Paralegal

Career Opportunity

PARALEGAL [SPT-10]

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION

Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, NY

For more than 92 years, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU) has been at the forefront of virtually every major battle for civil liberties and equal justice in this country. Principled and nonpartisan, the ACLU has offices in all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, and brings together the country's largest team of public interest lawyers, lobbyists, communication strategists, and members and activists in the advancement of equality, fairness, and freedom, especially for the most vulnerable in our society.

The Speech, Privacy and Technology (SPT) Project of the ACLU's National office in New York City seeks applications for the full-time position of Paralegal.

OVERVIEW

The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project is part of the ACLU's Center for Democracy, which works to strengthen democratic institutions and values, including the values of government transparency and accountability, and to reinforce the United States' commitment to human rights and the rule of law. The Center for Democracy includes –- in addition to the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project -– the Human Rights Project and the National Security Project, and also works closely with staff from the ACLU's Communications Department, Affiliate Support and Advocacy Department, and Washington Legislative Office.

The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project is dedicated to protecting and expanding the First Amendment freedoms of expression, association, and inquiry; expanding the right to privacy and increasing the control that individuals have over their personal information; and ensuring that civil liberties are enhanced rather than compromised by new advances in science and technology. The Project is currently litigating cases and conducting other advocacy efforts on a variety of issues, including political protest, freedom of expression online, privacy of electronic information, journalists' rights, scientific freedom, and openness in the courts.

The Paralegal is an integral member of the Project and will have the opportunity to learn about, and contribute to, all areas of the Project's work.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Respond to individuals who contact the Project for legal assistance; utilize and maintain the intake database to respond to requests; and provide support to the Project's attorneys with client and witness interviews, as needed.
• Conduct Internet and other factual research and collaborate with attorneys in preparing background memoranda on selected policy issues.
• Cite check, edit, format, produce, and serve litigation documents, including briefs, memoranda, and correspondence.
• Draft, edit, and prepare affidavits, reports, and other legal or public education documents.
• Review and organize documents related to litigation requests and discovery.
• Maintain and ensure the accuracy of the Project's litigation docket and calendar.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of SPT-related portions of the ACLU website.
• Supervise the training and work of the Project's Legal Administrative Assistants.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor's degree is required, and one year of paralegal or related experience is preferred.
• Excellent research and writing skills.
• Must take initiative, be highly organized and detail-oriented, and possess strong interpersonal and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
• Strong computer skills with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word including creating tables of contents, tables of authorities, mail merges, and creating/inserting macros.
• Basic knowledge of Access, Excel, WordPerfect and Westlaw is preferred.
• A commitment to assisting the ACLU in its mission to defend civil rights and civil liberties.
• A demonstrated interest in human rights and civil liberties issues relating to free speech, privacy and technology.

COMPENSATION

The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should consist of a cover letter, a resume, the names of two references, and two writing samples, at least one of which should be a legal research memo, brief, or article. Please send materials to hrjobs@aclu.org - reference [SPT-10/ID] in the subject line.

Alternatively, applications can be mailed to:

Human Resources

RE: [SPT-10/ID]

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

125 Broad Street, 18^th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Please indicate in your cover letter where you learned of this career opportunity.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The 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, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and veteran status.

We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: HRJobsINCLReq@aclu.org Correspondence sent to this address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU 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."