Civil Rights Attorney

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

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical and dental insurance

401(k) plan with employer match

12 vacation days

Job summary

A nonprofit civil rights organization is seeking a Civil Rights Attorney to advance and defend the rights of the American Muslim community. This role offers an engaging opportunity to work on impactful civil rights advocacy, involving community members and challenging systemic discrimination. Applicants should have a law degree, California Bar admission, and experience in advocacy or litigation. The position includes generous benefits and is based in San Diego, California, with expected compensation between $80,000 - $95,000 per year.

Qualifications

• 1-3+ years of experience in advocacy or litigation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Comfort in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Review and investigate legal claims from the community.
• Conduct intakes of legal claims.
• Manage a considerable caseload of approximately 200+ intakes.
• Perform in-depth legal research and legal writing.

Skills

Time management

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Cultural competency

Education

Law degree from an ABA-accredited school

California State Bar admission

Tools

MS Office

WestLaw Next

Lexis Nexis

Job description

Title

Civil Rights Attorney

Work Location

San Diego, CA

Term

Full-time, occasional evening and weekends required.

Position Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$80,000 - $95,000/year commensurate with skills and experience

Reports to

Executive Director

Generous Benefits

100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance for employees & dependents, 401(k) plan with an employer match, 12 vacation days, 10 sick days and 12 holidays. Budget for legal association membership fee, bar license renewal fee, CLE funding support, and malpractice insurance. Temporary hybrid work schedule, with three days in-person and two days remote.

About Us

Join the largest American Muslim civil rights organization at the frontlines in protecting the rights of free speech, freely practicing one's faith, pursuing employment opportunities without harassment, and living as an active and engaged American without reprisal. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, California (CAIR-CA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. We recognize that our employees are passionate and talented and are our most valuable resource. With an important vision to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding, our diverse workforce stands together to demonstrate our values for everyone who joins the efforts.

About the Role

CAIR-CA is seeking a dedicated attorney to advance and defend the civil and human rights of the American Muslim community at a time when those rights are increasingly under threat. This role offers a powerful opportunity to engage in impactful civil rights advocacy – working directly with community members, challenging systemic discrimination, and helping shape legal strategies that promote justice, safety, and dignity. The attorney in this role will support individuals and families navigating discrimination, harassment, and civil liberties violations, while also contributing to broader legal and grassroots efforts that address patterns of misconduct and inequity. Success in this position requires sound legal judgment and a strong commitment to public interest law in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment. This role is ideal for an attorney who is motivated by impact, values collaboration, and is seeking meaningful work that extends beyond individual cases to create lasting change.

Practice Areas

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (Religious Freedom), Employment, National Security & Law Enforcement Practices, Public Accommodations, Prisoners' Rights, School Issues, Hate Crimes/Incidents, etc.

Responsibilities

• Review and investigate an array of legal claims brought by an incredibly diverse community.
• Conduct intakes of legal claims as necessary through effective communication with members of the community.
• Manage a considerable caseload (our attorneys currently manage approximately 200+ intakes each per year).
• Provide assistance on assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Depending on experience, identify, develop, lead, and manage assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Perform in-depth legal research.
• Legal writing including, but not limited to, drafting complaints, discovery, briefs, letters, and memos; and non-legal writing, including drafting community advisories, issuing briefings, and reports.
• Communicate with outside parties such as attorneys, employers, law enforcement agents, administrative agencies, media contacts, etc.
• Work to educate and empower community members on their rights through community presentations and material distributions.
• Prepare and assist in CAIR-California reports.
• Travel for outreach, including participating in community events and coalition meetings.
• All CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach, fundraising, and other office tasks as required.

Qualifications

• Law degree from an American Bar Association‑accredited school.
• California State Bar admission.
• 1‑3+ years of experience advocating for, representing, and/or litigating on behalf of clients in areas such as employment law, religious discrimination, public accommodation, denial of benefits by governmental and private actors in courts and administrative agencies.
• Strong time management skills with a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated problem‑solving skills with outstanding attention to detail.
• Comfort working productively in a fast‑paced, team‑oriented environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including public speaking experience.
• Experience working with people from diverse cultural and socio‑economic backgrounds.
• Access to a working vehicle and the ability to drive throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area.
• High degree of self‑motivation and creativity.
• A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR's mission.
• Basic computer proficiency including knowledge of MS Office, and MS Outlook.
• Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint, Office365, WestLaw Next, Lexis Nexis and social media applications (preferred).
• Conversational proficiency in Arabic, Farsi, or Urdu (preferred but not required).

TO APPLY

Submit a cover letter, resume with writing sample and 3 professional references.

Equal Employment Opportunity

CAIR-CA is an equal‑opportunity employer and adheres to all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Salary

$80,000 - $95,000 per year.