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Government and Government Relations Attorney in Anchorage, AK

American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska Apr 02,2018 Jul 04,2016 Location USA Anchorage AK
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Public Interest

Attorney

Government and Government Relations

Min 1 yrs required

Profile

Legal and Policy Director Duties: Create, manage, and implement a program of strategic litigation and policy advocacy to defend and expand civil liberties. Report directly to the Executive Director. Periodic travel throughout the state and to Juneau during the legislative session. Advance civil liberties, win legal and policy battles, and grow the union's political power to energize the fight for civil liberties and protect our hard won victories. Proactively seek out and creatively develop, lead, and implement a strategic impact litigation program that advances key civil liberties by persuading state and federal courts, administrative tribunals, and regulatory agencies to recognize new or established legal principles; Appear as counsel in all aspects of complex impact litigation, including factual and legal research, discovery, motion practice, trials, appeals, and amicus briefs; Identify and research civil liberties issues, and write demand letters, legal memoranda, and advocacy letters; Develop and manage the efficient assessment of requests for legal assistance and proactively identify litigation opportunities, and, in consultation with the Executive Director, select cases; Recruit, oversee the professional development of, and supervise legal staff including lawyers, paralegals, law student interns, and legal fellows; Recruit, train, and coordinate volunteer attorneys’ work on Alaska cases; Identify opportunities for amicus briefs by keeping abreast of current and pending litigation in state and local federal court; Develop and maintain relationships with partner organizations, public interest law firms, legal service agencies, and other members of the Alaska legal community; and Oversee the legal docket and its administration, including contemporaneous and accurate time keeping to support requests for legal fees; Policy Program: Develop and implement a strategic legislative and policy program at the state and local levels to advance core civil liberties priorities; In coordination with contract lobbyist, devise and execute our state and local legislative agenda with appropriate strategies and tactics; cultivate relationships with key elected and appointed officials, staff, policy makers, and related governmental bodies and leaders; track legislation, develop specific strategies for both proactive and reactive proposals, and prepare and deliver testimony and supporting material; lobby members of the legislature, their staff, and the Governor’s office; draft and advance initiated legislation and amendments to other proposed bills; and identify opportunities for bipartisan support on issues; Represent in meetings of ad hoc legislative coalitions and before various community and stakeholder groups; build and lead coalitions with diverse stakeholders and work in partnership with other organizations; and Foster and maintain relationships with key partners and grasstops. Serve as a spokesperso, with the Executive Director; Work with the communications staff to integrate litigation and policy advocacy with communications and public education, by drafting external communications on all legal and policy issues, including legislative action alerts and fact sheets, talking points, letters to the editor, press statements, and op-eds; and Work with the Executive Director and Director of Philanthropy to participate in budget, donor, and planning meetings as needed.

Qualification and Experience

Qualifications: Law degree and a license to practice law in Alaska or the ability to be admitted by reciprocity or either the July 2016 or February 2017 bar exams; Experience trying cases in federal or state courts; Experience in legislative, political, or relevant policy-related work, ideally including the development and coordination of issue or policy advocacy campaigns; Ability to work with grasstops and coalitions, including developing shared plans, coordinating external and internal communications, and navigating internal political dynamics among partner groups; Exceptional initiative, vision, and ambition to build a vibrant, integrated advocacy program through short- and long-term integrated advocacy strategies; Passion for, and a well-articulated knowledge of, civil liberties and social justice, and a familiarity with the work and mission; Ability to work effectively with diverse coalitions and community groups, work across the political spectrum, and value differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstances; Exceptional analytical, research, writing, and oral advocacy skills, as well as the ability to articulate legal concepts and complex issues and to communicate them tactfully and effectively to a variety of audiences; Ability to edit the work of oneself and others to correct grammar and sharpen prose; Experience supervising staff and leading teams; ability to listen, guide, and support people to achieve common goals; Keen attention to detail; ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects at various stages of completion; good problem-solving skills and a positive, professional attitude with sound judgment, flexibility, determination, and good humor in a fast- paced, sometimes high-pressure office; Ambitious, creative, and results-oriented initiative and a desire to learn, pitch-in, and anticipate new projects; ability to collaborate, including working closely with the Executive Director and colleagues, as well as with board members and volunteers; An absolute commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards; Fluency with computers, Microsoft Office, and Westlaw.

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