Senior Staff Attorney, School of Law

About the Opportunity

The Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Project, housed at the Northeastern University School of Law (CRRJ) is the pioneer academic program in the country examining current racial inequities through the lens of history and seeking creative reparative justice. CRRJ investigates, publicizes, and remediates cases of racial homicide. It has built the most comprehensive archive on racial violence events between 1930 and 1955 in the country.  Founded in 2007, CRRJ’s project is unique in its combination of rigorous research and community engagement.  CRRJ identifies the underlying hidden narratives from the time period and brings justice to families and communities. CRRJ’s mission is to: (1) publish and maintain an online archive on racial violence during the segregation era; (2) train civil and human rights lawyers through curricular offerings and advising; (3) design national, state and local reparative projects; (4) serve as a clearinghouse for policymakers in the field of historical injustice; and (5) support innovative scholarship on historical racial violence and reparative justice.  The Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Project is a program of the law school’s Center on Law, Equity and Race (CLEAR).

CRRJ is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney with litigation experience to lead the development of its project on historical injustice and the US criminal legal system. The program is dedicated to legal advocacy on behalf of defendants wrongly executed  in the mid-twentieth century. 

The Senior Staff Attorney will have broad civil rights or criminal justice experience; excellent legal research, analytical and writing skills; and, preferably, complex litigation experience in a range of forums.

The Senior Staff Attorney serves as the lead on a team supporting the mission of CRRJ by generating and sustaining a docket of cases; conducting investigations and pursuing remedies, including advocacy in courts and agencies; engaging with communities affected by historical injustice in the US criminal legal system; and supervising law students.  The Senior Staff Attorney will actively develop and manage litigation and collaborate with partner law firms and community stakeholders, support strategic policy advocacy with broad coalitions in legal and academic communities, and engage in community outreach across the United States.  The Senior Staff Attorney will supervise students and one or more legal fellows. Additionally, the Senior Staff Attorney may have the opportunity to teach in a clinical setting. The Senior Staff Attorney will advance CRRJ’s visibility; represent CRRJ at meetings and conferences; participate in development activities, and help maintain strong staff relationships. Measures of success will include ability to supervise, direct, and guide legal staff and students as they develop cases and pursue our litigation, research and policy initiatives.

Supervision of the Senior Attorney will be provided by faculty leadership of CRRJ and CLEAR.

This is a full-time benefits-eligible position based at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.  The position is for two years with extension possible based on funding and at the discretion of CRRJ.  Northeastern is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.  Benefits include health/dental/vision; vacation time and tuition reimbursement for Northeastern degree/certificate programs.

Final candidates may be required to participate in a presentation exercise.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a significant caseload of civil rights matters in a variety of forums; work closely with CRRJ lawyers and students to develop litigation; manage relationships with external partners, including law firms. Serve as a resource for law firm partners. Manage intake and vetting practices. Oversee all aspects of litigation, including legal research, discovery, motion practice, briefing, appellate work, and amicus briefing. Review attorney work product.
• Supervise, advise, and coordinate activities with one or more CRRJ legal fellows and student research assistants. Conduct regular meetings to provide feedback. Ensure training of legal fellow(s) and student researchers in substantive areas.
• Build and maintain relationships with academic and nonprofit programs aligned with the litigation and policy agenda of CRRJ; ensure visibility for CRRJ with diverse academic and social justice nonprofit groups. Represent CRRJ at meetings, workshops and conferences.
• Build and maintain relationships with communities aligned with the litigation and policy reform agenda of CRRJ; ensure visibility for CRRJ across diverse communities and social justice movements.  Represent CRRJ at meetings and conferences.  Participate in media events. Support fundraising efforts.

Qualifications:
 

Required Qualifications:

• Juris doctor from an ABA-accredited  or state-accredited law school and a member in good standing of a bar in the United States
• A minimum of four years of recent litigation/legal advocacy experience in civil rights, criminal justice, or a relevant field
• Knowledge of state and federal laws regarding civil rights, criminal justice, and/or wrongful convictions
• Strong attention to detail, problem solving skills, exceptional organizational skills with the ability to organize time and priorities, including multiple tasks and deadline pressures.
• Strong researching and analytical skills, including the ability to negotiate effectively Ability to work independently and make informed, independent decisions
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization
• Maintain accurate records of case details and research

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising law students
• Clinical teaching experience

Documents to Submit:

Cover Letter, CV/Resume, legal writing sample, and three professional references.

Additional Information:

For questions or additional information, please contact Deborah Jackson, CLEAR Managing Director, at [email protected].

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.