Civil Rights Attorney

Ummah Jobs; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee + dependent medical andDental

401(k) with employer match

Paid vacation days

Paid sick days

Paid holidays

Bar association membership funding / C

Job summary

CAIR-CA in San Diego is seeking a Civil Rights Attorney to handle direct representation and advocacy for American Muslims. The role covers multiple practice areas including discrimination, religious freedom, and public accommodations, with a sizeable caseload and hybrid in-office/remote schedule.

The candidate will join a dedicated team, report to the Executive Director, and contribute to CAIR-California reports and community initiatives.

Qualifications

• JD from an ABA-accredited law school and California Bar admission.
• 1–3+ years litigating civil rights, discrimination, or related practice areas.
• Strong written and oral communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct client intakes and investigate legal claims.
• Manage assigned litigation and prepare pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Perform legal research and draft memos, complaints, and discovery documents.
• Develop and lead litigation efforts appropriate to experience level.
• Support CAIR-CA reporting, community outreach, and organizational activities.

Skills

Time management

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Collaborative teamwork

Oral and written communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) - ABA-accredited

Job description

CAIR-CA (Council on American-Islamic Relations, California chapter) is seeking a Civil Rights Attorney for its San Diego office to support a dedicated team protecting the civil and human rights of American Muslims. This role combines direct legal representation and advocacy to combat discrimination, harassment, and civil liberties violations affecting the Muslim community.

You will manage a substantial and diverse caseload-approximately 200+ client intakes annually-across multiple practice areas including religious freedom and discrimination, employment law, public accommodations, school issues, national security and law enforcement matters, prisoners' rights, and hate crimes.

Position: Full-time, based in San Diego with a hybrid schedule (three days in-office, two days remote). Occasional evening and weekend work required. Reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities

• Conduct client intakes
• Investigate legal claims
• Manage assigned litigation
• Prepare pleadings and motions
• Perform legal research
• Draft complaints, discovery documents, briefs, letters, and memos
• Identify, develop, lead, and manage litigation efforts independently (based on experience level)
• Contribute to broader organizational impact through legal reports, community advisories, educational presentations on Muslim rights, outreach to community events and coalitions, and assisting with CAIR-California reports
• Participate in general operational duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach activities, and fundraising

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to the California State Bar
• 1-3+ years of professional experience advocating for, representing, or litigating on behalf of clients in civil rights practice areas such as employment discrimination, religious freedom, public accommodations, and government benefit denials in both courts and administrative agencies
• Demonstrated strengths in time management, problem-solving, attention to detail, collaborative teamwork, and excellent oral and written communication skills

Compensation and Benefits

Salary of $80,000-95,000 annually, commensurate with skills and experience.

• 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance covering the employee and dependents
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• 12 vacation days
• 10 sick days
• 12 holidays
• Dedicated funding for bar association membership, bar license renewal, continuing legal education (CLE), and malpractice insurance