Senior Staff Attorney
Location: Montgomery, Alabama
Description: The Southern Poverty Law Center is at present looking to employ Senior Staff Attorney right now, this job will be placed in Alabama. More details about this job opportunity please read the description below. The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking a Jackson-based Senior Staff Attorney to litigate children's civil rights cases related to juvenile justice, mental health, and education reform t! hroughout the Deep South.
Project Description:
The Southern Poverty Law Center works to reduce the imprisonment of poor children of color by advocating for reforms of the State's juvenile justice, education, and mental health systems. SPLC works to end school disciplinary practices that exclude students from public schools, to ensure that juvenile justice systems are fair and humane, and to ensure that children with disabilities receive appropriate education and mental health services that allow them to live and thrive in their homes and communities.
We use a variety of strategies in our workâ€"including community engagement and mobilizing, legislative and media advocacy, and litigation. Our litigation successes include IDEA litigation which has resulted in the reform of overly punitive, ineffective disciplinary policies. As a result of our advocacy, a number of school districts have adopted Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS), to create a cultur! e that fosters learning and reduces conflict in schools. SPLC ! attorneys have also successfully protected the constitutional rights of imprisoned children throughout the state of Mississippi. This litigation has resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of children incarcerated in juvenile prisons. Our public policy campaigns have secured funding for community-based alternatives to incarceration and have reformed Mississippi's Youth Court Act.
Responsibilities of Position:
We are currently seeking an experienced and dedicated attorney to work collaboratively with our staff on multiple initiatives. Responsibilities of the position include:
Litigating juvenile justice, education, and disability cases in federal district court throughout the Deep South;
Managing the legal work of law fellows and staff attorneys;
Supervising outreach activities related to litigation;
Developing new cases that are responsive to the needs and strengths of families and youth and that complement S! PLC's ongoing community-based campaigns;
Communicating regularly with SPLC staff across the southern region about the litigation docket;
Representing SPLC in various forums, including before community groups, legislators and state agencies;
Representing individual youth before school boards or in delinquency proceedings in strategically selected cases.
Necessary Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
At least 5 years experience litigating civil rights actions in federal district court (or comparable legal experience);
Experience with advocacy campaigns aimed at reforming juvenile, criminal justice, system, education and/or mental health systems;
Creativity and a demonstrated willingness to take calculated risks in crafting and executing litigation strategies;
Initiative, vision, and a strong commitment to the struggle for social justice;
Strong ! writing and communication skills;
A non-hierarchical, client-c! entered approach to advocacy, and experience working with and for parents, students, and/or imprisoned young people;
Ability to prioritize responsibilities and have fun in a high-energy, fast-paced work environment;
Experience living/working in the Deep South on social justice issues;
A Mississippi law license is preferred or candidate must be willing to sit for the February 2014 Mississippi Bar Exam.
The position provides a very competitive salary and excellent benefits, including a generous 401 (k) plan. To apply for the position, please send a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, and three references to https://home.eease.com/recruit/?id=5648521 .
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance.
- .
If yo! u were eligible to this job, please deliver us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to The Southern Poverty Law Center.
Interested on this job, just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This job will be started on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:36:47 GMT
Apply Senior Staff Attorney Here