Staff Attorney (Racial & Economic Justice and Criminal Justice)

Staff Attorney, US Advocacy & Litigation

Department: US Advocacy & Litigation (Racial & Economic Justice and Criminal Justice)

Reporting to: VP of US Advocacy & Litigation

Full-Time, Exempt 

Salary Range: $80,000-$85,000

Location: Washington, DC or New York, NY (Due to current COVID-19 status, this position will begin remote)

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights seeks a Staff Attorney to advance racial and economic justice and dismantle systems of mass criminalization and incarceration (criminal and legal) in solidarity with frontline movements for social change across the United States.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain partnerships with local communities, organizers, bail/bond funds, and campaigns;
• Identify high-impact cases for bold, strategic interventions in collaboration with community partners;
• Track impact of RFKHR’s engagement for use in advocacy and awareness initiatives;
• Support advocacy and other legal efforts to reduce the scale, scope, and power of systems of mass criminalization and incarceration through the collection and documentation of personal stories and data;
• Serve as a subject-matter expert and possible spokesperson representing the organization in the field and with the media on relevant programmatic areas;
• Identify and execute ways to achieve shared impact across other RFKHR programs, to mobilize RFKHR stakeholders in support of the work, and to increase the visibility of RFKHR and our work before the general public;
• All new staff will undergo an introductory period of three (3) months as a training and learning period;
• Participate in the recruitment, hiring, and training of department staff as needed;
• Do your part in keeping our operations running smoothly - tracking your hours and submitting timecards in a timely manner.

A successful candidate will have the following skills and experiences:

• J.D. or foreign equivalent required;
• At least 5 years of experience preferred working in the fields of criminal legal defense and/or immigrant justice advocacy at the intersection of the criminal legal system (experiences during law school/education are applicable)
• Experience with legislative advocacy, policy work, campaigning, and/or litigation as tactics preferred;
• Demonstrated ability to distill technical legal concepts of criminal justice and/or immigrant justice advocacy for discreet audiences such as policymakers and the general public;
• Experience with movement lawyering working with and in support of social justice movements, grassroots organizers, and community-based organizations in the United States;
• Ability to initiate new ideas and initiatives with the ability to institutionalize them and build structure as needed;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• Strong attention to detail and able to scope out errors, including a willingness to own and fix mistakes;
• Exceptional time management, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects at once;
• High level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information;
• Self-starter who shows strong initiative and is committed to growth and reaching goals; 
• Innovative thinking, willingness to voice your opinions, and a strong work ethic are essential;
• Strong sense of teamwork that builds positive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, and a willingness to help others;
• Believes in inclusivity when working with colleagues with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Preferred but not required qualifications:

• Experience or relationships with criminal legal defense organizations and/or grassroots movement leaders;
• Experience working on high visibility advocacy campaigns, involving multiple stakeholders (including celebrity influencers);
• Lived experience directly impacted by the criminal legal or immigration system.

No phone calls please. RFK Human Rights will contact qualified candidates directly. 

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is an equal opportunity employer and believes we are stronger and more effective by working internally and externally with people of all abilities, diverse backgrounds, and a range of perspectives, particularly those who have historically been marginalized or underrepresented. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We do not discriminate in our hiring practices and in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seek a diverse applicant pool.