Legal Director

The ACLU of Arizona—a leader in the fight against mass incarceration, discrimination in public education, and threats to LGBTQ equality and immigrants’ rights—is seeking a full-time Legal Director to lead the organization’s legal advocacy in defense of civil rights and liberties. This is a fantastic opportunity for a professional who is passionate about social justice to join Arizona’s premier defender of civil rights and liberties. We are a highly motivated group of attorneys, public policy and legislative advocates, communications experts, community organizers, and fundraisers, and we’re looking for exceptional talent to join our team. 

The ideal candidate will have strong litigation and staff management skills to lead our pro-active, high impact legal program, continue to build our in-house litigation capacity, and collaborate with other departments to develop strategies that make an even greater impact on civil rights and liberties in Arizona.  

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Legal Director provides vision, direction, and support for the ACLU of Arizona’s legal program. Reporting to the Advocacy Director, the Legal Director will lead and expand the ACLU of Arizona’s legal program, including developing and litigating high-impact cases and managing the legal department. The Legal Director will be responsible for setting the overall legal strategy to advance the ACLU of Arizona’s mission, and oversee the management and coordination of our docket, legal staff, and network of cooperating attorneys.   

As a critical member of the organization’s senior leadership team, the Legal Director will provide strategic leadership on both litigation and non-litigation legal advocacy strategies in our priority areas of criminal justice, immigrants’ rights, education equity, and LGBTQ equality, as well as other civil rights and liberties issues. In addition, the Legal Director works in close coordination with our policy, organizing, and communications teams, with the national ACLU staff, and other local and national partners to advance our advocacy goals.  

The Legal Director supervises staff and delegates supervision to others in a team that includes two senior staff attorneys, two staff attorneys, a paralegal as well as interns. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Manage Litigation: Manage all aspects of the ACLU of Arizona’s litigation program, including coordinating the selection of cases; overseeing the investigation and development of cases before commencing litigation; building litigation teams with in-house lawyers, private lawyers, and nonprofit partners; and overseeing ongoing litigation to include reviewing and editing case pleadings, motions, written discovery, and appeals as necessary.  
• Individual litigation caseload: Maintain an individual caseload of developing and active litigation and amicus briefs, including overseeing and directing pre-litigation investigations, discovery, motion practice, brief writing, hearings and trials, and appellate work, and work with staff attorneys and cooperating attorneys on all work within the ACLU of Arizona legal program.  
• Staff Management: Provide direct supervision and support for legal staff including conducting staff evaluations, supporting the development and implementation of work plans, ensuring continued professional development, overseeing the recruitment and hiring for all legal positions; ensure onboarding prepares staff on systems and tools such as discovery, time tracking and other programs; and serve as a mentor and coach for our growing and diverse group of staff attorneys. 
• Reporting, records and case management: Prepare regular updates, written as well as presentations, about our legal advocacy for the public and across the organization including for the staff, Board, donors, and national office as necessary or assigned; Oversee case management and ensure that legal program systems and processes are accurate and effectively aligned to support the litigation. 
• Relationship-building and external relations: Staff the volunteer Legal Panel, made up of Board members and Board-selected lawyers. Cultivate and deepen relationships with volunteer attorneys and the Arizona legal community (and beyond) to increase organizational visibility and to help build our legal docket. Be an active contributor and leader among national ACLU cohorts of Legal Directors.  
• Organizational Leadership and Partnership: Ensure there is coordination and collaboration between Communications, Organizing, Policy, and Legal departments on cross-departmental projects and serve as a resource on legal matters for staff, partners, and other ACLU of Arizona constituents. Be a thought-partner and active, contributing member of the Leadership Team.   

QUALIFICATIONS:  

Work Experience: Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and civil liberties consistent with the mission and goals of the ACLU; minimum of 10 years legal experience, including substantial state and federal litigation at trial and appellate levels, including class actions, with a strong background in constitutional law and civil rights; Admitted to the Arizona Bar or eligible for admission under Arizona Supreme Court Rule 34(f) (admission on motion). 

Skills:  

• Management experience that includes recruiting, training, managing, and retaining a diverse, high-performing litigation team;  
• Demonstrated record of moving legal cases forward from investigation and development to completion and compliance;  
• Excellent communication, media, presentation, written, and analytical skills;  
• Experience working with a volunteer board of directors and non-profit organizations, including allies from across the political spectrum;  
• Experience representing and working with activists and grassroots and other non-governmental organizations;  
• Excellent organizational skills and a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving and litigation including a demonstrated ability to exercise sound professional judgement;  
• Goal-oriented, project-oriented, and achievement-oriented, with an ability to recognize and maximize opportunities on behalf of the organization;  
• Experience working collaboratively and respectfully with teams and coworkers, including toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts;  

Cultural Competencies: Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences including record of arrest or conviction. Courage and impeccable integrity.  

WORKING CONDITIONS:   

The ACLU of Arizona office is generally open between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The physical demands and work environment described below represent those required and encountered by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Inputting information into a computer for long periods of time. 
• Work some evenings, weekends, and holidays. 
• Periodically work long and extended hours. 
• Occasionally travel locally/regionally/across the state as needed. 

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: 

The ACLU-AZ offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience, and competitive with public interest salaries. Benefits include three weeks paid vacation; 100%-employer paid medical, vision and dental insurance, life and long-term disability insurance; 401(k); and approximately 16 paid holidays per year. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The approximate salary range is $105,000- $115,000 and within pay scale parameters of the nationwide ACLU and the Arizona nonprofit sector and considering skills and experience. Please note that the ACLU of AZ staff are currently working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: 

Please submit a cover letter to jobs@acluaz.org demonstrating your interest and commitment to civil liberties and civil rights, a current resume, and contact information for three professional references. Include “Legal Director Search” in the subject line and specify how you heard about the posting. No phone calls or walk-ins, please.  

The ACLU undertakes inclusive strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact jobs@acluaz.org.   

Deadline: We welcome applicants to submit their materials by February 25, 2022. 

ABOUT THE ACLU: 

With ACLU affiliate offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the ACLU fights tirelessly in the courts, legislatures, and through community engagement to ensure that all individuals’ rights are protected. 

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice. 

ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages 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.  

The ACLU of Arizona comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the ACLU Foundation of Arizona. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation of Arizona are statewide organizations with the same overall mission; they share office space and employees. The ACLU of Arizona has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU-AZ.”