Civil Rights Senior Fellow - Equal Justice Works Civil Rights
About the job
- At least eight years of litigation experience, including at least three years of federal government attorney experience in civil rights and advocacy.
- Membership in good standing of at least one state bar in the United States, preferably Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, or Mississippi.
- A Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school and at least eight years out of law school.
- Demonstrated experience litigating complex individual, multi-plaintiff, and/or class action cases in federal, state, and administrative courts.
- Demonstrated experience in litigation based on the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes, including the Immigration and Nationality Act and related immigration laws.
- Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to protect the rights of immigrants and migrants.
- Experience conducting outreach activities related to litigation and campaigns.
- Demonstrated commitment to community-oriented and movement-supportive lawyering, immigrant justice, and a non-hierarchical, client-centered approach to advocacy.
- Ability to work on sensitive issues in a compassionate and empathetic manner.
- Ability to synthesize complex legal and policy developments, analyze requests for legal assistance relating to immigration law, and provide technical assistance to immigrant communities and partner organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.
- Ability to draft briefs, memoranda, and other documents in support of litigation, advocacy, and public education independently and with a team.
- Ability to think creatively, remain flexible, and take calculated risks around changing priorities and in crafting and executing strategies to advance litigation and campaigns.
- Ability to work with Advocacy Litigation & Impact Teams, external organizations, and stakeholders on multiple cases and campaigns at once.
- Ability to communicate persuasively in writing and speaking to a variety of audiences, including diverse and multilingual audiences.
- Ability to communicate legal concepts effectively to community groups, coalitions, and individuals, and to communicate regularly with clients, co-counsel, and partner organizations.
- Understanding of and commitment to the Southern Poverty Law Center's mission, vision, and values.
- Design and implement a defined two-year national litigation and/or advocacy initiative addressing a critical civil rights enforcement gap.
- Research legal and policy issues related to the Southern Poverty Law Center's impact areas and approved projects.
- Draft briefs, motions, memoranda, written discovery, and other documents supporting litigation and advocacy; conduct depositions; and represent clients in court.
- Develop and maintain respectful relationships of trust and mutual aid with members of impacted communities.
- Represent the Southern Poverty Law Center before community groups, legislators, media outlets, federal and state agencies, and other forums.
- Collaborate on litigation and advocacy initiatives with Legal Department team members, including the rapid response team.
- Attend regular meetings with Directors of Strategic Litigation and Advocacy, Deputy Legal Directors, and other Equal Justice Works Fellows to discuss current and developing litigation and advocacy.
- Participate in Equal Justice Works Fellowship program activities and structured engagement.
- Share knowledge with cohort peers to strengthen coordination and impact across participating Fellows.
- Perform other duties as required or assigned that are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.
- Uphold the organization's justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles by seeking diverse collaborators and partners whose contributions support the shared mission, vision, values, and Legal Department goals.
About the company
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a non-profit civil rights legal advocacy organization that uses lawsuits and policy work to protect vulnerable communities. It conducts monitoring and reporting on hate groups and extremism and supports immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, religious tolerance, and defendants’ rights. The organization combines lawsuits, amicus briefs, public education, and advocacy campaigns to influence law and public opinion. Its goal is to reduce hate and discrimination and promote equal protection under the law through legal action, education, and public outreach.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$400K
Headquarters
Montgomery, Alabama
Founded
1971
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 17, 2026 Florida DCF lawsuit targets a 650-880 person jail waitlist.
- The Mississippi database secured 58 sheriff offices, creating a reusable public accountability asset.
- SPLC still attracts partner organizations, including Disability Rights Florida, FJI, and AADM.
What critics are saying
- Judge Emily Marks delayed the fraud trial to February 1, 2027, extending indictment damage.
- Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and DAFgiving360 blocked SPLC donor-advised gifts in May 2026.
- The DOJ indictment and bank-account allegations threaten an existential collapse in fundraising credibility.
What makes SPLC unique
- SPLC pairs impact litigation with data products, like its September 2 Mississippi deaths database.
- It files Southern civil-rights suits fast, including Florida DCF on September 16, 2026.
