, an investigator, two paralegals, a data research analyst, and a legal assistant. Legal Department staff work on a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts and in administrative tribunals. They also support the legislative, advocacy, communications, and field work of the NYCLU.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop relationships with pro-bono partners and networks.
- Consult with attorneys and staff across the NYCLU on pro-bono matters.
- Draft and prepare pitches for pro bono projects; follow up on engagements to ensure successful completion.
- Manage intake team of volunteers and non-litigators evaluating and following up on requests from the public for assistance, resources, or referrals.
- Prepare demand letters and/or Freedom of Information Law and Freedom of Information Act requests where appropriate.
- Consult with attorneys and staff on intake matters and referrals.
- Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues in the form of speaking engagements and published writings.
- Collaborate with leaders and staff across the NYCLU— including the Education Policy Center, Racial Justice Center, Policy, Communications, and Field Departments —to ensure that the NYCLU has an integrated approach to address injustice.
- Supervise and mentor law students as part of the NYCLU summer-intern program and contribute to the professional development of other members of the legal department.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Excellent writing, research, analytical, and communication skills.
- Six or more years of legal experience, with a preference for significant public-interest litigation experience.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically and advocate effectively, including an ability to coordinate with teams working on public-interest litigation or advocacy.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse public-interest setting and to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
- Demonstrated commitment to the goals and priorities of the NYCLU.
- Prior experience with civil rights or constitutional law is a significant plus.
- Admission to the New York Bar.
- Fluency in Spanish is a plus.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and cover letter that includes your unique qualifications for this position, where or how you learned of this job posting, and a recent writing sample that is wholly your own unedited work (submit a brief, motion, or memorandum of law, not to exceed 10 pages) via https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/4381591/New-York-Civil-Liberties-Union-Foundation/Pro-Bono-and-Intake-Senior-Attorney
If feasible, please submit these materials as a single PDF. Given the number of applications received, NYCLU will only contact applicants selected for an interview.
The NYCLU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the population that we serve.
The NYCLU 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 ldecicco@nyclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.
This position may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
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