Senior Staff Attorney, Democracy: Voting Rights Litigation Team

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Democracy - Voting Rights Litigation Team (DVR) works across the Deep South in collaboration with community partners and organizers to engage and mobilize voters, restore voting rights to returning citizens, pursue electoral policy reforms, and bring litigation to challenge unconstitutional and discriminatory voting practices. Our efforts center on expanding access to the ballot; promoting fair redistricting; defending against racial gerrymandering and vote dilution; improving election administration; and community outreach and engagement. DVR’s current work includes a lawsuit challenging multiple provisions of SB 202, Georgia’s sweeping voter disenfranchisement law which threatens to disenfranchise Georgia voters, specifically voters of color; a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s state legislative maps as racial gerrymanders in violation of the U.S. Constitution; a lawsuit challenging the Mississippi Supreme Court’s 35-year-old districting plan, which denies Black voters a fair opportunity to elect candidate of their choice; and a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s failure to make its absentee ballot system accessible to blind and print-disabled individuals. We also engage regularly in public education, election monitoring, and other legal advocacy work across the Deep South.

Experienced. Demonstrated experience litigating individual and class action civil rights cases in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels.

Advocate. Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to promote voting rights.

Committed. Demonstrated interest and commitment to voting rights, civic engagement, campaign work, organizing or election law.

Analytical. Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.  

Researcher. Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.

Creative. Ability to create vision and take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies to move litigation forward.

Collaborative. Demonstrated ability to work with other Advocacy and Litigation Impact Teams (ALITs), external organizations, and stakeholders to execute specific strategies to advance the work and cases of the Democracy- Voting Rights ALIT.

Communicative. Exceptional communication skills and ability to communicate persuasively to a variety of audiences through writing and speaking.

Mission, Vision & Culture Alignment. Demonstrated awareness for SPLC's mission and vision; and a commitment to ideals of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and fostering an anti-racist work culture and anti-racist principles and learning.

Litigate cases in state and federal courts, primarily across SPLC’s five focus states. This includes working and cocounseling with private attorneys; conducting extensive research and factual investigations; writing motions, briefs, and other court filings; conducting discovery, court appearances; and oral arguments.

Lead advocacy and litigation, including legal research, factual investigations, drafting memorandum, complaints.

Identify and develop new cases and new litigation strategies to advance voting rights, including working with community groups, coalitions, and individuals.

Mentor and train legal staff and interns as needed.

Participate where appropriate on relevant task forces and coalitions.

Collaborate extensively across departments within SPLC to ensure effective implementation of SPLCs impact area goals.

Represent DVR on relevant task forces and coalitions.

Work closely with SPLC’s Policy Department staff and the SPLC’s Communications and other departments in helping to advance the organization’s policy objectives.

Engage in public speaking and articulate the SPLC’s policies and programs to the public and the media on voting rights issues

Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

Uphold our JEDI principles by seeking diverse collaborators and partners that can deliver genuine, authentic and impactful work while ensuring their contributions are directed towards the shared mission, vision and values of the Center and Legal Department’s goals.

We are committed to equitable hiring practices; therefore, you must meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for the role.

• At least six (6) years of federal court civil litigation or comparable experience post law school;
• Membership in good standing of at least one state bar in the United States, preferably Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, or Washington, D.C.; and J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

This is an exempt role, and the minimum starting salary is $97,637.00 annually.  Salary is based on legal experience post law school. 

• Senior Staff Attorney I (6 & 7 years out of law school):  $97,637.00.
• Senior Staff Attorney II (8 & 9 years out of law school):  $112,286.00.
• Senior Staff Attorney III (10 & 11 years out of law school):  $129,129.00.
• Senior Staff IV (12+ years out of law school): $148,500.00.

• Local Remote: Will work remotely but is expected to attend work-related activities that occur at the SPLC offices or in the states in which the SPLC operates.
• Telework: Will work at an SPLC office at least three days per week and may work two days per week from an alternative work location.
• This position will report to the Senior Supervising Attorney, Democracy: Voting Rights ALIT.

This job is performed under general office conditions and is not subject to any strenuous physical demands or dangerous conditions.

This position is represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.