Title: Staff Attorney
Job Responsibilities:
The Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the National Prison Project is responsible for contributing to all aspects of the Project’s litigation and non-litigation work. The focus is on challenging immigration detention conditions and addressing the use and abuse of immigration detention within the federal government’s mass deportation system. The role involves coordinating closely with counterparts in the Immigrants’ Rights Project. Key responsibilities include:
- Litigating in federal courts, including appellate courts, throughout the country.
- Managing a substantial caseload in federal court in collaboration with other staff attorneys, local counsel, immigrant rights organizations, and clients.
- Conducting legal research and writing legal memoranda.
- Analyzing legislation for potential litigation.
- Drafting pleadings and briefs, engaging in discovery and motion practice, and conducting evidentiary hearings and oral arguments.
- Providing technical assistance and expert legal advice to local affiliates, cooperating attorneys, and others seeking assistance from the Project.
- Conducting policy advocacy on prisoners’ rights, criminal justice, and immigration detention issues.
- Developing new cases and non-litigation advocacy projects.
- Engaging in public speaking and articulating views on a broad range of prisoners’ rights, criminal justice, and civil liberties issues.
Education and Experience Information:
- A are required.
- Experience in complex civil litigation in federal courts is essential.
- Demonstrated experience working with immigration detention and issues related to conditions of confinement.
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team, fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Excellent legal research and writing skills.
- Ability to perform complex legal analytical work and write and speak clearly and persuasively.
- Self-motivated, diligent, and able to meet strict deadlines in a dynamic environment.
- Ability to travel is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred; fluency in other languages commonly spoken by immigrant detainees is preferred.
- Experience working in immigrant detention and immigrant community settings is strongly preferred.
- Experience in class action litigation.
- Experience working with reporters and the media on criminal justice and immigration issues.
Salary Information:
The organization has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in the Legal Department. Salaries are based on years since law school graduation and are subject to regional pay adjustments if authorized to work outside of the listed location. The salary ranges are:
- 0-2 years since law school graduation: $92,374-$115,393
- 3-5 years since law school graduation: $129,244-$152,480
- 6-10 years since law school graduation: $159,461-$179,891
- 11-15 years since law school graduation: $183,255-$193,657
- 16-20 years since law school graduation: $195,485-$200,519
- 21-25 years since law school graduation: $201,534-$205,663
- 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $206,654-$210,677
Why the Organization:
The organization has been working for over 100 years to defend and preserve individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. They focus on issues like ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections, and preserving voting rights and reproductive rights. The organization values its people and offers comprehensive benefits, including generous paid time-off, healthcare benefits, retirement plans, and professional development opportunities.
Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:
The organization is committed to accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion as core values. They strive to create a culture of belonging, respect, and empowerment for all. They encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of 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. The organization is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.
