The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) seeks a General Counsel who will be located in Los Angeles at the organization's headquarters, or one of its regional offices in Kern, Orange County, or the Inland Empire. The General Counsel serves as an advisor and counselor to the Executive Director and senior management as well as the Board of Directors on a broad range of legal issues, including, but not limited to 501c3 and 501c4 compliance, employment, labor, contracts, lobbying, nonprofit governance, and other laws and regulations. In addition to legal expertise and technical abilities, the General Counsel is expected to model the organization's values and give advice and take actions that reflect the organization's values, lead with integrity and demonstrate a high standard of professional ethics. This is a full-time, exempt position. This position will report to the Executive Director and serve as a member of the senior leadership team.
Juris Doctorate (J.D) from an accredited U.S law school and a member in good standing of a State Bar. • Minimum 10 years of relevant experience gained in-house or in a law firm, or a combination of the two. • Successful experience as a legal advisor and counsel to an organization. • Experience and demonstrated track record advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their professional capacity. • Proven background in one or more of the diverse areas of the law in which the organization's General Counsel practices including, but not limited to, general corporate, employment, labor, contract law, nonprofit governance, and tax law (501c3/501c4). • Demonstrated ability to spot potential issues, research new areas, develop new expertise and tap internal and external resources to find solutions across a broad array of issues. • Self-motivation and an ability to manage and complete a complex workload with minimal supervision. • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a complex organizational ecosystem. • Seasoned professional with successful experience in a legal role advising organizations on a diverse portfolio of legal matters. • Ability to work at the organizational and strategic level. • Ability to carry out legal work on a day-to-day basis. • Strong professional independence and uncompromising professional ethics and integrity. • Powerful intellectual acumen and analytical capabilities. • Excellent and effective written and oral communication skills. • Excellent interpersonal skills. • Strong professional discipline and professional standards. • Strong strategic insight and professional judgment. • Solution-oriented and collaborative in work approach. • Commitment to ACLU's missi
About ACLU SoCal
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defends the fundamental rights outlined in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These include the right to freedom of speech and assembly, the right to religious freedom, due process of law, equality before the law and the right to privacy. The ACLU also relies on state constitutional provisions and federal and state laws that further these and similar rights.
Today, the ACLU has affiliates in 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. California is unique in that it has three affiliates: ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California and the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties. Often, the three affiliates work in collaboration on statewide initiatives under the "ACLU of California."
Generally, the ACLU of Southern California works on behalf of people in the Southern California region, namely in Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
