Sr. Staff/ Staff Attorney, National Security and Civil Rights (NSCR)

The Opportunity

The need for creative advocacy to challenge unjust national security policies that profile, surveil, and harm Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, including and especially Arab and Middle Eastern communities, in the U.S. is greater than ever. The Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks an experienced Staff Attorney, or Senior Staff Attorney, depending on relevant experience, to work with its National Security & Civil Rights (NSCR) program team to develop innovative legal and advocacy strategies to confront emerging challenges, as well as implement ongoing campaigns. As part of ALC’s multi-pronged approach, this attorney position works closely with other attorneys and community advocates to identify patterns of abuse or other systemic civil rights violations through direct legal services and working with grassroots community organizations, and addresses these violations through impact litigation, policy, and advocacy campaigns. Attorneys work closely with community advocates to develop and implement community outreach, education, and engagement programming. Significant experience with civil rights, immigrant rights, and the criminal legal system as it impacts Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities is highly desired.

The Organization

Asian Law Caucus (ALC) is the nation’s first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income, immigrant, and marginalized Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought to protect access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services to low-income immigrants and communities of color. Today, with a staff of 60 we bring together legal services, community empowerment, and policy advocacy to fight for immigrant justice, economic security, and a stronger, multiracial democracy. Our work is rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area and California and expands to states across the country, including places where immigrant, Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander communities are rapidly growing.

Responsibilities Day-to-day activities vary in this dynamic position and include the following: Provide high-quality direct legal services to clients on complex national security cases that have immigration and criminal law components Working with the Litigation Director and Program Manager, develop and litigate impact cases that safeguard civil rights and liberties for API–including AMEMSA–communities Engage in state, local, and federal policy and administrative advocacy on policing, surveillance, counterterrorism, and national security issues Build, work in, and maintain strategic community partnerships with grassroots organizations and coalitions and provide legal and policy support to advance advocacy goals Collaborate with Communications staff to develop stories with ALC clients and their communities and execute narrative-shifting strategies Conduct community education and Know Your Rights events, as needed Participate in a range of local, statewide, national, and international coalitions, committees, and task forces Collaborate with NSCR and other programmatic staff on intersectional issues and advocacy efforts Oversee attorneys, community advocates, paralegals, law clerks, and other volunteers on legal cases Participate in regular check-in meetings, staff meetings, program team meetings, and other organization meetings, as requested Perform other duties as needed All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. Note: This job description is subject to change and is not intended to constitute a contract. Qualifications B.A./B.S. and JD degrees with membership in good standing with the California State Bar A minimum of four (4) years of relevant legal experience, including impact litigation. The minimum consideration for a Senior Staff Attorney is seven years out of law school Demonstrated leadership and ability to work independently and in collaboration with other attorneys, advocates, and community-based organizations Highly motivated and self-starting Excellent legal research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills Team player and collaborator who enjoys working with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and experiences Demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights of low-income, API, AMEMSA, people of color, and/or immigrant communities Experience in organizing, and/or working with grassroots community organizations and/or in coalition spaces to advance the rights of low-income, API, AMEMSA, people of color, and/or immigrant communities highly desirable Some familiarity with immigration and/or criminal law preferred Preferred bilingual skills in Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, or other relevant languages