CALDA is Hiring!

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Litigation Attorney and Legal Director

About CALDA and the Position:

Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to fight racial discrimination against Chinese Americans through impact litigation. Stated otherwise, we are the ACLU for Chinese Americans.

In 2020 five Chinese American attorneys successfully organized and led a high-profile lawsuit against President Trump for his WeChat ban. The case is the first legal win in the U.S. history for Chinese Americans against a sitting President. Subsequently, at the height of the Asian hate crimes in 2021, the same five attorneys decided to form CALDA to combat racial discrimination and hate against Chinese Americans by using the same WeChat case model.

Since its founding, CALDA has been leading the legal fight in multiple fronts for Chinese Americans. In May 2023, CALDA organized and initiated a lawsuit against the Florida state government for its newly-adopted alien land law that prohibits Chinese Americans from buying real properties. CALDA was able to bring in ACLU and major law firms such as Quinn Emanuel as co-counsel for the case, and the U.S. DOJ even filed an amicus brief supporting our position. We just achieved the first win in the case as the 11th Circuit issued a partial injunction in favor of the plaintiffs in February 2024. Moreover, in March 2024 CALDA spearheaded a new legal challenge by filing a case, along with ACLU, against Florida for another discriminatory law against international students from China.

CALDA has also taken the federal government to court for its infamous “China Initiative”, which has unfairly targeted and prosecuted Chinese American professors and scientists. We have three pending cases on the China Initiative against different government agencies, and we are determined to stop this type of racial profiling by the federal government. In January 2025, we helped Professor Franklin Tao file a case against his former employer (University of Kansas) for employment discrimination and civil rights violations.

To meet growing needs and increase impact, we are hiring one full-time position with the title of litigation attorney and legal director. We will consider part-time arrangements if the candidate is highly qualified. This is a remote position as long as the candidate is located in the U.S.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter by February 28, 2025 (1) explaining why you are interested in this position, and (2) the ways in which you satisfy the qualifications specified below to caldainfo@gmail.com.

Required qualifications include:

• J.D. degree from a reputable law school in the U.S.;
• Admitted in a U.S. state with good standing; and
• At least five years of litigation experience.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Strong commitment to and understanding of civil rights concerning racial equality;
• Ability to effectively communicate, through both writing and public speaking, to various audiences about complex legal and policy issues;
• Excellent analysis, writing and research skills;
• Experience working in collaborative environments with both individual and organizations;
• Demonstrated initiative and creative problem-solving; and
• Proficiency in Chinese.

Responsibilities:

• Represent clients in and in charge of all active litigation initiated by CALDA;
• Develop and implement litigation and other advocacy strategies to fight racial discrimination against Chinese Americans;
• Work with other coalition partners and organizations on lawsuits of national importance;
• Engage in legal and policy development, outreach and educational activities through diverse written materials, speaking engagements, and media;
• Provide legal expertise to policymakers, the press, and coalition partners; and
• Engage in other activities including fundraising and networking to advance the  work of CALDA.

Compensation:

• Competitive salary is commensurate with experience (annual salary in the range of $150K - $180K); and
• Other benefits including medical insurance and paid vacation are provided to full-time employees.