- Its hate-group monitoring brand still drives national visibility, donor traffic, and media attention.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↓ -1%Civil rights groups sue Florida Department of Children and Families for unlawfully trapping people with mental illness in jail for months. September 16, 2026 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Disability Rights Florida (DRF), Florida Justice Institute (FJI) and Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP (TPM) filed a federal lawsuit against the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) challenging the state's yearslong pattern of failing to promptly transfer people found unable to stand trial due to mental illness to state psychiatric hospitals and leaving them to deteriorate for months in jails that are neither designed nor equipped to treat them. Under Florida law, once a court finds that a person charged with a crime is unable to understand the proceedings against them and assist in their own defense, all criminal proceedings are paused and DCF is required to transfer that person from jail to a state hospital for treatment within 15 days. On average, DCF routinely misses that deadline by over 100 days, with a waitlist of between 650 and 880 people statewide. Many people wait four months or longer for care they are legally entitled to. "Denying people with serious mental illness access to court-ordered mental healthcare is both cruel and unconstitutional," said Kelly Knapp, senior staff attorney, SPLC. "Florida has known about this crisis for nearly 50 years, and yet every time the waitlist grows, the state's answer remains the same: further delays. These individuals with mental health disabilities have not been convicted and are presumed innocent. Yet, the state is punishing them by leaving them to deteriorate in jail cells instead of providing desperately needed treatment." The lawsuit highlights how many people awaiting transfer to state hospitals suffer from excruciating psychiatric symptoms in jail conditions because jail staff do not have the resources to provide the therapeutic settings and hospital-level care required. In two separate situations described in the complaint, people died in jail while waiting weeks beyond the deadline required by state law for DCF to admit them to court-ordered hospital care. "Individuals with mental health disabilities, including those who have been arrested and deemed incompetent to proceed, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," said Caitlyn Clibbon, litigation director, DRF. "Instead, DCF allows these individuals to suffer for months in jails which are neither equipped nor funded to provide the type of treatment they need and that the court has ordered. This cannot continue." Jail conditions are especially harmful to people with serious mental illness because jails are not designed to provide clinical interventions in response to symptomatic problem behaviors. People experiencing untreated mental health symptoms commonly react to jail stressors with behaviors that are dangerous to themselves or others. With limited jail housing options to keep those awaiting transfer safe, the jails may isolate these people in solitary confinement, often for months, worsening their mental health symptoms. Correctional officers are trained to respond to violent behaviors with force, such as tasers, pepper spray or strapping people into restraint chairs, which also worsens mental health symptoms. Florida has tasked DCF with providing care and treatment to people with mental illnesses ordered to the State Hospital. It is unreasonable to expect jails to assume this duty. "The state cannot leave people in legal limbo while their mental health deteriorates," said Dante P. Trevisani, litigation director, FJI. "It must address this crisis that has persisted for decades." About the Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. About Disability Rights Florida Disability Rights Florida is the designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities in Florida. The nonprofit organization works to protect and advance the rights of people with disabilities at no cost through the authority and responsibility of nine federal grants. About Florida Justice Institute The Florida Justice Institute is a nonprofit civil rights organization that uses impact litigation and advocacy to improve the lives of Florida's disenfranchised residents and underinvested communities while focusing on preserving human rights in the justice system, empowering vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness and poverty, and providing dignity for people with disabilities. About Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP was founded in Washington, DC, in 1970 as one of the first private public-interest law firms in the country, specializing in systemic civil rights and environmental litigation. The firm's civil rights practice focuses on protecting the rights of those denied access to education, medical care, public accommodations, and housing.
SPLC sues ALDOT on behalf of flood-damaged Alabama community. * Heather Gann, al.com * 1 hr ago * 0 The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court challenging restrictive covenants imposed by the Alabama Department of Transportation that landowners in Shiloh say have turned their properties into uninsurable flood zones. People are also reading...
SPLC unveils database examining in-custody deaths in Mississippi jails. September 2, 2026 JACKSON, Miss. - The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released a new database today tracking in-custody deaths in jails across Mississippi. Although the U.S. Department of Justice requires prisons and jails to report data on in-custody deaths, information about these types of deaths is often difficult to find, leaving loved ones of the deceased with limited knowledge of what factors led to these deaths. The SPLC project is designed to help answer open questions about in-custody deaths by making that information readily available to the public. "We want to connect survivors with resources and memorialize those lost behind bars while ensuring transparency and accountability in the criminal legal system," said Emma Douglas, senior staff attorney, SPLC. "Our primary purpose in gathering this information is to shine a light on the deepest recesses of our society as we advocate for improved conditions in jails and prisons." To ensure accuracy of all data and inclusion of all counties, the SPLC filed data requests to county sheriff's offices beginning in May of 2025. While the SPLC has already received data from 58 out of 82 county sheriff's offices, 28 county sheriff's offices have yet to provide information. The data also includes the Mississippi Department of Public Safety's reporting of 148 deaths in jails and prisons from 2019 to 2025, as well as deaths in rural counties, where cases are often overlooked or more difficult to document. During the data-gathering process, the SPLC filed a lawsuit against Rankin and Hinds counties, alleging violations of the state public records act. In the Hinds County case, the SPLC won a default judgment, requiring the sheriff's office to provide death records. This data is reflected in the database; however, the SPLC did find some inconsistencies in the data from the sheriff's office and the Department of Public Safety, confirming the need for reliable data. "Deaths in custody, particularly in jails, should be rare. When they occur, consistent and reliable data is critical to understanding the circumstances of each death and its implications for the operation of the facility," Douglas said. "Simply being involved in the criminal legal system should not be a death sentence." As part of a longer-term effort, the SPLC will continue to investigate systemic issues related to jail conditions to help explain why people are dying in jails across the Deep South and to advocate for policy change. View the current data. About the Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.
