Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) legal department seeks applicants for a full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel. This attorney will be responsible for developing and executing civil rights litigation and legal advocacy strategies with a focus on protecting and expanding voting rights and democratic processes.  

In recent years, the ACLU-NJ has driven powerful legal and policy advocacy to protect and expand voting rights, civic participation, government transparency, and free expression. With the enactment of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey (NJVEA), this attorney will have the opportunity to be at the forefront of using new statutory tools to safeguard and strengthen voting rights and ensure that all voters have equitable access to the ballot. While this role will be focused on the ACLU-NJ’s voting and democracy work, candidates can expect to work on other civil rights and civil liberties issues as needed.  

This attorney will work from our office in Newark with a hybrid work schedule where all staff work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

Organizational Overview  

For more than 60 years, the ACLU of New Jersey has defended liberty and justice guided by the vision of a fair and equitable New Jersey for all. Our mission is to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts, in the legislature, and in our communities. We are committed to repairing and transforming spaces where constitutional promises have not been delivered.  

As part of an organization that uses an integrated, inter-departmental approach to advocacy, the staff attorney will join a 14+ person legal team that uses litigation and a wide range of advocacy tools to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and that collaborates with colleagues across the organization to maximize the ACLU-NJ’s impact.  

Responsibilities  

Litigation & Advocacy 

• Identify opportunities to expand voting rights through the statutory tools available in the NJVEA, evaluating litigation strategies to protect the rights of voters, and driving those litigation efforts. 
• In collaboration with other departments, the attorney will engage in integrated advocacy campaigns on voting rights and democracy issues, including: serving as a subject matter expert and advocate, and providing technical and other support for policy work; drafting and editing public education and non-litigation advocacy materials; and conducting outreach and advocacy with, and providing technical assistance to, public officials and government bodies. 
• Attorneys are responsible for identifying possible litigation and advocacy; conducting factual and legal research; evaluating legal theory and strategy; identifying, interviewing, and counseling clients and witnesses; writing demand letters; drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs; conducting discovery; working with experts; presenting oral arguments; negotiating settlements; handling appeals; and writing amicus briefs.
• Investigate, develop, and litigate impact cases across a range of civil rights and civil liberties issue areas. 
• Engage in public speaking and represent ACLU-NJ positions and litigation to diverse audiences, including to the media, with community groups, and at conferences and programs. 
• Provide oversight and support for litigation or advocacy being handled by law firms or law students.
• Evaluate how cases, investigations, and projects are inclusive and responsive to community needs and in alignment with organizational priorities.  

Leadership & Administration 

• Establish and cultivate collaborative relationships with community partners, coalitions, stakeholders, ACLU-NJ staff and colleagues from other ACLU offices.
• Assist in the development, mentoring, and supervision of more junior staff, fellows, and interns. 
• Cultivate opportunities to increase subject matter expertise.
• Contribute to a work culture that centers racial justice, inclusion, participation, and collaboration. 
• Assist with staff, internship, and fellowship recruitment and hiring and in developing and managing cocounsel relationships with pro bono law firms. 
• Provide administrative and organizational support as needed and adhere to internal systems for recordkeeping and information sharing.
• Engage in special projects and other duties assigned. 

Preferred Qualifications & Skills  

The ACLU-NJ anticipates hiring an attorney with at least four years of litigation experience (including clerkships) with a preference for people with litigation experience defending voting rights and democracy. We will consider all applicants with strong litigation, advocacy, and writing skills. Attorneys who have completed seven years of litigation experience will be hired as “Senior Staff Attorney.” Attorneys with at least 20 years of experience and deep subject matter expertise are eligible to be hired as “Senior Counsel.”  

A strong candidate will have: 

• Excellent legal research and writing skills. 
• Experience with complex legal analytical work, creative problem-solving, taking initiative, and identifying opportunities to advance the law.
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively, and experience with building strong relationships with lawyers, other staff members, and coalition partners.
• Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences, including elected officials, attorneys, judges, community partners, supporters, the media, and the public.
• Strong project and time management skills, including the ability to prioritize multiple projects, a high level of organization, the ability to meet deadlines, and attention to detail. 
• Demonstrated commitment to the ACLU-NJ’s mission and experience incorporating racial justice principles into legal work. 
• Admitted to practice law in New Jersey and a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards. If you are currently a member of another state bar, you must be able to obtain your New Jersey license within 12 months of joining the organization.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the state of New Jersey, and occasionally to other states for conferences and training.
• Experience engaging in strategic communications or with the media is a plus. 
• Knowledge of Spanish or other languages likely to be spoken by clients with limited English proficiency in New Jersey is a plus. 

Compensation  

The ACLU of New Jersey has litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in the Legal Department based on years of legal experience. Currently, the salary for an attorney with 4 years of experience is $96,000; the scale ends at $146,000 for attorneys with 20 years or more experience. The ACLU-NJ supports and plans for staff member professional growth and skill development through internal and external opportunities. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off, 12 office holidays and 16 health care leave days; medical, vision, and dental insurance; 20 weeks (100 days) paid family leave; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  

About our Culture  

We are a diverse workforce and take pride in our ability to attract and retain employees with a huge array of backgrounds and experiences. We work hard but also like to celebrate our successes. We strive to bring humility, empathy, kindness, and generosity to our work, internally within the organization and externally with our partners and those whom we are serving. We seek to build a work culture with a sense of respect and collegiality, and a willingness to be generous with our expertise and resources.  

TO APPLY  

Please complete the application by uploading one pdf with a resume and one pdf with a cover letter and a legal writing sample (no more than 15 pages). We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work. Because we are evaluating writing skills for this position, we request that you do not use AI to prepare any part of your application materials.  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and those received by September 30, 2026, will be prioritized.  

The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; gender, gender identity or expression; religion; sex; national origin or ancestry; age; disability; sexual orientation; veteran’s status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, women, people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.  

The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions. The ACLU-NJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.