Legislative Counsel/Lobbyist

American Civil Liberties Union

Washington Legislative Office, Washington, DC

For more than 93 years, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU) has been at the forefront of virtually every major battle for civil liberties and equal justice in this country. Principled and nonpartisan, the ACLU has offices in all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, and brings together the country’s largest team of public interest lawyers, lobbyists, communication strategists, members and activists in the advancement of equality, fairness, and freedom, especially for the most vulnerable in our society.

The Washington Legislative Office (WLO) in the ACLU’s National Office in Washington, DC seeks applicants for a full-time Legislative Counsel/Lobbyist.

OVERVIEW

The Legislative Counsel/Lobbyist will be part of an interdisciplinary team of lobbyists who will integrate and capitalize on the expertise of other national staff focused on litigation, communication, advocacy, alliance building and coalition building, primarily in the fields of national security, privacy and free speech.  The Legislative Counsel/Lobbyist will work under the supervision of the WLO Chief of Staff.  The primary focus of the position will be on a designated portfolio of issues, which may change from time to time depending on organizational priorities.  At the outset, the portfolio will include issues related to national security, privacy and surveillance, open government and free speech.  The Counsel will be knowledgeable about a wide range of civil liberties issues, and will also be responsible for responding to emerging priorities as identified by the office.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare and deliver testimony on pending legislation before Congressional committees.
• Research and draft legal memoranda on federal bills and proposed administrative rules and regulations affecting civil liberties.
• Lobby members of Congress, their staff and administration officials to support ACLU positions on pending legislation and policy initiatives.
• Coordinate and conduct in-depth civil liberties briefings for Congressional and Executive Branch staff.
• Participate as the ACLU representative in meetings of ad hoc lobbying and policy coalitions.
• Work with national and local media to brief them on legislative and executive branch priorities.
• Collaborate with other ACLU national staff, affiliate staff and representatives of coalition allies.
• Organize, lead and work with outside groups to bolster support for ACLU policy goals or to minimize opposition to those goals.
• Coordinate efforts across the organization including legal staff, communications staff, state strategists, and affiliates around the country to keep them abreast of and enlist their support for ACLU federal lobbying work on the relevant portfolio of issues.
• Supervise an administrative staff person, ACLU volunteers and interns.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• J.D. degree, other advanced degree, or equivalent legislative experience is required.
• Three (3) or more years of combined experience working on legislative and policy matters.
• Experience in national security issues, privacy rights, and/or speech and assembly rights is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze legislative and administrative policy.
• Ability to work independently, as well as within a team.
• An understanding of issues relating to law, public policy and the strategies and tools needed to achieve policy change using federal legislative, administrative and regulatory processes.
• A capacity to organize, lead and work with coalitions to achieve lobbying goals.
• Litigation or lobbying experience involving civil liberties or related public interest issues is a plus.
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU.

COMPENSATION

The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter (with salary requirements), resume and writing sample that demonstrates legal or policy analysis skills to: hrjobsWLO@aclu.org. Please reference [WLOU-06/ACLU-W] in the subject line. Please note this is not the general ACLU applicant email address. This email address is specific to Washington Legislative Office postings. In order to ensure your application is received, please make certain it is sent to the correct e-mail address. You can expect to receive an automatic response that acknowledges the submission of application materials.

Alternatively, application materials may be sent by mail to:

American Civil Liberties Union

RE: [WLOU-06/ACLU-W]

915 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005

Please indicate in your cover letter where you learned of this career opportunity.