Senior Staff Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin seeks to hire an experienced,  passionate, and innovative Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney to investigate and litigate selected civil liberties and civil rights cases in Wisconsin state and federal courts. 

The position is a full-time, exempt, and salaried position. The position will report to the Legal Director and work with the Legal Department and other staff members across the organization to create high-impact litigation strategies and handle all aspects of the affiliate’s ongoing and future litigation. The position will be filled as either a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, commensurate with experience as 

outlined below.  

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

● Investigate and litigate a range of civil liberties and civil rights cases in state and federal courts, to include: conducting factual and legal research;  interviewing clients and witnesses; preparing legal memoranda, Open Records Act requests, demand letters, and other materials in advance of 

litigation; drafting pleadings and briefs; managing discovery; participating in trials and appeals, including conducting voir dire, taking witnesses’ testimony, and giving oral arguments; negotiating settlements; and 

identifying and drafting amicus briefs; 

● Center the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in legal program development and organizational practices and processes; 

● Commitment to working collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts; 

● Cultural and social humility with colleagues, in interactions with clients, and with community partners.

Provide supervision and mentorship to junior legal  staff, including fellows and interns; 

● Help assess requests for legal assistance as assigned, and identify appropriate cases for legal challenges; 

● Develop and deliver trainings, CLEs, and other presentations to the Wisconsin legal community on ACLU issues; 

● Develop and help maintain relationships with pro bono co-counsel, local officials, and others who can help the ACLU of Wisconsin accomplish its campaign objectives; 

● Engage in legal advocacy work to advance civil rights and liberties through collaborative non-litigation means, such as writing public comments, participating in public education events, and assisting with analyzing or drafting public comment on proposed legislation, as necessary; 

● Provide legal analysis to other ACLU staff as directed by the Legal Director; 

● Serve as a spokesperson for the ACLU of Wisconsin on legal issues handled 

by our office, as assigned; 

● Work with other program staff to implement campaign objectives and identify opportunities for reform through litigation; 

● Ability to work in office and remotely based on a hybrid office model. Attorneys must be able to appear at hearings and trials remotely and in person throughout the State of Wisconsin. 

● Strong writing, research and verbal skills in presenting both to lawyers and to non-lawyers; leadership and organizational skills in order to encourage volunteer lawyers and work cooperatively in coalitions; able to take initiative, think strategically, and share responsibility and credit across the organization and with partners. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

This position is for a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, commensurate with experience. Customary minimum qualifications for each position level are noted below. Individuals with more significant litigation experience are preferred and are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Staff Attorney:  Licensed attorney, usually with civil or criminal litigation experience, including experience taking/defending depositions, participating in evidentiary hearings and/or trials, and experience managing complex discovery. Staff Attorneys will also usually have experience in federal courts and in constitutional and/or civil rights litigation on the plaintiff’s side. 

● Senior Staff Attorney: The designation of “Senior Staff Attorney” is given 

to a Staff Attorney who has attained either eight (8) years of experience as a 

practicing attorney, and at least one (1) year of experience working within an 

ACLU affiliate or national office, or, fifteen (15) years of experience as a 

practicing attorney. Senior Staff Attorneys will generally have significant 

civil or criminal litigation experience, including experience managing 

complex litigation and significant experience in all facets of litigation, 

including taking/defending depositions, participating in evidentiary hearings 

and/or trials, brief writing, and managing litigation teams. 

For either Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, the following 

qualifications are required: 

● Law (J.D.) degree from accredited institution; 

● Licensed to practice law in Wisconsin or ability to waive into the Wisconsin 

Bar or sit for the next available bar exam; 

● Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging as core values; 

● A strong commitment to the ACLU’s mission and goals toward the 

advancement of social justice, racial equity, dismantling white supremacy 

and incorporating a structural power analysis into work, with knowledge and 

understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, 

gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, 

socio-economic circumstances, and immigration status; 

● Substantive knowledge and understanding of constitutional law and civil 

liberties issues; 

Rev: May 14, 2026 Staff Attorney / Senior Staff Attorney Job Posting  

Page 3 

● Ability to litigate independently and collaboratively, juggle multiple projects 

at once, and exercise good judgment under stressful situations; 

● Ability and willingness to research and quickly learn new, complex legal 

issues and build lawsuits on short notice in response to breaking events; 

● Ability to think creatively about non-litigation solutions to promote ACLU of 

Wisconsin objectives, as part of an integrated advocacy team; 

● Proficiency with Westlaw and electronic case filing (state and federal); 

● Preference for familiarity with legal case management and timekeeping 

software and other programs used in complex litigation, including discovery 

and document management software; 

● Willingness to manage a fast-paced and occasionally demanding schedule to 

meet litigation or other programmatic deadlines; 

● Experience taking initiative, being proactive, and anticipating litigation 

needs; 

● Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, along with a willingness to 

be patient, collegial, and supportive to all affiliate colleagues; 

● Comfort with challenging conversations and situations leveraging strong and 

engaging interpersonal skills; 

● Willingness to receive and respond to feedback, communicate directly 

regarding issues that arise in cases, and work as a cohesive and collaborative 

member of a multi-person and multi-firm litigation team; 

● A personal approach that values the individual, respects diversity, 

acknowledges the intersectionality of the identities of colleagues and clients 

and community members, and approaches the work with an anti-racist lens 

and commitment; 

● Other duties as assigned.  

For either position, the following qualifications are preferred, but not 

required: 

● Three or more years of experience in practice as a licensed attorney; 

● State or federal court clerkship; 

● Experience litigating class actions; 

● Experience litigating Section 1983 cases; 

● Experience litigating emergency motions, including preliminary injunctions 

and temporary restraining orders, in state or federal court; 

● Experience managing and/or mentoring other attorneys. 

Working Conditions: Hybrid work requirements consisting of approximately a 

40-hour work week with work from home permitted when work responsibility 

allows, prioritizing caregiving and work-life balance needs. Attorneys are expected 

to travel to state and federal courts throughout Wisconsin, as required. 

The position requires maintaining physical file records and word processing. 

● Ability to work at a computer for multiple hours a day; 

● Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer; 

● Visual acuity for extensive reading, preparing, and analyzing information, 

and viewing a computer terminal; 

● Ability to do light physical activity including occasional lifting and carrying 

of office supplies, packages, and equipment weighing up to 20 pounds to 

facilitate organization, filing, and event assistance 

Mental Demand: Decision making, emotional intelligence, giving and receiving 

feedback and building trusting, collaborative relationships. The nature of this work 

can be emotionally demanding and requires thoughtful communication. 

COMPENSATION 

Based on the experience necessary for this role, we anticipate an annual salary of 

no less than $80,000 annually; commensurate with experience. The ACLU of 

Wisconsin offers excellent benefits, including medical and disability insurance, a 

401(k) with a match program, professional development stipend and generous 

vacation, holiday, and sick leave. 

How to Apply: Please email a single document of the requested documents 

to hr@aclu-wi.org, please use ‘[YOUR NAME]-Staff Attorney/Senior Staff 

Attorney’ in the subject line of the email.  The requested items are the 

following: 

● Cover letter explaining how you are qualified for this position and why you’re 

interested in being part of the ACLU of Wisconsin; 

● Resume that includes all relevant legal experience; 

● Final interviewees will need three professional references. 

Applicants will be reviewed beginning immediately and will be accepted until the 

position is filled.

This job announcement provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Wisconsin reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.