Paralegal, Voting Rights Project

Title: Paralegal

Office: National Offices

Location: New York, New York, United States

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Paralegal in the Voting Rights Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY.

The ACLU Voting Rights Project was established in 1965 – the same year that the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) was enacted, and has litigated more than 300 cases since that time. Its mission is to build and defend an accessible, inclusive, and equitable democracy. We have three principles: (1) all Americans should be eligible to vote; (2) voting should be free and easy; and (3) all people should count equally. The Project employs an integrated advocacy approach, combining legislative advocacy, public education, and litigation, and has active cases in over a dozen states. Within the last few years, the Voting Rights Project has litigated cases in the Supreme Court including Department of Commerce v. New York, successfully challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census; and Trump v. News York, challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to exclude undocumented immigrants from the Census count used to apportion the House of Representatives.

Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, the Paralegal will be responsible for providing primarily litigation, with some administrative, support to the legal project. This includes, but is not limited to, cite checking and formatting litigation documents, maintaining litigation calendar and files and other litigation items, and providing onsite administrative, logistical and other support for trials and hearings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide litigation, administrative, and research support to the work of Voting Rights Project attorneys
• Work jointly with interns and communicate routine and/or procedural guidance on projects assigned by managers
• Prepare, file, review and organize other litigation documents such as declarations, deposition summaries, discovery requests and responses, and correspondence with co-counsel
• Maintain case files, attorneys’ correspondence files, and internal litigation tracking systems including case summaries and calendar of litigation deadlines and court dates
• Produce and file briefs and motions in federal courts (from district court through Supreme Court level), and state courts around the United States
• Provide administrative support for the managers’ review of applications for Legal Administrative Assistant and intern positions
• Provide logistical, administrative, and document management support for hearings and trials
• Work jointly with interns and communicate routine and/or procedural guidance on projects assigned by managers
• Arrange for service of legal documents; research court rules and procedures
• Act as liaison between Staff Attorneys and Legal Administrative Assistant to disseminate work assigned by attorneys and provide routine and/or procedural guidance regarding work assignments
• Provide administrative support for the managers’ review of applications for intern positions

In addition to:

• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to work independently as well as within a team while maintaining a high level of efficiency and professionalism
• Excellent research, including internet research, and writing skills
• Strong computer skills with advanced knowledge in Microsoft Office Suite e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. preferred
• Basic knowledge of the Blue Book preferred
• Must take initiative, be highly organized and detail-oriented, and possess strong interpersonal and time management skills
• Experience creating tables of contents, tables of authorities, mail merges, and creating/inserting macros preferred
• Basic knowledge of WestlawNext preferred
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and see projects through to completion
• Bachelor’s degree, or one year of paralegal or related administrative experience preferred

COMPENSATION

Salary for this position is $70,557. Generous benefits package provided.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU 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 email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.