Jobs

Legislative Advocate/Staff Attorney
January 2012

The ACLU of Iowa (ACLU-IA), an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, is a membership organization devoted to promoting and defending civil rights and civil liberties in Iowa, with nearly 3,500 members across the state supporting our legal, legislative and public education programs. The ACLU of Iowa is dedicated to defending our constitutional rights and the principles of Democracy, Justice, Liberty and Equality. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization currently has four full-time staff at its office in downtown Des Moines.

The organization is seeking a qualified attorney for the new position of Legislative Advocate and Staff Attorney. The person in this position will be responsible for lobbying the Iowa General Assembly, as well as coordinating advocacy efforts related to the U.S. Congress. In addition, this position requires someone who can provide litigation and other support to our Legal Program under the supervision of our veteran Legal Director.

Principal Responsibilities

  • Coordinating and executing the ACLU’s legislative program in Iowa, in particular each legislative session of the General Assembly, as well as advocacy efforts targeting the Iowa delegation in the United States Congress;
  • Identifying and analyzing pertinent bills and registering the ACLU’s position on legislation; attending sub-committee and committee meetings; negotiating and working with legislators, staff and other advocates; researching and drafting bills and amendments;
  • Assisting in planning overall legislative priorities, and devising pro-active, as well as reactive, strategies to achieve legislative goals;
  • Participating as the ACLU representative in meetings of ad hoc legislative coalitions;
  • Responding to requests from the media on ACLU’s legislative activity; occasionally initiating press activities; preparing written materials for publication; and publicly speaking on the ACLU’s behalf;
  • Promoting the ACLU’s legislative work and policy objectives through all appropriate media, especially email and web-based interactions with citizen lobbyists and activists, as well as the general public and the media;
  • Travel to Washington, DC, to coordinate and lead lobbying efforts during ACLU membership conferences:
  • Reviewing and investigating complaints and requests for assistance received through the ACLU Foundation of Iowa intake system as well as referrals from other agencies and attorneys;
  • Drafting pre-litigation memoranda, reports and other internal documents;
  • Researching civil liberties questions, and prepare legal memoranda, pleadings and correspondence;
  • Securing the services of and expand the pool of cooperating attorneys for litigation the ACLU undertakes;
  • Monitoring litigation being handled by cooperating attorneys and provide back-up assistance as needed;
  • Participating directly in litigation in selected cases; either as co-counsel with cooperating attorneys or as lead counsel when necessary;
  • Preparing necessary dockets and reports for the Legal Director, Legal Committee, and the Executive Director, work cooperatively with Legislative Committee;
  • Traveling to attend local, statewide, and out-of-state national gatherings and meetings, in addition to traveling as necessary for the purposes of litigation.

Minimum Requirements

  • Position requires a law degree from an accredited law school as well as a license to practice law;
  • Applicants who do not have a license to practice law in the state of Iowa should be prepared to take and pass the Iowa Bar exam within the next six months.
  • Exceptional writing and speaking skills, keen legal analytic abilities, and a substantive knowledge of issues relating to constitutional theory, civil rights and civil liberties;
  • A capacity for researching and thinking quickly under pressure;
  • Ability to work effectively with persons from both major political parties;
  • Possession of strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively in a small office environment with people of diverse backgrounds – from youth and political activists to coalition partners, as well as with communities of color and persons from a variety of different ethnicities and religions.
  • Commitment to the overall goals of the ACLU.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Some background or experience as a professional or volunteer lobbyist;
  • Some litigation experience, preferably involving civil rights or civil liberties;
  • Background in legislative matters generally, preferably in Iowa;
  • Previous experience working in a non-profit environment;
  • Fluency in Spanish or other second language;
  • Familiarity with government decision-makers in Iowa, and those who lobby them;
  • Exceptional talent for utilizing web sites and social media environments to engage the public.

The ideal candidate would have experience litigating civil and constitutional rights cases, hands-on familiarity with the lobbying process in the Iowa legislature, a superb talent for writing and speaking, the temperament to work effectively in a small office with a collaborative, time-intensive environment, and a demonstrated commitment to justice, equality and freedom for all people.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND TERMS:

The ACLU of Iowa offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including free parking, cell phone subsidy, and employer-paid employee health and dental coverage (and, if applicable, up to 50% of coverage for other family members). In addition, after an initial period of employment, we provide life, AD&D, and long term disability insurance, as well as a defined contribution/401(K) pension plan.

The first six months of employment are probationary. Flexible work hours and some work from home are eventual possibilities.

Salary is commensurate with experience, background and qualifications.

TO APPLY: Send a letter of interest and résumé to:

Human Resources
ACLU of Iowa
505 5th Avenue – Suite 901
Des Moines, IA 50309

OR send via email to: job@aclu-ia.org

Applications reviewed upon receipt, with the goal of hiring someone to begin March 1, 2012. However, the position ultimately will remain open until the right person is found.

The ACLU-IA is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Candidates are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender, sexual orientation or identity, ethnicity, religion, cultural background,
disability or age.