Deputy Project Director for Immigration Detention

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Deputy Project Director for Immigration Detention in the National Prison Project (NPP) of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, CA, or New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention facilities comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. NPP has successfully litigated on behalf of incarcerated and detained people in more than 25 states, and is the only organization litigating conditions of confinement cases nationwide. Our priorities include reducing overcrowding, improving health care, eliminating violence and maltreatment, and increasing oversight and accountability in prisons, jails, and other places of detention. We also work to reverse the policies that have given the United States the highest incarceration rate in the world and led to extreme over-representation of people of color in our country’s prisons, jails, and immigration detention facilities.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the NPP Project Director , the Deputy Project Director for Immigration Detention will assist the Project Director in all aspects of management of the Project, including strategic planning, fundraising, and supervision of Project staff. This position will have a particular emphasis on challenging immigration detention conditions, the expansion of the immigration detention footprint, and the use and abuse of immigration detention in the federal government’s mass deportation system, and coordinating closely with counterparts in the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and ACLU affiliates across the country. The Deputy Project Director will lead complex civil rights litigation in state and federal court, and develop and lead integrated advocacy campaigns.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

STAFFING AND SUPERVISION

Directly supervise specified staff attorneys, legal fellows, and/or administrative staff, including regular check-ins, approval of expense reports, and time off requests .

Assist NPP Project Director, Co-Deputy Project Director, and management team in making staffing decisions

Ensure balance of work across Project staff, including opportunities for writing, arguments, discovery, witness examinations, case development, and other professional growth

Ensure that Project staff maintain and foster relationships with media, coalition partners, and other targets and allies

With an eye on developing and maintaining an excellent and diverse staff, collaborate with other members of management team to:

Improve process for hiring, onboarding, and managing new staff, fellows, and interns, which includes recruiting excellent candidates and furthering our board-mandated goal to increase the percentage of staff with disabilities and significant disabilities and to work in furtherance of our other announced diversity hiring initiatives

Oversee sustained efforts to create and nurture pools of diverse candidates from which to recruit

ADMINISTRATION

Align with management, including collaborating with and sharing ownership of decisions made by the NPP Project Director, Trone Center for Justice & Equality Director, and Senior Staff

Assume responsibility for specified administrative functions such as gathering particular data for legal or development departments ; and ensuring accuracy of case database, among other work, as directed

Assist the NPP Project Director and Co- Deputy Project Director with expense tracking and budgeting, as directed

LEGAL AND ADVOCACY

Engage in litigation in federal and state court, including drafting pleadings, briefs, and affidavits

Serve as lead counsel or co-lead counsel on a substantial caseload of major class actions in federal court, working closely with other staff attorneys, local counsel, immigrant rights organizations, and clients

Conduct discovery and motion practice, handle hearings and trials, argue appeals in both federal and state courts

Manage case development and conduct client and witness interviews

Conduct legal research and write legal memoranda

Provide technical assistance and expert legal advice to ACLU affiliates, cooperating attorneys , and others who seek assistance from the Project

Lead and manage advocacy campaigns including developing and executing strategic goals and managing campaign advocacy, research, and public education efforts

Conduct policy advocacy on prisoners’ and detainees’ rights, criminal justice, and immigration detention issues

Develop new cases and non-litigation advocacy projects

Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and case and strategy development

STRATEGY, CROSS-PROJECT/CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, AND INTEGRATED ADVOCACY

Assist NPP Project Director and Co-Deputy Project Director with annual strategic planning and memoranda to Senior Staff

Manage special projects

Assist NPP Project Director and Co-Deputy Project Director in managing relationships and coordinating with other departments and external partners, for example:

Work as part of a cross-project team with staff in the National Prison Project and Immigrants’ Rights Project on litigation and other advocacy to challenge draconian and unlawful immigration enforcement policies and practices

Represent NPP in meetings with the National Political Advocacy Department, Communications, Digital, Development, and other departments

Develop and maintain relationships with ACLU affiliates and other partners

Assume responsibility for specific collaborative initiatives, issues, and/or relationships as directed

Represent NPP / ACLU in public-facing meetings, speaking events, and media opportunities as relevant

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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

J.D. degree and active State Bar membership

Extensive experience in complex civil litigation matters in federal court, minimum of 10 years preferred

Demonstrated experience working in immigrant detention and immigrant community settings

Excellent legal research, writing, and verbal communication skills

Ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact finding

Demonstrated ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively

Experience working with reporters and the media on criminal justice and immigration issues

Ability to work with a wide range of people and foster a team environment

Commitment to the mission of the ACLU

Demonstrate d commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance

Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Fluency in Spanish or other languages commonly spoken by immigrant detainees preferred

Self-motivated, diligent and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure

Extensive experience in class action litigation

Proven expertise in campaign management and execution

Comprehensive experience in criminal justice, immigration issues, and institutional reform efforts

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