Civil Liberties Staff Attorney

The Electronic Frontier Foundation seeks to hire an experienced litigator with an unshakeable sense of justice and Fourth Amendment expertise to join our civil liberties team. Responsibilities will include all aspects of impact litigation, including writing amicus briefs, public speaking, blogging and other social media writing, media appearances, and consulting on legislative and regulatory matters related to technology and the public interest. The staff attorney will also advise our staff technologists and domestic and international activists on pertinent legal issues. All of this work will be done in furtherance of EFF’s mission of protecting and promoting digital technology users’ rights of privacy and freedom of expression. We do not expect that this attorney will work on intellectual property matters.

The ideal candidate will have 7+ years of litigation experience, including substantial experience conceptualizing and managing cases, devising and carrying out overall case strategy, managing assisting attorneys and staff, and handling day-to-day projects and deadlines. Candidates must have excellent writing and analytical skills and an eagerness to be part of a team of highly motivated lawyers and activists working collaboratively in a hard-working nonprofit environment. We value candidates who bring diverse experiences and perspectives, professional and otherwise, to our team and to EFF as a whole.

Please have experience, expertise, a passion for, and deep curiosity about Fourth Amendment rights as those rights are implicated by various uses of digital technologies. First Amendment, FOIA and social justice expertise is a plus. Tech savviness and a familiarity with issues at the intersection of technology and the public interest is strongly preferred; an eagerness to learn about communications technology is essential.

This is a full-time exempt position based in our San Francisco office. Because we are highly collaborative and value our in-person time together, applicants seeking to work remotely will not be considered.

EFF is a great place to work. We offer a supportive and empowering environment, along with an excellent benefits package including housing cost assistance, student loans assistance, medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b)(7) retirement savings program with matching, paid time off, holiday benefits, parental leave, a dog-friendly workplace, and more.

As an advocacy organization, EFF is committed to being part of a diverse community. Diversity of life experiences makes a big difference in how we identify and litigate legal issues, design privacy-enhancing software, and organize our activism. To that end, we deliberately seek applicants with different perspectives, identities, and experiences to build an inclusive workplace to better inform our advocacy and defense of freedom in our digital world. EFF is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people of all races, genders, ages, abilities, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply.

EFF will accept and consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The position is available to be filled as early as July 1, 2018 but we are flexible on start date.

Interested applicants should submit the following:

1. A resume, highlighting their most pertinent experiences
2. A cover letter explaining in detail their specific interest in EFF and this particular job.
3. A brief excerpt from a litigation document on which you were the primary author that shows your persuasive legal writing and reasoning skills (1200 words maximum)
4. A short (250 words or so) written response to the following prompt: Identify an important issue at the intersection of 4th Amendment rights and technology and explain why it is important and how EFF might be able to advance the issue through impact litigation.

Please include item #3 with your cover letter upload.