Staff Attorney / Legal Director

The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union (NHCLU) invites applications for the position of Staff Attorney/Legal Director. NHCLU is a statewide affiliate of the national ACLU, the country's largest civil liberties and civil rights organization. The NHCLU is a private, non-profit organization that works to promote and defend civil liberties principles in New Hampshire through advocacy, litigation, education and lobbying. We are a small but growing affiliate and expect that the Staff Attorney/Legal Director will play an important role in the development of the organization. Our offices are located in Concord, New Hampshire.

The Staff Attorney/Legal Director can anticipate litigating a wide range of civil liberties issues, including privacy, student rights, religious liberty, freedom of speech, LGBT rights, criminal justice, racial justice, and reproductive freedoms. Job duties will also include non-litigation advocacy involving community outreach, coalition building, writing and publishing reports, planning and participating in public meetings, legislative research and lobbying, and media work. The Staff Attorney/Legal Director will report directly to the Executive Director and the position title will depend on the experience of the accepted candidate.

Specific Responsibilities Will Include:

• Supervise and direct all NHCLU litigation maintaining an active and high-impact docket. Investigate, develop, and litigate civil liberties and civil rights cases in state and federal court;
• Recruit, retain, and collaborate with NHCLU cooperating attorneys. Monitor litigation being handled by cooperating attorneys and provide back-up assistance as needed;
• Manage the legal intake process ensuring that appropriate cases for legal challenge are identified;
• Establish and staff a volunteer litigation advisory council to assist and advise in NHCLU litigation;
• Develop and maintain relationships with the legal staff at the national ACLU, other ACLU affiliates, and New Hampshire attorneys;
• Analyze legislation, prepare legal memoranda and advocacy letters, and provide testimony at legislative hearings;
• Report to the Executive Committee and the Board on legal program activities;
• Engage in public speaking and respond to the press, at the direction of the Executive Director;
• Assist in writing news releases, newsletter articles and updating the ACLU website related to litigation issues;
• Meet with individual donors to discuss the Litigation Program; and
• Attend national and regional ACLU training and staff conferences.

Qualifications:

• J.D. and admission to the New Hampshire bar, or admission within one year of hire;
• 3-5 years minimum of litigation experience (although more recent law school graduates with exceptional abilities and experience will be considered);
• Substantive knowledge of constitutional law and civil liberties;
• Strong self-motivation and ability to manage multiple deadlines;
• Ability to think creatively and to use non-litigation strategies to promote objectives;
• A deep and demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights, and strong support for the goals of the ACLU;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Strong self-motivation and capable of complex analytic work; and
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively.