Job Description

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Deputy Project Director in the Capital Punishment Project of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Durham, NC or New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The Capital Punishment Project, part of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. The Project engages in public advocacy and strategic litigation, including the direct representation of capital defendants, challenges to systemic problems in the administration of capital punishment, and amicus briefing.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Project Director, the Deputy Project Director will be responsible for assisting the Project Director in: setting and leading the Project’s strategy; supervising staff; overseeing litigation; recruiting diverse and excellent candidates; onboarding and mentoring staff; managing internship and fellowship programs; liaising with other departments, including National Policy and Advocacy Department (NPAD) and Communications; and other management and administrative duties as directed.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

Strategy and Management 

• Readiness to align with management including, collaborating with and sharing ownership of decisions made by the Project Director, Center Director, and Senior Staff
• Assist Project Director with development and implementation of annual strategic plan, including:
  • Setting short- and long-term goals and reviewing substantive filings and internal communications to ensure alignment with strategic priorities
  • Collaboration with NPAD and the Communications Department
  • Collaboration with state affiliates and other partners

Supervision and Staffing 

• Directly supervise attorneys, legal fellows and support staff, including monthly check-ins and approval of expense reports and time off
• Assist Project Director in:
  • Supporting staff retention, feedback, and professional development efforts for all project staff
  • Making staffing decisions by ensuring balance of work across project staff, including opportunities for writing, discovery, witness examinations, arguments, and other professional growth
• With a focus on developing and maintaining an excellent and diverse staff, undertake the following responsibilities: 
  • Managing processes for hiring and onboarding new staff, fellows, and interns, which includes recruiting excellent candidates and furthering our board-mandated goal to increase the percentage of staff with disabilities and significant disabilities and working in furtherance of our other announced diversity hiring initiatives
  • Lead sustained efforts to create and nurture pools of diverse candidates from which to recruit 

Administration 

• Assume responsibility for ongoing administrative functions such as maintenance of the case docket and legal database, completion of the time survey, recruitment of pro bono firms, ensuring co-counseling agreements are in place, among other work, as directed
• Assist the Project Director with expense tracking and budgeting as directed 

Litigation and Advocacy 

• Assist Project Director with reviewing substantive filings
• Coordinate the Project’s work in the United States Supreme Court: review requests for amicus briefs and representation, write and edit as appropriate briefs in selected cases in connection with National Legal Director, and recruit amici or cooperating counsel where appropriate
• Supervise litigation teams
• Engage in litigation in federal and state court, including drafting pleadings, briefs, and affidavits; conducting discovery and motion practice; handling hearings and trials; and arguing appeals in both federal and state courts
• In consultation with Project Director and the ACLU Communications Department, represent CPP / ACLU in public-facing meetings / speaking events / media opportunities that cut across multiple issues / cases
• Collaborate with staff across the organization, including with other Projects within the ACLU’s Legal Department, Communications, Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives, National Political Advocacy Department, and state affiliates
• Build relationships with stakeholders and conduct outreach to national, state, and community partners to develop coalitions and further advocacy goals
• Provide technical assistance and legal advice to ACLU affiliates, cooperating attorneys and others who seek assistance from NSP
• Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and case and strategy development

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• J.D. degree and significant national security and civil rights and liberties litigation experience
• Bar admission
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Experience and demonstrated aptitude for supervising staff
• Demonstrated commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts
• Ten or more years of legal experience, preferred
• Excellent legal analytical, research, and oral skills, preferred
• Demonstrated ability to write and communicate clearly and persuasively for non-legal audiences, including television, print, and digital media, preferred
• Experience with strategic planning, preferred
• Employment at the ACLU National Office for at least two years is preferred, but not required

COMPENSATION

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with our compensation philosophy, there is a set salary for each role based on geographic work location. The annual salary for this position is $220,285 ( Level DPD), reflecting the salary of a position based in Washington D.C. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.
For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU 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 email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.