Civil Rights Attorney Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Description

The Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois (ACLU-IL) seeks a Senior Supervising Attorney or Staff Attorney to build and lead litigation and, in collaboration with other Departments, work on non-litigation advocacy to promote and protect elections and voting rights, and drive transformational change across our substantive program areas as described below. 

About the Job 

The ACLU of Illinois works to advance civil liberties throughout Illinois. Our work includes protecting democracy by advancing First Amendment rights, government transparency, and voting rights; protecting the rights of immigrants; fighting institutional and structural racism that undermines civil rights and civil liberties, including in the criminal and civil legal systems and immigration; protecting the rights of women and people in the LGBTQIA+ community, including the right to reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care; and fighting to enforce the rights of people in government care, including children in foster care and people in prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities.

Job Description

The Senior Supervising Attorney/Staff Attorney: Voting Rights and Cross-Project Civil Liberties is a highly collaborative team player who works in tandem with colleagues across our organization to advance our goals. Senior Supervising Attorneys and Staff Attorneys litigate cases in state and federal courts. In addition, they work closely with colleagues in our Advocacy, Communications, and Philanthropy & Engagement Departments to promote change through legislative initiatives, advocacy with government officials, and public education. This position will primarily involve working with colleagues at the ACLU of Illinois, the ACLU National Voting Rights Project, and (as necessary) staff at other ACLU affiliates to strategize, investigate, develop, and litigate cases advancing and protecting voting rights. The attorney in this position will also work across projects at the ACLU of Illinois to develop and litigate cases advancing and defending civil rights and civil liberties in the full scope of contexts covered by the ACLU of Illinois's current portfolio of civil rights work.

Responsibilities

The job responsibilities of a Senior Supervising Attorney or Staff Attorney include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Investigate, develop, and advance high-impact cases at the trial and appellate level in federal and state courts and in state or federal administrative proceedings.
• In coordination with other Departments, help develop and advance non-litigation strategies for protecting civil rights and civil liberties.
• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with our cooperating counsel, allied organizations, community-based organizations, stakeholders, members of communities affected by our work, and ACLU-IL members.
• Serve as an ACLU-IL spokesperson with the media and external partners on identified issues.
• In addition, Senior Supervising Attorneys effectively supervise, manage, and mentor early-career and mid-career attorneys, including overseeing day-to-day work and evaluating their work performance and professional development.

Requirements

All applicants must:

• Have a J.D. and be admitted to practice in Illinois, be eligible to waive into the Illinois bar, or be willing to take the Illinois bar exam no later than February 2027.
• Have at least 5 years of litigation experience in state court, federal court, and/or state or federal administrative proceedings.
• Have demonstrated ability in conceiving cases and litigating them to conclusion. 
• Have excellent persuasive writing skills for court filings and for communications in legal and non-legal settings. 
• Have demonstrated ability to speak clearly, persuasively, and effectively with individuals and organizations from a broad and diverse range of identities, interests, and backgrounds in non-legal and legal settings.
• Have strong legal aptitude, including thoughtful engagement with novel and complex legal questions, and demonstrated ability to respond quickly and effectively to emergent issues.
• Have a well-developed interest in a range of civil rights and civil liberties issues and the ability and willingness to master areas of law outside of their current expertise.
• Be highly collaborative with the desire to consult and share information with colleagues, and skills to respectfully resolve differences.
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues, community partners, and clients with different backgrounds and experiences.
• Be willing and available to travel throughout Illinois and to work beyond the normal workday and/or on weekends when needed.
• Commitment to advancing ACLU of Illinois mission, goals, and programs.

In addition, applicants for Senior Supervising Attorney must:

• Have at least 10 years of litigation experience in state court, federal court, and/or state or federal administrative proceedings.
• Have significant experience in conducting evidentiary proceedings and handling expert discovery and witness presentation is required.
• Have demonstrated the ability to effectively manage attorneys to consistently produce high-quality results while helping less experienced attorneys develop knowledge and skills.

Salary 

• For a senior supervising attorney with 10 years of legal experience, the annual salary is approximately $100,000. 
• For a staff counsel with 5 years of legal experience, the annual salary is $78,792.

Salary depends on years of legal experience and is in accordance with the ACLU-IL salary scale. For more experienced candidates, salary is determined proportionate to additional years of legal experience.

Benefits 

• Vacation: 15 days of paid vacation in the first year and 20 days of paid vacation thereafter. 
• Health benefits: 100% employer-paid premiums for medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff and eligible dependents. 
• Retirement benefits: 6% employer-paid retirement contribution after 1 year without any employee contribution, plus 50% employer retirement match of the first $125 the employee contributes per pay period (there are 2 pay periods per month / 24 pay periods per year).
• Other benefits: 100% employer-paid life insurance; employee assistance program; short and long-term disability insurance. Paid parental leave after 1 year. Flexible spending accounts.

Employment status

• The Staff Attorney position is an exempt union position that is part of a bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers / United Auto Workers Local 2320. 
• The Senior Supervising Attorney is an exempt non-union, management level position.  

Both positions are based in Chicago, Illinois, and operate under a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule.  Staff members will be expected to work in our Chicago office on designated in-office days.

AI Usage Statement

AI will not be used to screen or evaluate candidates for this position.

Broad usage of generative AI to create work product is restricted at the ACLU of Illinois in accordance with internal guidelines and policies. 

How to Apply

Applicants should provide:

• A resume.
• A cover letter stating which version of the position you are applying for (Senior Supervising Attorney or Staff Attorney), summarizing why you are interested in working with ACLU-IL in efforts to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties. The letter should not be drafted with the assistance of AI.
• A legal writing sample such as a legal memorandum or a draft section of a legal brief. The sample should not have been substantially edited by others or drafted with the assistance of AI.

Applications are due by July 17, 2026, and will be considered on a rolling basis.

ACLU Employment Statement

The ACLU of Illinois is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and encourage 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, criminal record, or veteran status.

The ACLU of Illinois is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance with the online application process, please email our Human Resources Manager at HR@aclu-il.org, including the position you are applying for in the subject line. You will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.