AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU) OF TEXAS

The ACLU is the nation’s foremost defender of civil liberties and civil rights, dedicated to defending the Bill of Rights and advocating for marginalized communities through litigation, legislation, and public education. The ACLU of Texas, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Houston, is the one of the largest ACLU affiliates in the nation. The ACLU of Texas has regional offices in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, and El Paso.

Whether it’s protecting the rights of immigrants and refugees, ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, combatting voter suppression, or preserving reproductive rights, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil rights and liberties cases to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Intake Coordinator/Litigation Assistant

HOUSTON, TX
Supervisor: Legal Program Manager
Job Theme: Civil Rights, Legal Services, Program Development


JOB DESCRIPTION

The ACLU of Texas seeks an Intake Coordinator/Litigation Assistant in its Houston office to provide strategic support, coordination, and development for the Legal Department. Under the supervision of the Legal Program Manager, the Innovator will be tasked with building, recruiting, and managing a new intake program comprised of undergraduate college students. The coordinator will help revolutionize the way the ACLU of Texas handles intake investigations and provide much needed resources to impacted communities. As a litigation assistant, candidates will assist in case management, anticipate and identify litigation tasks, and perform general paralegal work.

The Innovator will be primarily tasked with building and creating a brand-new intake program for the ACLU of Texas. The creation of this function will be conducted in two phases: development and implementation. During the development phase, the Innovator will learn the intake system, criteria for case development, and basics of case investigation. The Innovator will also be tasked with creating guidelines, policies, and procedures for the new intake program as well as recruitment and outreach to undergraduate colleges in the Houston area. For the implementation phase, the Innovator will provide orientation and management of undergraduate college students who will be evaluating intake and providing resources to impacted communities. They will also be tasked with leading weekly intake program meetings and helping to develop cases based on incoming intake. The Innovator will also help with presentations to attorneys, intake memorandum, and interviewing potential litigants.

As the litigation assistant, the Innovator will provide basic general paralegal assistance including but not limited to: preparing documents for filing in court, cite-checking, proofreading, drafting legal letters, FOIA and Public Information Act requests, and other correspondence, as appropriate, managing responses, and using PACER and Westlaw.

DESIRED SKILLS

  • Spanish speaking and writing proficiency is preferred, but not required.
  • Knowledge of diverse groups, experience working with a multicultural workforce, sensitivity and appreciation of cultural differences is required.