Staff Attorney, Education Equity

Aclu Foundation Of Southern Calif; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Life and disability insurance

401(k) with employer match

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 who will make transformational change, advance racial justice, and protect and expand people’s rights in education equity across 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)

Qualifications

• Admitted to practice law in California or willingness to promptly take the California bar exam.
• Ability to supervise interns, fellows and junior attorneys (1-5 years from law school).
• Ability to develop and litigate impact cases.
• Ability to work in diverse coalitions and develop and implement advocacy campaigns.
• Spanish language fluency (desired).

Responsibilities

• Advocate on education equity issues through litigation, campaigns, and public education.
• Co-create, implement, and participate in innovative advocacy projects with grassroots organizations.
• Provide technical assistance to coalitions, community partners, and government bodies.
• Travel throughout the Southern California region and occasional trips to Sacramento may be required.

Skills

Research

Writing

Analysis

Public speaking

Education

California Bar Admission

Job description

Job Location: LOS ANGELES, CA 90017

Position Type: Full Time

Salary Range: $89,068.00 - $119,543.00

Job Category: AdvocacyEducation Equity Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney

Location

Riverside (preferred) or Los Angeles

Overview

Salary Range $89,068-$119,543

Position Type Full Time, Exempt

This is a bargaining unit position in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers union.

Category Advocacy

About ACLU SoCal

Founded 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 Overview

The 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.

Travel throughout the Southern California region and occasional trips to Sacramento may be required.

Racial Equity Competencies

Understanding and Applying 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 Equity

• Consistently 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.

Qualifications

Required

• Excellent 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.

Desired

• Experience 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.

Benefits

Salary range for this position is $89,068-$119,543 based on year of law school graduation.

• 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
• twenty-two paid holidays

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.