Staff Attorney, Education Equity

ACLU FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIF; Lancaster (CA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid vacation and sick leave

22 paid holidays

Job summary

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California seeks a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney for the Education Equity project to drive racial justice and protect rights in education. You will co-create advocacy campaigns, litigate and lead education equity initiatives, and provide technical assistance to coalitions, community partners, and government bodies across Southern California.

Travel within the region is required; leadership and collaboration with the Education Equity Team are essential,

Qualifications

• Requires law degree within last 3–10 years with commitment to civil and human rights
• Strong advocacy and litigation skills
• Ability to work in diverse coalitions and lead efforts in Education Equity

Responsibilities

• Co-create, implement, and participate in advocacy campaigns and litigation
• Litigate impact cases or lead such efforts as Senior Staff Attorney
• Engage in legislative and policy advocacy and public education on education equity
• Provide technical assistance to coalitions, community partners, and government bodies
• Supervise interns, fellows, and junior attorneys; travel within Southern California as needed

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Public speaking

Project management

Advocacy

Collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

California Bar Admission

Job description

Education Equity Staff Attorney or Senior Staff AttorneyPlease note - priority application deadline for consideration is September 11, 2026. This includes submittal of application with resume, cover letter, and legal writing sample.LOCATIONRiverside (preferred) or Los AngelesOVERVIEWSalary Range $89,068-$119,543Position Type Full Time, ExemptThis is a bargaining unit position in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers union.Category AdvocacyABOUT ACLU SOCALFounded in 1923, ACLU SoCal has been at the forefront of many major efforts to protect civil liberties, civil rights, and equal justice in California. Principled and nonpartisan, ACLU SoCal has offices in Los Angeles, the Inland Region (Riverside), and Kern County (Bakersfield). ACLU SoCal tackles a vast array of issues, including police practices, criminal justice, First Amendment rights, voting rights, gender equity, reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, immigrants’ rights, education equity, and economic justice.POSITION OVERVIEWThe ACLU Foundation of Southern California (“ACLU SoCal”) seeks a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney for the Education Equity project who will make transformational change, advance racial justice, and protect and expand people’s rights in the areas of education equity throughout Southern California. The Attorney will support movement building by co-creating, implementing, and participating in innovative advocacy and campaigns with grassroots organizations; develop and litigate (or, if Senior, build and lead) administrative, state and federal cases; engage in legislative and policy advocacy on issues relating to education equity; engage in public education; and provide technical assistance on education-related issues to coalitions, community partners, government officials, and government bodies.The Attorney will advocate on the full range of education equity related issues on which the ACLU SoCal engages. Litigation, advocacy, and public education campaigns might include: dismantling the school to prison to deportation pipeline; equitable access to educational resources for Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and other traditionally under-resourced student groups; protecting accurate and inclusive curriculum and race-conscious policy-making, building the infrastructure for more participatory governance led by youth and families; preparing young people to be critical problem solvers who can dismantle oppressive systems and build equitable alternatives; and enhancing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness from elected officials’ offices.The Attorney will be a member of the ACLU SoCal’s Education Equity Team. The Attorney will also work with other attorneys, policy advocates and organizers from other ACLU SoCal Projects as needed. When intersectional issues arise, the Attorney will work collaboratively with the organizing and powerbuilding team on campaigns.The Attorney will be supervised by the Director of Education Equity within the ACLU SoCal Advocacy Department.Travel throughout the Southern California region and occasional trips to Sacramento may be required.We recognize that ACLU SoCal’s integrated advocacy approach in which advocacy staff utilize diverse tactics to advance our goals, including litigating, drafting legislation, and lobbying elected officials, working in coalition with grassroots organizations, and engaging in public education campaigns including report writing and issue-based trainings, is not typical. While candidates must meet the minimum qualifications, we do not expect candidates to have experience performing the entire range of tasks that would comprise the job responsibilities for this position. We encourage interested candidates to consider the transferrable skills that they have developed, particularly those related to written and oral communication, collective action, and advocacy on behalf of others—and assess whether they are willing to gain experience with new job functions—when applying to this position.RACIAL EQUITY COMPETENCIESUnderstanding and Applying Racial EquityDemonstrate commitment to building or deepening understanding of racial equity:Core terms and concepts such as structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society.How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.Personal/implicit/unconscious bias.Working for Racial EquityConsistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions within the context of their job responsibilities; race/ethnicity, intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation.Consistently adhere to organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, including those that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion.Consistently identify and disrupt ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team.QUALIFICATIONSThe ACLU SoCal anticipates hiring an attorney who completed their law degree within the last 3-10 years for this position and will consider all applicants with approximately that level of experience with a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights, racial justice, and strong advocacy and litigation skills. The ideal candidate will be a hard-working leader with a proven record of accomplishments working with, advocating with, and/or organizing with legal-system-involved and legal-system-impacted individual, other marginalized populations, and community-based organizations.RequiredExcellent research, writing, analytic, and speaking skills.Ability to develop and litigate impact cases.Ability to work in diverse coalitions and develop and implement advocacy campaigns.Demonstrated ability to participate in, create, and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all.Demonstrated ability to lead projects, build strong relationships and work well in collaboration with others.A deep commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights, including policing issues.Travel within Southern California, particularly San Bernardino and Riverside, as well as occasionally to other parts of the state.Extremely strong project and time management skills, including a high level of organization, attention to detail and follow-through, while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities.Willingness to work occasional weekend and evening hours, as needed.Ability to supervise interns, fellows and junior attorneys (1-5 years from law school).Admitted to practice law in the state of California or willingness to promptly take the California bar exam.DesiredExperience working in the area of education equity, youth justice, civil rights, and/or social justice issues in Southern California. People with personal experience with the criminal legal system, including people who are formerly incarcerated are encouraged to apply for this position.A demonstrated commitment and track record of doing intersectional advocacy.Experience working effectively with coalitions and building coalitions.Experience planning and facilitating workshops, trainings, meetings, and other community events.Spanish language fluency.Willingness to live in the Inland Region and experience with that community.BENEFITSThe salary range for this position is $89,068-$119,543 based on year of law school graduation.Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members and their eligible dependents; life and long-term, short-term disability insurance; 401(k) plan with employer match; ample vacation and sick leave and twenty-two paid holidays.TO APPLYPlease upload your resume, cover letter, and writing sample.The ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve. The ACLU SoCal is an equal opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply and value people of all races, genders (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientations, disabilities, citizenships, ages, religions, and national origins and who have different marital statuses, family caregiving responsibilities, lived experiences with the criminal justice systems, and genetic information. The ACLU SoCal does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these characteristics.The ACLU SoCal 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.