Senior Staff Attorney

New York Civil Liberties Union; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 102,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The NYCLU seeks a senior staff attorney (6+ years of legal experience) to conduct litigation and related advocacy in the legal department, with a focus on immigration and immigrants’ rights and on combating systemic racism.

The role collaborates across programs, mentors law students and staff, and advances the NYCLU’s mission for civil liberties, equality, and justice for all New Yorkers.

Qualifications

• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and communication skills.
• Six or more years of legal experience, with a preference for significant public-interest litigation experience.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and advocate effectively, including coordination with teams.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse public-interest setting and to foster DEI.
• Demonstrated commitment to NYCLU goals.
• Prior experience with immigration, impact litigation, civil rights or constitutional law is a significant plus.
• Admission to the New York Bar.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Conduct litigation in federal/state courts and administrative forums; draft pleadings and briefs.
• Perform pre-litigation analysis, factual investigations, and legal analyses; FOIL/FOIA work; draft demand letters.
• Participate in public education through speaking engagements and publications.
• Collaborate across NYCLU departments to ensure integrated civil rights advocacy.
• Supervise and mentor law students in the NYCLU summer internship program.
• Mentor NYCLU staff attorneys.
• Develop relationships with pro bono partners and networks.

Skills

Legal writing

Legal research

Analytical ability

Communication skills

Public-interest litigation

Strategic thinking

Advocacy

DEI focus

Immigration law

Impact litigation

Civil rights

Constitutional law

Bar admission NY

Spanish language

Job description

Description

Position: Senior Staff Attorney

Department: Legal

Terms of Employment: Full-Time/Permanent/Exempt/Local 2320 Union Position (NYCLU staff is currently working in a hybrid model; a number of in-person days will be required).

Location: New York Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad Street, NY, NY 10004

Salary: Subject to the NYCLU’s attorney salary scale, which is based on years of legal experience (current full-time starting salary for a lawyer with 6 years of experience is $113,500).

Application Deadline: September 14, 2026 (Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position if filled).

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951, as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with more than 90,000 members and supporters, and eight offices statewide. We work in the courts, in the legislatures and on the streets to advocate for racial and economic justice, free speech, freedom of religion, privacy and equality before the law for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit our website: www.nyclu.org.

DEI VISION STATEMENT

The NYCLU is committed to building an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist workplace that centers the voices of marginalized and directly impacted communities. This commitment strengthens our mission to protect civil liberties and advance justice across New York. We welcome candidates of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and others whose experiences reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

Summary Description

The NYCLU seeks a senior staff attorney (6 or more years of legal experience) to conduct litigation and related advocacy in the NYCLU’s legal department. The senior staff attorney will work on the full range of NYCLU work, with a particular focus on immigration and immigrants’ rights, as well as challenging institutional and systemic racism that undermines civil rights and civil liberties, reproductive justice, criminal legal system, the rights of LGBTQ communities and gender equity, government transparency, free expression, equal protection, police misconduct, student rights, and surveillance and privacy. The NYCLU’s Legal department is comprised of seventeen lawyers, a director of legal operations, an investigator, three paralegals, a data research analyst, and a legal assistant. Legal Department staff work on a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts and in administrative tribunals. They also support the legislative, advocacy, communications, and field work of the NYCLU.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Conduct litigation in federal and state courts and in administrative forums. Senior staff attorneys are responsible for NYCLU litigation and advocacy, preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs; conducting discovery; presenting oral arguments; and handling appeals.
• Engage in pre-litigation analysis and advocacy, including evaluating and following up on intakes; conducting factual investigations and legal analyses; utilizing the Freedom of Information Law and the Freedom of Information Act; and preparing demand letters.
• Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues in the form of speaking engagements and published writings.
• Collaborate with leaders and staff across the NYCLU— including the Education Policy Center, Racial Justice Center, Policy, Communications, and Field Departments —to ensure that the NYCLU has an integrated approach to address injustice.
• Supervise and mentor law students as part of the NYCLU summer-intern program and contribute to the professional development of other members of the legal department.
• Mentor NYCLU staff attorneys.
• Develop relationships with pro-bono partners and networks.

Qualifications

• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and communication skills.
• Six or more years of legal experience, with a preference for significant public-interest litigation experience.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and advocate effectively, including an ability to coordinate with teams working on public-interest litigation or advocacy.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse public-interest setting and to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Demonstrated commitment to the goals and priorities of the NYCLU.
• Prior experience with immigration, impact litigation, civil rights or constitutional law is a significant plus.
• Admission to the New York Bar.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

The NYCLU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve.

The NYCLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail [e-mail]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

This position may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.