'Crackdown': Trump team targets leftist orgs over their tax-exempt status. Career criminal Al "Scarface" Capone ran a Prohibition-era syndicate of outlaws in Chicago. He ended up being caught over his tax violations and was sent to prison for 11 years. Now a report confirms that the Trump administration has begun investigating potential tax violations by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and George Soros' leftist Open Society Foundations, which funds multiple far-left and anti-American agendas. The SPLC is the group that essentially runs a hate campaign against conservative and Christian organizations by labeling them "hate" groups alongside perpetrators like the KKK. CAIR is an Islam-promoting organization that has been designated as a terror group by several countries. Now a report in the New York Post explains that its sources have said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the IRS could revoke the tax-free status of the left-wing organizations. They operate now under the beneficent provisions on the tax rules for nonprofits in America. "It is part of a Trump-backed crackdown on 'bogus' charities, and Treasury officials are drawing up a sweeping audit of outfits deemed to be using and abusing Uncle Sam's tax code, the three people briefed on the Treasury Department's internal policy deliberations said," according to the report. Of course such loss of a tax-exempt status could end up bringing about back payments, civil penalties and more. The work follows an executive order from President Donald Trump last year that put a focus on nonprofits being run for a "substantial illegal purpose." Other organizations being reviewed, the report said, include the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, the anti-Amazon Athena Coalition, left-leaning watchdog MediaJustice, and the Strategic Organizing Center alongside its parent union, the SEIU. The Post said one unidentified source confirmed, "There's a lot of internal pressure to get it done, but some people are still moving too slowly at the IRS. That is expected to change very soon." Reactionary lawsuits already are in the works, with a leftist group, Protect Democracy, going to court to claim the Trump administration is weaponizing the tax code. The case claims Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the White House are using the law for a "witch hunt" that violates the First Amendment. The Post reported Treasury officials didn't respond with comment, but, "Bessent confirmed last October on the 'Charlie Kirk Show' that work on compiling the hit list had begun." There are a wide range of possible results, but the Post analyzed the cases and said applying a standard 21% federal corporate tax rate would impose a burden of about $165 million on the three groups for 2024. The report said Open Society puts billions of dollars into non-governmental organizations pushing diversity agendas, climate lawsuits and illegal aliens, agendas such as Black Lives Matter and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. The SPLC recently was indicted for allegedly taking money from donors to fight white supremacy-type organizations, and then funding those very groups. CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial. CAIR adamantly denies any ties to illicit foreign funding or terror organizations. Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.
AADM launches Justice Advocate training & Community Defense Mobile Clinic. Bringing advocacy, education, resources, and pathways to justice directly to the community. ATHENS, GA - August 17, 2026 - The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) is launching the Community Defense Mobile Clinic, a mobile, community-based initiative that brings advocacy, resources, education, support, and pathways to justice directly to the people. In partnership with Indivisible 10 and the Southern Poverty Law Center, AADM is also recruiting and training volunteers to become Justice Advocates. Join the AADM Community Defense Team. The Mobile Clinic will focus on three areas: Police - Jail - discrimination. Community members will receive assistance with understanding their rights, documenting concerns, navigating court and complaint processes, filing official complaints, and connecting with trusted legal and community resources. Become a Justice Advocate. AADM's three-part training series will prepare volunteers to help community members navigate these systems and pursue accountability. September 19 - Understanding Civil Rights Violations & Court Systems Athens, GA October 17 - Police & Jail Accountability: Know Your Rights Monroe, GA November 21 - Understanding Probation & Reentry Athens, GA December 2026 - AADM Community Defense - Freedom Clinic (LTBA) Athens, GA "You don't have to be a lawyer to make a difference," said Mokah Jasmine Johnson, co-founder of AADM. "With the right training, everyday people can become powerful advocates for their communities." Support the Community Defense Mobile Clinic. Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement need community support to take this work directly into neighborhoods through mobile clinics, volunteer training, education, and outreach. Help Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement bring community defense directly to the people. Become a Justice Advocate. Know your rights. Learn the system. Help your community.