The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA) is seeking a full-time legal and intake assistant to provide litigation and administrative support to the ACLU of Washington’s litigation and legal advocacy efforts as well as provide administrative support to the Intake Department. This position will begin in the Fall of 2019.

Overview

The ACLU of Washington is a leader among state affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union, the country's premier guardian of liberty. We work in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect and extend American rights to freedom, fairness and equality. The ACLU is both nonprofit and nonpartisan. The ACLU-WA’s staff of 40+ employees and numerous volunteers work in a fast-paced, friendly and professional office in downtown Seattle. We are supported by more than 135,000 members, activists, and donors.

The ACLU-WA Legal Department is comprised of our Legal Director, seven staff attorneys, a fellow, the Intake Manager, a paralegal, and a legal assistant. The legal team takes on forty to fifty cases and amicus briefs a year in the state and federal courts that cover a variety of issues regarding civil rights and civil liberties. The Legal Intake Department is the front line for people seeking help from the ACLU of Washington. The Intake Department receives a high volume of intakes each year via phone, website, and letters, and works to funnel these intakes to the appropriate attorneys and/or direct people to the resources that would help them the most.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture and are committed to race equity in all aspects of our work. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, socio-economic circumstance, or record of arrest or conviction. Women, people of color, LGBT people, and people with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Assistant Duties:

Carry out administrative tasks such as processing invoices and reimbursements, scanning, copying, calendaring, sending large mailings, and coordinating hiring logistics.

Onboard and offboard new staff, volunteers, and interns in accordance with office procedures.

Plan and coordinate large meetings and occasional events.

Learn to assist the paralegal in providing litigation support by: assisting with maintaining department litigation records; working on pleadings, exhibits, discovery documents, correspondence, and memos; helping with filings; calendaring court deadlines; and ensuring compliance with local rules in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels.

Communicate clearly and professionally with a broad range of stakeholders including cooperating attorneys, clients, defendants, and judicial officials.

Help maintain a positive, respectful, welcoming, and professional work environment for employees and volunteers. Assist in other activities as assigned.

Intake Assistant Duties:

Work with the Intake Manager to run all aspects of our intake department, including helping to supervise any intake interns.

Prepare and ensure timely response to online and mail intake inquiries and requests for assistance.

Generate regular database reports reflecting trends in intakes received by the office.

Help respond to attorney inquiries about intakes.

Help maintain and curate a comprehensive legal Resource Referral Manual database and an extensive library of “know your rights” and self-advocacy literature.

Help maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the intake database.

QUALIFICATIONS

Excellent time management and organizational skills. Successful candidates have the ability to manage their own workflow in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment while coordinating with multiple other department members.

Demonstrated ability to handle stress in a healthy way.

Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills; proven ability to work well with people with a wide range of interests, skills, and concerns. A confident and personable demeanor.

Computer and technology proficiency including mastery of MS Office Suite, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat Professional or proven ability to troubleshoot and learn new software. Experience with litigation and e-discovery software is a plus.

While not required, Spanish language proficiency is extremely helpful.

A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance.

A minimum two-year commitment is required. After the first year, successful candidates may be promoted.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice. This position is “non-exempt” under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary is based on experience and qualifications. Benefits include three weeks of vacation to start, medical and disability insurance, a retirement plan, and an ORCA card.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply, email a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (i.e. a memo or a short essay) to Jobs@aclu-wa.org. Include in the subject line of the email your last name and Legal Assistant. In your cover letter, please indicate where you learned of the posting. Please be prepared to provide three references upon request. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website at www.aclu-wa.org/careers

The ACLU of Washington comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, Inc. and the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Foundation. The two corporations share the same overall mission, office space, and employees. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU of Washington.”