Senior Staff Attorney

ACLU of Wisconsin

Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney at ACLU of Wisconsin investigating and litigating civil liberties cases. Supervision of junior legal staff and engagement in legal advocacy for social justice.

Posted 5/16/2026full-timeMilwaukee • Wisconsin • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $80,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Investigate and litigate a range of civil liberties and civil rights cases in state and federal courts;
Preparing legal memoranda, Open Records Act requests, demand letters;
Drafting pleadings and briefs;
Managing discovery; participating in trials and appeals;
Negotiate settlements and identifying and drafting amicus briefs;
Supervision and mentorship to junior legal staff;
Developing and delivering trainings to the Wisconsin legal community;
Engaging in legal advocacy work to advance civil rights;
Provide legal analysis to other ACLU staff as directed by the Legal Director;
Serve as a spokesperson for the ACLU of Wisconsin on legal issues handled by our office;
Work with other program staff to implement campaign objectives;

Requirements

What you’ll need

Law (J.D.) degree from accredited institution;
Licensed to practice law in Wisconsin or ability to waive into the Wisconsin Bar or sit for the next available bar exam;
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging as core values;
A strong commitment to the ACLU’s mission and goals toward the advancement of social justice, racial equity, dismantling white supremacy and incorporating a structural power analysis into work;
Substantive knowledge and understanding of constitutional law and civil liberties issues;
Ability to litigate independently and collaboratively, juggle multiple projects at once, and exercise good judgment under stressful situations;
Ability and willingness to research and quickly learn new, complex legal issues and build lawsuits on short notice in response to breaking events;
Ability to think creatively about non-litigation solutions to promote ACLU of Wisconsin objectives;
Proficiency with Westlaw and electronic case filing (state and federal);
Preference for familiarity with legal case management and timekeeping software and other programs used in complex litigation;

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical and disability insurance
a 401(k) with a match program
professional development stipend
generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

litigationlegal analysisdrafting pleadingsmanaging discoverynegotiating settlementspreparing legal memorandaconducting trialsresearching legal issuesdeveloping trainingswriting amicus briefs

Soft Skills

mentorshipcollaborationjudgment under stresscreativity in problem-solvingcommitment to equitycommitment to diversitycommitment to inclusioncommitment to belongingstrong communicationability to juggle multiple projects

Certifications

J.D. degreelicensed to practice law in Wisconsin