April 4, 2024

Organization and Opportunity Overview

The ACLU of Wisconsin is the state affiliate of the national ACLU and is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, private organization with more than 14,000 members, dedicated to defending the civil rights and liberties of all Wisconsinites. The ACLU uses public education, advocacy, and targeted litigation to help maintain and advance civil liberties, including freedoms of association, press, religion, and speech, as well as core civil rights, including voting rights, due process, and privacy rights, and the right to equal protection, for all people in Wisconsin.

Position Overview

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin seeks to hire an experienced, passionate, and innovative Paralegal to assist the Legal Department in investigating and litigating selected civil liberties and civil rights cases in Wisconsin state and federal courts.

The position is a full-time, exempt, and salaried position. The position will report to the Legal Director and work with the Legal Department attorneys and other staff members across the organization to create high impact litigation strategies and assist the Legal Department in all of its work.

Primary Responsibilities

The Paralegal will perform a variety of duties and administrative tasks in support of the entire legal team, including:

  • Manage legal intake requests, including online and/or other written complaints, coordinating monthly intake review, and data entry.
  • Assist in case development, including factual research, legal research, interviews, information and evidence gathering and analysis.
  • Assist in case management. Meticulously maintain legal case files (opening, ongoing maintenance and archiving) in electronic form and, where appropriate, paper formats.
  • Manage and serve as Administrator of case management system (“LegalServer”) and coordinate with case management company on modifications and other technical assistance and troubleshooting.
  • Under direction of attorneys, manage administrative/logistical aspects of litigation, such as managing document production and review processes during discovery, serving discovery documents, and arranging for court reporter services.
  • Preparing, filing, and serving court filings on behalf of attorneys.
  • Manage calendars and process scheduling requests to ensure case deadlines are met.
  • Assist in maintaining good client relations.
  • Draft routine correspondence and procedural motions for attorneys’ signatures as needed.
  • Draft and send records requests to government agencies as requested by attorneys, and be able to collect, organize, and summarize responses received from those requests.
  • Cite-check, proofread, and format documents in preparation for filing.
  • Assist attorneys in timekeeping/reporting on certain cases.
  • Support the legal team in the recruitment, selection, supervision and evaluation of staff, including law clerks, interns, and volunteers.
  • Adhere to the highest standards of professional ethics and client confidentiality;
  • Actively support a collaborative, mutually respectful work environment within the legal team and across the organization;
  • Appear at public events on behalf of the organization, on occasion.

Qualifications & Experience

Job requirements include:

  • Ability to work in an environment that respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, immigration status, status as a person directly impacted by the carceral system, and socioeconomic circumstances.
  • Center the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in legal program development and organizational practices and processes;
  • Cultural and social humility with colleagues, in interactions with clients, and with community partners.
  • Advanced organizational and case management skills; meticulous attention to detail.
  • Ability to identify primary and secondary authorities to validate the research, select and apply a range of appropriate operational and management tools and techniques.
  • Ability to maintain absolute confidentiality, exercise sound independent judgment and exhibit high levels of integrity, discretion and diplomacy.
  • Ability to communicate and work effectively and respectfully with clients, staff, board members, volunteers, and the general public.
  • Skilled in communicating both orally and in writing.
  • Ability to build effective working relationships inside and outside the organization and to maintain mutually trusting relationships with clients and coalition partners.
  • Advanced skills in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
  • Ability and willingness to become in-house expert on cloud-based case management system (“LegalServer”).
  • Self-starter, follow-through, ability to set priorities and to seek assistance in setting priorities, and the ability to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to work creatively with good problem-solving skills, with ability to develop and execute effective organizational strategies.
  • Ability to handle difficult and sensitive factual situations in the intake process that involve the violation of individuals’ rights in often traumatic circumstances.
  • Work demands sometimes include travel, working evenings, weekends and holidays as may be required to comply with court deadlines or other time sensitive work.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, along with a willingness to be patient, collegial, and supportive to all affiliate colleagues;
  • Comfort with challenging conversations and situations leveraging strong and engaging interpersonal skills;
  • Willingness to receive and respond to feedback, communicate directly regarding issues that arise in cases, and work as a cohesive and collaborative member of a multi-person and multi-firm litigation team;
  • A personal approach that values the individual, respects diversity, acknowledges the intersectionality of the identities of colleagues and clients and community members, and approaches the work with an anti-racist lens and commitment.
  • A strong commitment to the ACLU’s mission and goals toward the advancement of social justice, racial equity, dismantling white supremacy
  • and incorporating a structural power analysis into work, with knowledge and understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, status as a person directly impacted by the carceral system, socio-economic circumstances, and immigration status.

Preferences include:

  • Paralegal training certificate or degree and three years of paralegal experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred.
  • Active Paralegal Certification and compliance with continuing education requirements through the State Bar of Wisconsin is preferred.
  • Experience working in a non-profit setting is preferred.
  • Experience working in any of the ACLU-WI’s core areas of practice, either in the legal context, or some other way (such as organizing, advocacy, or by way of being directly impacted) is preferred.
  • Federal court filing experience is strongly preferred.
  • Fluency in Spanish or another non-English language is considered an asset, but not required.

Hybrid/Remote Office Schedule

The ACLU of Wisconsin uses a permanent hybrid office environment where employees have the option of working remotely and in-person, prioritizing caregiving and work-life balance needs. Paralegals are expected to travel to state and federal courts throughout Wisconsin, as required for litigation.

Compensation

Based on the experience necessary for this role, we anticipate an annual salary of no less than $54,829 annually; commensurate with experience. The ACLU of Wisconsin offers excellent benefits, including medical and disability insurance, a 401(k) with a match program, professional development stipend and generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should email a single document of the requested documents to hr@aclu-wi.org, please use ‘[YOUR NAME]-Paralegal’ in the subject line of the email. The requested items are the following:

  • Cover letter explaining how you are qualified for this position and why you’re interested in being part of the ACLU of Wisconsin;
  • Resume.
  • Final interviewees will need three professional references.

Applicants will be reviewed beginning immediately and will be accepted until the position is filled.

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 of Wisconsin reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

Commitments from the ACLU-WI

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages 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.

  • The ACLU of Wisconsin is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages people of color, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and formerly incarcerated people to apply.
  • The ACLU of Wisconsin undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact us at jobs@aclu-wi.org.
  • The ACLU of Wisconsin is comprised of two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Foundation. Both are organizations with the same overall mission; they share office space and employees.
  • Benefits include paid vacation and sick leave, paid parental leave, optional medical for employee and family (includes one plan at no cost to the employee), dental and vision coverage for employee and family, life insurance, short and long-term disability insurance; and an optional 401(K) with a stepped employer match.
  • There is a permanent hybrid work environment.
  • All offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of thorough background and reference checks.
  • All inquiries about and interactions with candidates are kept in strict confidence.

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