idealist.org

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the nation’s foremost public interest organizations in defense of the Bill of Rights, is seeking a committed and resourceful Advocacy Assistant for its Drug Law Reform Project in the Santa Cruz, California office. The Advocacy Assistant will provide technical and administrative support to a team of professionals who engage in strategic communications, public education and legislative advocacy.
OVERVIEW:
The goal of the Drug Law Reform Project is to end punitive drug policies that cause widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration. Founded in 1998, the Project brings lawsuits throughout the country with lasting impact on public understanding of, and government response to, drug use and drug policies.
The Project’s current priority areas focus on challenging (1) racial disparities in drug law enforcement and over-incarceration within communities of color, and (2) punishment of non-violent marijuana users.
The Project represents the first national effort to harness litigation in combination with coordinated advocacy and community organizing as a tool of drug policy reform. For more information, please visit www.aclu.org/drugpolicy.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Provide general administrative and logistical support to the public advocacy component of the project’s work and staff; provide logistical support for the promotional activities of the project.
• Track news and generate targeted press lists.
• Assist with the research of academic articles, state and federal legislation and other relevant government policies.
• Electronically distribute press releases and media advisories.
• Collect and edit digital images, video and audio content; photograph or audio/video record relevant events.
• Coordinate events, meetings and conferences.
• Assist with maintenance of the project’s website.
• Assist with responses to general inquiries from the public.
• Organize and maintain an electronic and paper filing system.
• Coordinate travel arrangements.
• Process expense reimbursements.
• Other administrative tasks as required.
COMPENSATION:
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of ACLU compensation scale.
The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name "ACLU."

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:
• A Bachelor’s degree or 2 years related work experience preferred.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills, as well as attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong research and writing skills.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments and meet deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency using Microsoft? Office suite.
• Ability to assist team with using audio visual and online technology; a working knowledge of digital recording concepts such as digital cameras, digital video recorders and digital audio recorders.
• Familiarity with online social networking and information sharing sites, such as Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, Youtube, etc.
• Ability to assist team with news tracking and searching concepts using programs such as Google News, RSS feeds, and Westlaw or Lexis news database.
• Knowledge of the Project’s current events, news and popular culture preferred.
• Commitment to public interest issues generally and civil liberties issues in particular.

HOW TO APPLY:
If you are a proactive and resourceful team player with a passion for public interest issues, please send a cover letter describing your qualifications and interest in the position, a resume, and the names and telephone numbers of three references. Applications should be sent by email to hrjobs@aclu.org – reference [DLRP-11/ID] in the subject line – or by mailto:

Human Resources
ATTN: [DPLP-11/ID]
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Applications will be accepted until position is filled, which will not be before June 8, 2008. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting.
The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.