National Security & Civil Rights (NSCR) Community Advocate
Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Regular, Non-Exempt, Full-time Position
Hybrid Work Schedule; Based in San Francisco
Applications due by May 4, 2024
The Opportunity
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks an empathetic, grassroots-centered, detail-oriented, and self-motivated Community Advocate to work with its dynamic National Security & Civil Rights (NSCR) program. ALC advocates for low-income and immigrant community members through direct legal services, impact litigation, and policy and community advocacy on a wide range of issues. Its NSCR program challenges policing and surveillance policies and practices harming racial and religious minority communities, and in particular the profiling and targeting of Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (AMEMSA) and Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities by federal and local law enforcement agencies.
The Community Advocate is responsible for educating impacted communities regarding their rights and the issues that are pertinent to them, building relationships with community partners and allies, devising campaigns with coalitions to advance the interests of impacted communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and across California, and helping to implement legislative and advocacy strategies to confront emerging challenges statewide and across local Bay Area jurisdictions. Significant experience with civil rights, anti-surveillance, anti-policing, immigrants’ rights, and/or criminal justice, particularly as these issues impact API and/or AMEMSA communities, is highly desired. The position requires extensive local outreach and is based in the Bay Area. Candidates with fluency in Arabic, Farsi, Urdu or Punjabi are highly desired.
The Organization
ALC is the nation’s oldest legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of API communities; in the aftermath of 9/11, we have also worked to protect the civil rights of AMEMSA communities. Since 1972, ALC has litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color. Current program areas include NSCR, Workers’ Rights, Immigrant Rights, Housing Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, and Voting Rights.
ALC is based in San Francisco, a hub of the Asian American rights movement, progressive politics, and social justice activism. Our location in Chinatown is the first mixed-use, affordable housing co-op in San Francisco, serving as a model for preserving affordable housing in the city and protecting tenants’ rights.
Responsibilities
- Identify, build and sustain relationships with community-based organizations, leaders, and community members;
- Organize, promote and conduct community outreach (including tabling and flyering in both secular and religious spaces), develop and conduct know-your-rights trainings and other activities across Bay Area mosques, houses of worship and community centers and generate educational materials (print and media) in relevant languages;
- Identify emerging issues, patterns and advocacy opportunities at the nexus of national security and surveillance or policing and national security and immigrants’ rights;
- Represent ALC and manage coalitions bringing together statewide partners sharing common policy goals and concerns related to expanded state and local policing and surveillance powers;
- Collaborate with team members to develop advocacy strategies and participate in related activities including power mapping, strategic research, analysis and planning;
- Devise and execute community engagement strategies related to policy and legislative advocacy, including planning community listening sessions, identifying community members for policy or legislative testimony, public comment, or other media engagement, with a focus on uplifting AMEMSA community narratives and concerns as they relate to policing, surveillance, counterterrorism and national security issues;
- Participate in state and local policy and legislative advocacy addressing policing, surveillance, counterterrorism and national security issues;
- Draft and coordinate support letters, sign-ons, public comment and testimony as needed;
- Participate, contribute, and implement identified intersectional collaboration opportunities and experiments across issue areas within the organization, as determined by ALC’s Community Advocacy Manager and the NSCR Program Manager;
- Support other Community Advocates on the CA Team by contributing time and expertise, seeking and offering help and resources, and working together to build a team structure and culture;
- Ensure compliance of grant deliverables by tracking legal intakes, outreach, and other data; and
- Other responsibilities as assigned.
All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor, staff meetings, program team meetings, and other organization meetings, as requested.
Qualifications
- B.A./B.S. or highly relevant work experience
- At least 1-2 years of experience in organizing, coalition work or advocacy around national security, anti-surveillance, immigrants’ rights, civil rights, or other issues impacting marginalized communities
- Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and presentation skills
- Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, and slide presentations
- Ability to work well with diverse groups and individuals
- Ability to work independently
- Demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights of low-income, AMEMSA, API, people of color, and/or immigrant communities
- Ability to work some weekends and evenings if necessary
- Familiarity with Bay Area AMEMSA and Muslim communities strongly preferred
- Preferred bilingual skills, particularly Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Punjabi or other AMEMSA languages.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position. The annual compensation depends on years of relevant experience; the range for the Community Advocate position, starting from one year's experience, is $67,980 up to a maximum of $74,284. ALC offers an additional $1,000 annual compensation for proficiency in a language other than English and an additional $1,000 annual compensation for a graduate degree(s).
ALC’s comprehensive benefits include the following: generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); and 401K retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match. The terms and conditions of employment may be governed in part by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. This position is included in the collective bargaining unit represented by CWA Local 9410.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following by March 18, 2024:
- Cover letter addressing your interest in the position, relevant experience, and particular interest and/or experience in national security law and policy;
- Resume summarizing your education, qualifications, and experience, including any relevant community-grounded advocacy or experience and/or personal connections to this position;
- Writing sample (no more than 5 pages); and
- Three professional references and their contact information (email and phone).
Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including HIV, cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital or domestic partner status, reproductive health decision-making, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions) gender (including gender identity and gender expression), age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim and survivor status, political affiliation, height, weight, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.