Career Opportunity
Legal Administrative Assistant- Grade III [WRP-02]
American Civil Liberties Union
Women’s Rights Project, NY

The Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) seeks applicants for a Legal Administrative Assistant to work closely with three or more staff.

America's foremost advocate of individual rights, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 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.

Founded in 1972 by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Women's Rights Project (WRP) has been a leader in the legal battles to ensure women’s full equality in American society. WRP is dedicated to advancing the rights and interests of women, with particular emphasis on issues affecting low-income women, women of color, and immigrant women. WRP has overall responsibility for implementing ACLU policy in the area of gender discrimination. WRP conducts direct litigation, files amicus curiae briefs, provides support for ACLU affiliate litigation, serves as a resource for ACLU legislative work on women’s rights, and seeks to advance ACLU policy goals through public education, outreach, and participation in coalitions. WRP has been an active participant in virtually all of the major gender discrimination litigation in the Supreme Court, in Congressional efforts to promote gender equality, and in other significant public education on behalf of women and girls.

The Women’s Rights Project, based in New York, has four core priority areas of focus: employment, with a particular emphasis on issues that affect low-wage immigrant women workers; violence against women, with a focus on housing and employment discrimination against domestic violence survivors and police responsiveness to abuse; gender equity in education and criminal and juvenile justice issues affecting women and girls. The Project has also worked in other areas affecting women, including women’s religious freedom and poverty issues of concern to women. Cutting across its four core priority areas, WRP seeks to incorporate an international human rights framework into its litigation and advocacy efforts.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Legal Administrative Assistant will work principally with lawyers and paralegals on Women’s Rights Project’s litigation and other advocacy efforts. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Word process, proofread and edit legal and public education documents.
• Maintain and organize files.
• Draft occasional correspondence and other materials.
• Utilize the web and other vehicles to perform factual research on case-related and public education matters when needed.
• Answer telephones, take messages, and route calls.
• Respond to written and verbal inquiries.
• Process invoices and requests for attorneys’ case cost reimbursement and petty cash.
• Organize travel arrangements.
• Schedule meetings, interviews, and conference calls, and prepare meeting materials.
• Fax, copy, mail and type letters.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of administrative or related experience, and/or Bachelor’s Degree and related experience preferred.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Windows applications and have experience with Internet research.
• Must have excellent organizational, time-management, follow-up, interpersonal, and administrative skills.
• Must have excellent telephone manner, outstanding writing skills, superb attention to detail.
• Must be a self-starter, take initiative, and work well in a fast paced environment.
• Commitment to women’s rights, civil liberties, and public interest legal work is helpful.

COMPENSATION:
Salary of $35,042 includes increment paid to secretaries working for three or more attorneys. Excellent health and welfare benefits.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please send letter of interest, current resume, and the names of three references with contact information by email to hrjobs@aclu.org. Reference [WRP-02/WACLU] in the subject line of your email or send by mail to:

Human Resources
American Civil Liberties Union
RE: [WRP-02/WACLU]
125 Broad Street, 18^th Floor
New York, NY 10004

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.  Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job listing.

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