Paralegal, Disability Rights Program

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Paralegal in the Disability Rights Program of the ACLU’s National office in San Francisco, CA or Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The Disability Rights Program’s mission is to achieve an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting and civic engagement. We fight to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer segregated into, and overrepresented in, civil and criminal institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons.  

The ACLU has fought for decades for the rights of people with disabilities - achieving key wins to stop coerced mental health treatment and unnecessary institutionalization, as well as playing a role in the drafting of the ADA. In 2012, the ACLU established the Disability Rights Program (DRP). DRP litigates and advocates to fight the over-representation of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system, to promote alternatives to guardianship, and to secure equal access to the ballot. We also provide support to affiliates and the National office on disability rights issues that intersect with core civil liberties.  

While the ACLU’s Legal Department is headquartered in New York, it also has programs housed in San Francisco and Washington, DC. The Disability Rights Program works out of the San Francisco and DC offices. 

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

Reporting to the Program Director, the Paralegal will be responsible for providing paralegal and administrative support to the Disability Rights Program, which litigates and advocates in our priority areas of voting, education, autonomy, and criminal justice and also provides support to affiliates and the National office on disability rights issues that intersect with core civil liberties. 

• Prepare and file legal pleadings; arrange for service of legal documents; prepare and serve discovery documents; conduct research on court rules and procedures  
• Maintain case files, attorneys’ correspondence files, and internal litigation tracking systems including case summaries and calendar of litigation deadlines and court dates
• Provide administrative and litigation support to attorneys, including maintaining calendars, preparing correspondence, making travel arrangements and processing expense reports 
• Monitor and manage excel spreadsheets for DRP budget 
• Respond to requests for legal assistance
• Update content on the ACLU website and intranet 
• Provide administrative support for manager review of applications for intern and fellowship positions 
• Work jointly with interns and communicate routine and/or procedural guidance on projects assigned by managers 
• Work collaboratively with other support staff in both New York and San Francisco offices to ensure that office systems run smoothly 
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned 

• 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

• Strong research skills, including internet research, required 
• Highly organized, efficient, self-motivated, and able to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines effectively
• Strong organizational and administrative skills  
• Strong attention to detail and ability to complete complex tasks accurately and reliably
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; strong interpersonal skills 
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team while maintaining a high level of efficiency and professionalism 
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office; familiarity with spreadsheets preferred 
• Ability to identify and solve problems independently, especially with regard to scheduling and computer skills 

• Experience creating tables of contents, tables of authorities, mail merges, and creating/inserting macros, pivot tables, etc.
• Commitment to public interest work and to civil liberties in particular is important 
• An Associate or Bachelor’s degree 
• Basic knowledge of Westlaw and PACER 
• Previous paralegal, administrative support or related experience
• Personal and/or professional experience with the disability community 

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:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

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 complete the Accommodation Request Form

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.