Deputy Legal Director/ Director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Deputy Legal Director/ Director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality in the National Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; or Washington, DC. Priority will be given to candidates who can be based in New York, NY, or Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.  

The ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality, one of three component centers in the ACLU’s National Legal Department, focuses on issues of crime, punishment, and racial justice, including efforts to eradicate racial injustice, the treatment of prisoners, the death penalty and the policies of over-incarceration that have led the United States to imprison more people than any other country in the world.  The Center contains six Projects/Programs working toward these goals:  the ACLU’s Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative (centered in Washington, DC), Capital Punishment Project (centered in Durham, North Carolina), the Criminal Law Reform Project (centered in New York City), the National Prison Project (centered in Washington, DC), the Racial Justice Program (centered in New York City), and the John Adams Project (centered in Washington, DC).  

Special consideration will be given to applications submitted by June 19, 2026.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the National Legal Director, the Deputy Legal Director/ Director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality (Center Director) oversees the work of the Center for Justice and Equality and directly supervises the program directors within the Center. 

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Supervise the directors of the ACLU’s Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, Capital Punishment Project, Criminal Law Reform Project, the National Prison Project, Racial Justice Program, and John Adams Project.  
• Provide high-level advice and guidance on litigation strategy and legal practice issues 
• Oversee and provide input into the development and implementation of the projects’ strategic plans and budgets 
• Supervise the staff attorney and other staff assigned to the Center  
• Serve as a member of the National Legal Department’s leadership and administrative team, consisting of the National Legal Director, three Center Directors, and the Associate Director of Legal Operations. Ensure that the operations and administration of the National Legal Department run smoothly to facilitate its programmatic work 
• Serve as a nationally recognized spokesperson and subject-matter expert on issues within the Trone Center for Justice and Equality (racial justice, criminal law reform, capital punishment, and conditions of detention and incarceration), along with other experts within the Center and its component projects 
• Work with the Project Directors to ensure that the programmatic work of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality is well-coordinated with colleagues in the Strategy Office, National Political Advocacy Department, Communications Department, Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiative Departments, and the ACLU’s state affiliates 
• Work with the Development Department on fundraising and maintaining relationships with the ACLU’s funders and members 
• Work with business o