The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel in the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Washington, DC. This position may be eligible for remote work in the United States. If hybrid, there is an in-office requirement of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. This is a term-limited position with an end date of December 31, 2027. The position has an ideal start date of January 2026.
The Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative (ACDI) is a first-of-its-kind program of the ACLU to confront the criminalization of abortion care in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. The ACDI team manages a network of experienced criminal defenders nationwide who are trusted partners, ready to represent people at risk of abortion-related criminal investigations and prosecutions. ACDI attorneys provide legal, strategic, and logistical assistance to support local counsel and drive a nationwide, coordinated defense response against the criminalization of reproductive healthcare. In addition, ACDI attorneys collaborate closely with other projects in the ACLU’s national office as well as ACLU affiliates to lead advocacy and litigation to mitigate the harms of abortion criminalization and expand access to abortion care. The ACDI is situated between the ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality and the Reproductive Freedom Project.
We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by November 21, 2025.
This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).
Reporting to the Director of the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will be focused on two related goals: (1) partnering with local defense counsel to represent people facing abortion related prosecution or investigation threats; (2) identifying opportunities and assisting in implementation of affirmative advocacy and litigation strategies to reduce the harms of laws that criminalize abortion access. In addition to partnering with local criminal defense attorneys, the Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, or Senior Counsel will work closely with attorneys in the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project and other advocates in the Reproductive Rights and Justice movement. This role will include driving coordination between legal teams for clients facing multiple criminal and civil threats related to abortion. It may also include working with stakeholders and decision-makers, for example, with state attorneys general and governors, to fight against abortion criminalization harms.
The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances)
The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY where are National Offices are headquartered. 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
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:
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.