Human Rights Internships Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

ABOUT ACLU SOCAL

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

POSITION OVERVIEW

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California (“ACLU SoCal”) seeks a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney for the Immigrants’ Rights project. The Attorney will develop and litigate state and federal immigration cases and engage in legislative and policy advocacy on issues relating to immigrants’ rights. The Attorney will also provide technical assistance to community groups, support movement building, and develop advocacy campaigns to protect the rights of people impacted by the immigration system.

The Attorney will help to develop and litigate (or, if Senior, build and lead) 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 southern California. Litigation, advocacy, and public education campaigns might include: addressing unlawful ICE and local law enforcement practices; reducing immigration detention and addressing detention conditions; improving indigent criminal defense of noncitizens; working to build a strong social safety net and protections for low-wage immigrant workers; and enhancing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness from elected officials’ offices. 

Travel throughout the Southern California region and occasional trips to Sacramento may be required. 

RACIAL EQUITY COMPETENCIES

Understanding and Applying Racial Equity

• Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understanding of racial equity:
  • Core terms and concepts such as structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.
  • The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society.
  • How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
  • Personal/implicit/unconscious bias.

Working for Racial Equity

• Consistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions within the context of their job responsibilities; race/ethnicity, intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation.
• Consistently adhere to organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, including those that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion.
• Consistently identify and disrupt ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ACLU SoCal anticipates hiring an attorney with approximately 7-12 years of experience for this position and will consider all applicants with approximately that level of experience with a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, and strong advocacy and litigation skills. The ideal candidate will be a hard-working leader with a proven record of accomplishments working with, advocating with, and/or organizing with legal-system-involved and legal-system-impacted individual, other marginalized populations, and community-based organizations.

Required

• Admitted to practice law in the state of California
• Excellent research, writing, analytic, and speaking skills.
• Ability to develop and litigate impact cases.
• Ability to work in diverse coalitions and develop and implement advocacy campaigns.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in, create, and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects, build strong relationships and work well in collaboration with others.
• A deep commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights, including policing issues.
• Extremely strong project and time management skills, including a high level of organization, attention to detail and follow-through, while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities.
• Willingness to work occasional weekend and evening hours, as needed.
• Ability to supervise interns, or, if Senior, other attorneys.

Desired

• Familiarity working in the area of immigrants’ rights, civil rights, and/or social justice issues in Southern California. People with personal experience with the criminal legal system, including people who are formerly incarcerated or have a close family experience with incarceration, are encouraged to apply for this position.  
• A demonstrated commitment and track record of doing intersectional advocacy.
• Experience working effectively with coalitions and building coalitions.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops, trainings, meetings, and other community events.
• Spanish language fluency. 

BENEFITS

The salary range for this position starts at $100,247 annually and is based on year of law school graduation. Attorneys with more than 10 years of litigation experience may be eligible for higher compensation based on year of law school graduation.

Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members and their eligible dependents; life and long-term, short-term disability insurance; 401(k) plan with employer match; ample vacation and sick leave and twenty-two paid holidays.

TO APPLY

Please upload your resume, cover letter, and writing sample.

The ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve. The ACLU SoCal is an equal opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply and value people of all races, genders (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientations, disabilities, citizenships, ages, religions, and national origins and who have different marital statuses, family caregiving responsibilities, lived experiences with the criminal justice systems, and genetic information. The ACLU SoCal does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these characteristics.

The ACLU SoCal is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail hrsuppport@aclusocal.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.