Legal Director [ACLU of Utah]

at  ACLU

The ACLU of Utah Foundation seeks to hire an experienced Legal Director. The Legal Director position leads legal advocacy efforts, including but not limited to litigation, at the ACLU of Utah. The Legal Director is a member of the Leadership Team and plays an integral role in planning and executing how the ACLU of Utah deploys its legal, policy, and advocacy expertise and resources. As such, an ideal candidate will have experience with strategic planning as well as project and people management.

POSITION OVERVIEW & FUNCTION

The Legal Director manages a full and active docket of state and federal cases, often with co-counsel from the national ACLU office and/or outside law firms. Issue areas include, but are not limited to: LGBTQ+ equality, voting rights, criminal legal system reform, reproductive rights, Indigenous justice, free speech, and immigrants’ rights.
The Legal Director is a full-time, salaried, exempt position reporting to the Executive Director. The Legal Director is a strategic leader who works collaboratively to develop and manage the Legal Department’s impact litigation docket to challenge laws, policies, and other government actions that violate the civil rights and individual liberties of Utahns. The Legal Director also supervises the Legal Department’s legal advocacy efforts, including amicus briefs and administrative complaints to state and federal agencies. In addition to leading the Legal Department, the Legal Director works in an integrated manner with ACLU of Utah staff, national ACLU staff, coalition partners, and others to advance advocacy efforts and strategic priorities. The Legal Director convenes the ACLU of Utah Legal Panel and helps recruit and work successfully with cooperating attorneys.

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualified Candidates Will Have:

• JD from an accredited law school, admission to the Utah State Bar, U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, or the ability to obtain such admissions within a reasonable time after starting the position.

• Strong leadership skills including the ability to be a collaborative and communicative member of the Leadership Team of the ACLU of Utah affiliate and manage the performance of the Legal Department.

• 4+ years minimum experience litigating cases, with a significant portion of that experience in a substantial or lead role (ideally from pre-suit through trial or decision on the merits and appeals).

• Experience managing others in litigation including lawyers, paralegals, and other members of a legal team.
• Patience, emotional intelligence, and cultural competency, including the ability to participate in, create, and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for other people with a wide range of personal lived experiences.
• A strong understanding of the concepts of Diversity and Inclusion in a team setting, executed in the ability to respect and value the differences in experience and belief of others.
• Experience juggling and prioritizing many concurrent tasks at once.
• Ability to manage a high-volume workload, pay extremely close attention to detail, adapt quickly to changing organizational priorities, and meet moving deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, problem-solve, multi-task, and work efficiently.
• Exceptional legal research, writing, and analytical ability.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to think creatively and to use non-litigation strategies to promote positive outcomes.
• A demonstrated commitment, through previous professional, volunteer or lived experience, to civil rights and civil liberties and the mission of the ACLU of Utah.
• Physical Demands:
• In-person/In office attendance is required as necessary for team meetings, collaboration and litigation work.
• Ability to travel around the Wasatch Front area, and very occasionally in the wider Utah area, to engage in events, complete litigation duties, and attend meetings.
• Ability to work at a computer for multiple hours per day.

Strong Candidates Will Have:

• Admission to the Utah State Bar, U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit;
• 5+ years prior experience managing the work of others;
• Extensive experience in civil litigation;
• Demonstrated experience with public speaking and/or speaking with the media;
• Fluency in Spanish or other commonly spoken non-English language in Utah.