Pro Bono and Intake Senior Attorney

NYCLU staff are currently working in a hybrid model with a number of in-person days required.

About the role

The NYCLU seeks a senior staff attorney (6 or more years of legal experience) to manage pro bono relationships and intake in the NYCLU’s legal department. Responsibilities include developing relationships with pro bono partners to assist NYCLU clients and take on matters in conjunction with the NYCLU, coordinating with staff to identify firms for specific projects, and expanding the program. The attorney will also coordinate the intake program, managing the team that responds to public requests for assistance, referrals, or resources. Pro bono and intake matters span the full range of NYCLU’s work, including racial and economic justice, immigrants’ rights, government transparency, free expression, equal protection, reproductive justice, criminal legal system reform, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equity, police misconduct, student rights, and privacy.

The NYCLU’s Legal department includes seventeen lawyers, a director of legal operations, an investigator, two paralegals, a data research analyst, and a legal assistant. Legal staff work on civil rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts, administrative tribunals, and support the organization’s legislative, advocacy, communications, and field work.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with pro bono partners and networks.
• Consult with attorneys and staff across the NYCLU on pro bono matters.
• Draft and prepare pitches for pro bono projects; follow up on engagements to ensure successful completion.
• Manage intake team of volunteers and non-litigators evaluating and following up on requests from the public for assistance, resources, or referrals.
• Prepare demand letters and/or Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests where appropriate.
• Consult with attorneys and staff on intake matters and referrals.
• Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues through speaking engagements and published writings.
• Collaborate with leaders and staff across the NYCLU—including the Education Policy Center, Racial Justice Center, Policy, Communications, and Field Departments—to ensure an integrated approach to addressing injustice.
• Supervise and mentor law students as part of the NYCLU summer-intern program and contribute to the professional development of other members of the legal department.

Requirements

• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and communication skills.
• Six or more years of legal experience, with a preference for significant public-interest litigation experience.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and advocate effectively, including coordinating with teams working on public-interest litigation or advocacy.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse public-interest setting and to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Demonstrated commitment to the goals and priorities of the NYCLU.
• Prior experience with civil rights or constitutional law is a significant plus.
• Admission to the New York Bar.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Pay

Salary is subject to the NYCLU’s attorney salary scale, based on years of legal experience. The current full-time starting salary for a lawyer with 6 years of experience is $118,000 and will be prorated according to hours worked (20-25 hours per week).

Schedule

This is a part-time, permanent position requiring approximately 20-25 hours per week.