Legal Director, ACLU of North Dakota, South Dakota, & Wyoming

North Dakota, United States

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU's National Chapter of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming seeks applicants for the full-time position of Legal Director in Sioux Falls, SD or Fargo, ND. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

We are taking our organization to the next level by strengthening our legal firepower, building legislative strength, expanding communications methods, and creating winning issue campaigns. To meet these objectives, the ACLU of South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming has adopted a “campaign” approach for its work. Work is focused on pursuing specific integrated advocacy campaigns to achieve measurable goals that will expand civil liberties and civil rights while building the long-term power of the ACLU and the civil liberties’ movement.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Executive Director of the Dakotas/Wyoming Chapter, the Legal Director will lead and expand the ACLU legal program across South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming, including developing and litigating high-impact cases and managing the legal department. At the direction of the Executive Director, the Legal Director will be responsible for crafting and executing legal strategy that advances the ACLU of SD/ND/WY mission, as well as handling the day-to-day management of legal staff and cooperating attorneys. As a critical member of the office's senior leadership team, the Legal Director will provide strategic leadership on both litigation and non-litigation legal advocacy in priority areas of criminal justice, immigrants’ rights, Indigenous justice, LGBTQ and Two Spirit equality, reproductive rights, and voting rights, as well as other areas including First Amendment rights.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Legal Director who will lead all aspects of litigation and serve as a key senior leader within our Chapter. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to legal advocacy and strategic leadership, contributing significantly to the Chapter’s culture, management, and overall direction. Key responsibilities and qualifications include:

  • Strategic Leadership: Provide leadership in both litigation and non-litigation legal advocacy, playing a crucial role in shaping the Chapter’s legal strategies and broader organizational goals
  • Team Management and Collaboration: Proven ability to manage and inspire high-performing legal staff and teams. Coordinate effectively with advocacy, communications, and development teams to ensure cohesive, cross-functional success
    • Manage, supervise, and direct a staff attorney and occasionally law student and undergraduate interns; handle recruiting and hiring of additional legal staff (budget permitting); and foster an organizational culture within the legal program that encourages staff development through internal and external resources
    • Coordinate and collaborate with other ACLU SD/ND/WY departments on cross-departmental projects, ensuring integrated – and maximally effective – outcomes. Serve as a resource on legal matters for staff, partners, and other ACLU of SD/ND/WY constituents
  • Direct Litigation Expertise: Engage in direct litigation efforts and manage cases demonstrating self-sufficiency and expertise in legal proceedings
    • Maintain and continue to develop our impact litigation and advocacy docket, which advances the ACLU of SD/ND/WY strategic priorities and responds to civil rights and civil liberties threats
    • Manage all aspects of the litigation program, including coordinating the selection of cases, overseeing the investigation and development of cases before commencing litigation; building litigation teams with in-house lawyers, private lawyers, and nonprofit partners; directly engaging in litigation in federal and state court; and overseeing ongoing litigation
    • Maintain an individual caseload of developing and active litigation and amicus briefs, including overseeing and directing pre-litigation investigations, discovery, motion practice, brief writing, hearings and trials, and appellate work
    • Work with staff attorneys, cooperating attorneys, and co-counsel (including but not limited to attorneys from the ACLU’s National Legal Department) on all work within the ACLU SD/ND/WY legal program
  • Community Engagement: Develop and nurture strong relationships with community leaders, members, and organizations, both within legal circles and the broader community
    • Broaden and deepen relationships with volunteer attorneys and other lawyers in the community to ensure the visibility of the ACLU SD/ND/WY in the legal community (and beyond) and to help build our legal docket, including by engaging lawyers in pre-litigation investigations, amicus briefs, litigation, and other ACLU SD/ND/WY activities
    • Develop relationships with stakeholders such as community members, allied organizations, coalitions, and community leaders in SD/ND/WY who may be impacted by current and future litigation
  • Public Representation: Act as a prominent spokesperson for the Chapter, representing the organization in media appearances, strategic public forums, community events, donor briefings, and other public engagements

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

  • Significant years of trial and appellate litigation experience in state and federal courts, including class actions, with a strong interest and experience in constitutional law and civil rights
  • Proven ability to effectively manage legal staff, run diverse and high-performing teams, and savviness in both direct and indirect people leadership with the ability to work effectively in coordination with non-legal teams engaged in advocacy, communications, and development
  • Admitted to the South Dakota, North Dakota, or Wyoming Bar or eligible for admission on motion
  • Excellent organizational skills and a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving and litigation
  • Creative, persuasive, results-oriented, self-starting, persevering, and willing to learn
  • Ability to engage in litigation with minimal support staff
  • High ethical standards and genuine interest in developing authentic relationships
  • Team player who inspires collaboration, lifts the work of others, and maintains balance and perspective with patience

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 $116,756 (Level E), reflecting the salary of a position based in Sioux Falls, SD. 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.

 

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