Impact Litigation Staff Attorney

About the Position

The ILU uses a combination of class action litigation, individual representation, public education, and collaboration with the office’s Public Policy Unit to push for change in the courts and carceral facilities of the Deep South. Frequently, our clients experience discrimination and abuse because of their race, religion, LGBTQ identity, mental, physical, and developmental disabilities, and histories of trauma.

Core duties include:

Litigation

Collaborating on day-to-day aspects of class action litigation and direct representation of impacted individuals, including drafting complaints, briefs, litigation correspondence, and discovery documents; taking depositions; and preparing for and conducting parole, resentencing, and evidentiary hearings.

Investigation

Conducting and supervising investigations into systemic failures within the legal and carceral systems in the Deep South, including prison and jail conditions, police overreach, underfunded or nonexistent indigent defense systems, wealth-based incarceration, and extreme sentences.

Supervision

Providing guidance and oversight to junior staff and investigators, including oral and written feedback on their substantive work, mentorship to encourage professional growth in the unit, and corrective feedback.

Internship Coordination

Co-coordinating SCHR’s internship program, including hiring, supervising, and mentoring students throughout the year. Internship co-coordinators will receive a stipend for this work in addition to their salary.

Experience

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of litigation experience, preferably in Section 1983 litigation, and must have:

• excellent writing and oral advocacy skills;
• a proven ability to think strategically, creatively, and proactively about litigation;
• an ability to respond to rapidly changing demands with flexibility;
• a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across teams and areas of expertise;
• an ability to balance working on multiple cases and assignments at once;
• a demonstrated track record of grace under pressure and an ability to communicate professional needs as they arise;
• experience providing supervision to junior staff and investigators; and
• the ability and willingness to travel frequently within Georgia and Alabama using SCHR’s car fleet.

We are also looking for someone with a deep and authentic commitment to the inherent dignity of our clients and our mission to create a world free from mass caging, the death penalty, and the criminalization of race and poverty. This is not simply an attorney role; it is an opportunity to effect systemic change, working in an organization where we all give 100% in a high-stakes environment. And while our office encourages work-life balance, it also demands high energy and does not conform to traditional 9-to-5 schedules. Achieving our bold mission can require weeknight or weekend hours and a can-do attitude. We also strive to support our staff in their resiliency through our benefits package and positive, passionate work environment. Further, we are dedicated to uprooting anti-Blackness and working to advance SCHR’s commitment to antiracism.

About SCHR

The Southern Center for Human Rights is working for equality, dignity, and justice for people impacted by the criminal and carceral systems in the Deep South. SCHR fights for a world free from mass incarceration, the death penalty, the criminalization of poverty, and racial injustice.

Over our fifty-year history, SCHR has proudly forced county, state, and federal governments to make significant improvements in prisons and jails to reduce overcrowding, provide adequate medical and mental health care, and abate violence and abuse. We have argued and won five death penalty cases at the United States Supreme Court, four of which challenged profound race discrimination in capital trials. Our combined litigation and policy advocacy helped bring about the creation of a statewide public defender system in Georgia. Our advocacy also has advanced significant decarceration policy changes in the Georgia General Assembly. Today, SCHR embraces multifaceted strategies in its fight for a world free from mass incarceration, the death penalty, wealth-based incarceration, and racial injustice.

Commitment and Compensation

SCHR seeks a commitment of a minimum of three years. Start date is negotiable with a strong preference for as soon as possible. Salary is commensurate with experience, within SCHR’s modest, public-interest salary range of $70,000 – $95,000. SCHR offers an excellent, 100% premium-paid benefit package for staff and their families, including medical, dental, vision care, and life insurance. Additional benefits include unlimited paid vacation time, modest stipends for transportation and wellness, access to a flexible spending account, and childcare assistance (if eligible).

This position is in-person at our Atlanta office. Our office maintains a hybrid schedule, with staff required to be in-person three days per week (absent travel, illness, or other excused absences) and flexibility to work remotely the remaining two days. Accordingly, all applicants should be willing to live in the Atlanta area.