Senior Staff or Staff Attorney, Democracy: Voting Rights Litigation Team

About the role

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Democracy - Voting Rights Litigation Team (DVR) seeks a Senior Staff or Staff Attorney to join our team. The team works across the Deep South to engage and mobilize voters, restore voting rights, pursue electoral policy reforms, and bring litigation to challenge unconstitutional and discriminatory voting practices.

Responsibilities

• Litigate cases in state and federal courts, primarily across SPLC’s five focus states.
• Work and co-counsel with private attorneys; conduct extensive research and factual investigations; write motions, briefs, and other court filings; conduct discovery, court appearances; and oral arguments.
• Lead advocacy and litigation, including legal research, factual investigations, drafting memoranda and complaints.
• Identify and develop new cases and new litigation strategies to advance voting rights, including working with community groups, coalitions, and individuals.
• Mentor and train legal staff and interns as needed.
• Participate where appropriate on relevant task forces and coalitions.
• Collaborate extensively across departments within SPLC to ensure effective implementation of SPLC’s impact area goals.
• Represent DVR on relevant task forces and coalitions.
• Work closely with SPLC’s Policy Department staff and the SPLC’s Communications and other departments in helping to advance the organization’s policy objectives.
• Engage in public speaking and articulate the SPLC’s policies and programs to the public and the media on voting rights issues.

Requirements

• Staff Attorney I-II: At least one (1) year of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Staff Attorney II (4-5 years out of law school): At least four (4) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Staff Attorney III (6-7 years out of law school): At least six (6) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Staff Attorney IV (8-9 years out of law school): At least eight (8) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Staff Attorney V (10-11 years out of law school): At least ten (10) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Staff Attorney VI (12+ years out of law school): At least twelve (12) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney I: At least six (6) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney II: At least eight (8) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney III: At least ten (10) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney IV: At least twelve (12) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney V: At least fourteen (14) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Senior Staff Attorney VI: At least sixteen (16) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Membership in good standing of at least one state bar in the United States, preferably Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, or Mississippi;
• J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

Qualifications

• Experienced. Demonstrated experience litigating individual and class action civil rights cases in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels.
• Advocate. Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to promote voting rights.
• Committed. Demonstrated interest and commitment to voting rights, civic engagement, campaign work, organizing or election law.
• Analytical. Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.
• Researcher. Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.
• Creative. Ability to create vision and take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies to move litigation forward.
• Collaborative. Demonstrated ability to work with other litigation teams, external organizations, and stakeholders to execute specific strategies to advance the work and cases of the Democracy-Voting Rights Litigation Team.
• Communicative. Exceptional communication skills and ability to communicate persuasively to a variety of audiences through writing and speaking.
• Mission, Vision & Culture Alignment. Demonstrates an understanding of and a commitment to SPLC's mission, vision and values.

Skills

• Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to promote voting rights.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.
• Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.
• Ability to create vision and take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies to move litigation forward.
• Exceptional communication skills and ability to communicate persuasively to a variety of audiences through writing and speaking.

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits: This is an exempt role, and the minimum starting salary is $78,832.00 annually. Salary is based on legal experience post law school.

• Staff Attorney I (1-3 years out of law school): $78,832.00.
• Staff Attorney II (4-5 years out of law school): $89,905.00.
• Senior Staff Attorney I (6 & 7 years out of law school): $102,637.00.
• Senior Staff Attorney II (8 & 9 years out of law school): $117,286.00.
• Senior Staff Attorney III (10 & 11 years out of law school): $134,129.00.
• Senior Staff IV (12+ years out of law school): $153,500.00.

Pay

This role is compensated at a rate commensurate with experience.

Schedule

This role is full-time.

Location

This role is based in Montgomery, Alabama.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Southern Poverty Law Center is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion. We consider applicants equally without regard to age, caregiver status, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, national origin, on the basis of genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy, or veteran status.