POSITION AVAILABLE
Administrative Assistant - [LGLF-35]
ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief
Washington, DC

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLUF) Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief seeks applicants for the position of Administrative Assistant to work with the Program Director, Director of Litigation, Religion Outreach Director, and Staff Attorneys on religion litigation and other advocacy efforts. The position will be located in Washington, DC. We will start reviewing applications on May 11, 2008.

The ACLU, America's foremost advocate of civil liberties, is a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920. With national offices in New York and Washington and 53 affiliates throughout the country, it is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier public interest law firms.

The ACLU established the Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief in 2005. The Program is designed to help safeguard American constitutional principles by ensuring that governmental laws and practices neither promote religion nor interfere with its free exercise. The Program’s goal is to preserve religious freedom and the right of individual conscience through integrated strategy of litigation, education and public advocacy.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Drafting, proofreading and editing legal documents (including court filings), internal and external correspondence, public education documents, and various reports.
• Working with other ACLU departments in the national offices and with the ACLU affiliates to coordinate and distribute program information.
• Responding to all incoming calls; answering routine inquiries and re-routing calls to the appropriate staff members.
• Responsible for tracking expense reports, including the processing of invoices and preparing requests for reimbursement.
• Organizing and maintaining all departmental filing systems, both electronic and paper.
• Coordinating and scheduling travel arrangements, meetings and appointments.
• Performing legal and factual research as assigned.
• Collecting, prioritizing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail.
• Providing administrative support to the Program Director, Director of Litigation, Religion Outreach Director and Staff Attorneys.
• Assisting with special projects as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred. Minimum of 1 year related work experience required.
• Strong administrative, organizational and interpersonal skills, including ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to multi-task, to prioritize tasks and follow through to completion; ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and Adobe/PDF; experience with Internet research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Some legal background or demonstrated interest in legal issues preferred.
• An interest in civil liberties is preferred; some knowledge of ACLU issues regarding Freedom of Religion and Belief is helpful.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary is commensurate with experience, within the parameters of the ACLU compensation scale. An excellent benefits package is provided.

HOW TO APPLY:
If you are a proactive and resourceful team player with a passion for public interest issues, please send a letter of interest (with salary requirements), resume, and the names of two references with contact information by e-mail to hrjobs@aclu.org AND religion@dcaclu.org - reference [LGLF-35/WACLU] in the subject line.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, which will not be before May 11, 2008. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.