Senior Staff Attorney

Senior Staff Attorney Muslim Advocates (MA)—a national legal-advocacy, social-justice, and educational organization—seeks applications from talented and motivated attorneys wishing to join our growing legal team as a senior staff attorney. Status: Full time Classification: Exempt Location: MA’s staff works remotely within the United States, with most of the team based on the East Coast. Periodic domestic travel for staff gatherings, court appearances, case development, fundraising events, and other professional reasons is required. Reports to: Legal Director Background: MA's movement-centered mission works with and for diverse Muslim and historically marginalized communities to build community power, fight systemic oppression, and demand shared wellbeing. We work in coalition with grassroots and community-based partners to dismantle discriminatory systems, including systems of state surveillance, mass incarceration, detention and deportation, and family regulation. We also work to defend movements from targeted state repression related to their principled dissent. Recognizing the limitations of any singular strategy, we use a combination of public education, policy work, systemic-change litigation, direct legal services, and technical assistance to movement leaders and community-based partners. The senior staff attorney will report to the legal director and play a key role in our litigation and advocacy across all areas of our work. Roles and Responsibilities include but are not limited to: - Litigation work, including but not limited to: identifying and weighing potential legal claims/arguments/strategies; client contact, advisals, and communications; drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs; strategizing for and conducting written and oral discovery; strategizing for, exploring, and guiding settlement negotiations - Provide technical expertise/assistance to partners - Develop relationships with grassroots and organizational partners and related, shared advocacy - Develop and present Know Your Rights (KYR) guidance - Develop trainings for advocates - Participate in ongoing advocacy coalitions - Federal and/or state/local policy advocacy, as required - Screen and follow up on intakes - In-depth, complex legal research and writing for both litigation and non-litigation advocacy - Oral advocacy and communications/media/public advocacy relating to both litigation and non-litigation work - Oversee interns and fellows Qualifications: Success as a senior staff attorney requires the following: - At least 7 years of practice experience as an attorney - Subject-matter expertise and legal-advocacy experience in one or more of the following areas: - immigration detention-and-deportation system - students’ rights under the First Amendment and under Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 - criminal legal system - prisoners’ rights and carceral abolition - legal frameworks concerning putative national security - low-wage workers’ rights - Demonstrated experience in or commitment to movement and client-centered lawyering - Sound professional judgment - Rigorous critical-thinking skills - Strong oral and written communication skills - Exceptional time-management and organizational skills - Demonstrated ability to work and collaborate effectively in a remote environment as part of a team, with clients, and with myriad partners and allies - Demonstrated self-starter who readily takes accountability for all areas of their work - Ability to receive and implement feedback effectively - Flexibility and adaptation in response to shifting priorities In addition, candidates should have a J.D. from an accredited university, be admitted in good standing to the bar of any state and/or the District of Columbia, be fluent in oral and written English, and be willing and able to travel as the demands of the position require. Additional/Preferred Qualifications The ideal candidate will have: - Experience litigating in federal and state courts, including in…