Senior Staff Attorney Kern

Senior Staff Attorney

LOCATION

Bakersfield preferred, but Los Angeles, Orange, or San Bernardino offices possible (Note: The ACLU SoCal staff is working from home due to COVID-19 except on a restricted only-as-necessary basis.

COVID Vaccination and Proof of being fully Vaccinated (includes booster) is a condition of employment.

DEPARTMENT

Advocacy

DEADLINE DATE

Open until filled.

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) seeks a Senior Staff Attorney to build, lead and supervise litigation, legal, and policy advocacy to protect and advance immigrants’ rights in Kern County. The Attorney will also provide technical assistance to community groups and develop advocacy to protect the rights of people impacted by the immigration system.

Founded in 1923, the 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, Orange County (Orange), the Inland Empire (San Bernardino), and Kern County (Bakersfield). ACLU SoCal tackles a vast array of issues, including, police practices, criminal justice, First Amendment rights, voting rights, gender equity and reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, immigrants' rights, education equity, and economic justice.

OVERVIEW

The Attorney will develop and litigate state and federal cases; create, implement, and participate in innovative advocacy and campaigns; engage in public education; provide technical assistance on immigration-related issues to coalitions, community partners, government officials, and government bodies.

The Attorney will advocate on the full range of immigrants’ rights issues on which the ACLU SoCal engages in Kern County. Litigation, advocacy, and public education campaigns might include: addressing unlawful ICE and local law enforcement practices; improving indigent criminal defense for noncitizens; reducing immigration detention and addressing detention conditions; and enhancing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness from elected officials’ offices to immigrant communities.

The Attorney will be part of the dedicated staff of the ACLU SoCal’s Kern office and a member of the ACLU SoCal’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and the California statewide immigrants’ rights team. The Attorney will also work with other attorneys, policy advocates, and organizers from other ACLU SoCal Projects, and communications staff as needed and when intersectional issues arise.

The Attorney will be supervised by a Senior Staff Attorney in the Immigrants’ Rights Project within the ACLU SoCal Advocacy Department.

CLASSIFICATION

Full-time, Exempt

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The ACLU SoCal’s “integrated advocacy” model unites legal advocacy, policy advocacy, organizing, and base building for maximum impact. In keeping with that approach, the Attorney will work on cases, advocacy projects, public education, and campaigns. The attorney’s responsibilities will be the following:

• Conduct legal advocacy and investigate, develop and litigate high-impact cases at the trial and appellate level in federal and state courts.
• Lead and manage litigation teams, serve as co-counsel, and work in conjunction with other legal, policy, and organizing staff within the ACLU SoCal, the other two California ACLU affiliates, and partner organizations.
• Supervise two staff attorneys, as well as interns.
• Serve as a policy expert and advocate on immigrants’ rights issues in support of legislation and other campaigns, with responsibilities including public speaking, media interviews, and outreach, as well as writing op-eds, reports, blogs, social media content, advocacy sign-on letters, fact sheets, and toolkits.
• Provide technical support to community groups, advocates, and organizers in the region.
• Run trainings for activists and organizers and support the Department’s volunteer engagement programs, as needed.
• Establish and cultivate collaborative relationships with community partners, coalitions, stakeholders, and ACLU members.
• Conduct outreach, advocacy, and provide technical assistance to public officials and government bodies.
• Devise and present engaging "know your rights" presentations, trainings, and engage in public speaking.
• Organize, lead, and participate in community education events and meetings.
• Organize and attend lobbying visits with state and local officials, provide testimony to administrative agencies and governing bodies, and develop and cultivate relationships with lawmakers and decisionmakers to advance organizing and policy advocacy objectives.
• Forge and maintain relationships with people impac