Deputy Project Director, Disability Rights Program.

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Deputy Project Director in the Disability Rights Project (DRP) of the ACLU’s National office in San Francisco, CA, or Washington, D.C.

The Disability Rights Project strives for an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting, and civic engagement. We are also committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are no longer segregated into, and overrepresented in, civil and criminal institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning January 19, 2026.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the DRP Project Director, the Deputy Project Director will assist the Project Director in all aspects of management of the Project, including strategic planning, supervision of Project staff and litigation, and administrative duties as directed.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

Strategy and Management Alignment

• Serve as strategic partner to the Project Director in building and developing initiatives for the Disability Rights Project.
• Assist the Project Director with development and implementation of strategic plans, including setting short and long-term goals and reviewing substantive filings to ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with and share ownership of decisions made by the Project Director, Center Director, and Senior Staff.

Staffing and Supervision

• Supervise staff attorneys, legal fellows, and/or administrative staff as directed.
• Support staff retention, feedback, and professional development efforts for all project staff.
• Assist Project Director in ensuring balance of work across project staff, including opportunities for writing, discovery, witness examinations, arguments, and other professional growth.
• With an eye on developing and maintaining an excellent and diverse staff, collaborate with other members of management team to: 
  • Improve process for hiring, onboarding, and managing new staff, fellows, and interns, which includes recruiting excellent candidates and furthering our board-mandated goal to increase the percentage of staff with disabilities and significant disabilities and to work in furtherance of our other announced diversity hiring initiatives; and
  • Oversee sustained efforts to create and nurture pools of diverse candidates from which to recruit.

Legal & Advocacy

• Engage in litigation in federal and state court, including drafting pleadings, briefs, and affidavits; conducting discovery and motion practice; handling hearings and trials; and arguing appeals in both federal and state courts.
• Represent DRP in public-facing meetings, speaking events, and media opportunities.
• Provide technical assistance and expert legal advice to ACLU affiliates, cooperating attorneys and others who seek assistance from DRP.
• Collaborate with staff across the ACLU, including with other Projects within the ACLU’s Legal Department, Communications, Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives, the National Political Advocacy Department, and state affiliates.
• Build relationships with stakeholders and conduct outreach to national, state, and community partners to develop and join coalitions and further advocacy goals.
• Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and case and strategy development.

Administration

• Assume responsibility for ongoing administrative functions such as maintenance of the case docket, recruitment of pro bono firms, and other work, as directed.
• Assist the Project Director and Development Department with fundraising and donor cultivation as directed.
• Assist the DRP Project Director with expense tracking and budgeting, as directed

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• J.D. degree and active State Bar membership
• Based on desired location, current California or D.C. bar membership, or admission to the California or D.C. bar within one year of hire
• Significant years of complex civil litigation experience in federal court
• Demonstrated experience working on behalf of people with disabilities, including professional and/or personal, lived experience
• Excellent legal research, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to engage in complex legal analysis and fact finding
• Demonstrated ability to write and to speak clearly and persuasively
• Ability to work with a wide range of people and foster a team environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Self-motivated, diligent and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure
• Extensive experience in litigation under federal and state disability rights laws
• Experience supervising and managing staff

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.