Senior Policy Counsel & Civil Liberties Leader

American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation days

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Parental leave

FSAs

Job summary

ACLU of Illinois seeks a Senior Supervising Policy Counsel to lead policy and advocacy across civil liberties. The role works with colleagues in Communications, Legal, and Philanthropy & Engagement, and oversees staff, fellows, and interns involved in policy, legislative, and administrative advocacy work.

Based in Chicago, IL, in-office, exempt. The position requires a law degree and extensive legal and policy experience, including supervisory responsibility.

Qualifications

• Law degree required; demonstrated expertise in constitutional law preferred.
• At least 15 years of legal experience, including a minimum of 12 years of experience working in legislative, policy, legal, or government settings.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience directly supervising and managing direct reports and others.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise staff to produce high quality results and help less experienced staff develop their skills.
• Extensive knowledge of current policy questions related to civil liberties, especially at the intersection of free speech and new technologies, is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, and implement the ACLU-IL’s legislative, policy, and advocacy priorities through the following job responsibilities.
• Lobby elected officials, their staff, and other public officials to support ACLU of Illinois positions on pending legislation and policy initiatives.
• Prepare and provide expert-level guidance and testimony on pending legislation before state and local legislative committees, administrative agencies, and other regulatory bodies.
• Provide expert commentary to media, participate in media briefings, and contribute to op-eds and other publications.
• Supervise staff and fellows and provide strategic direction to advocacy teams.

Skills

Constitutional law

Policy development

Legislative advocacy

Public speaking

Research and writing

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

ACLU of Illinois seeks a Senior Supervising Policy Counsel to lead policy and advocacy across civil liberties. The role works with colleagues in Communications, Legal, and Philanthropy & Engagement, and oversees staff, fellows, and interns involved in policy, legislative, and administrative advocacy work.

Based in Chicago, IL, in-office, exempt. The position requires a law degree and extensive legal and policy experience, including supervisory responsibility.