Civil rights protect everyone’s right to equal social opportunities, protection under the law, and freedom from discrimination based on race, gender, religion, and other characteristics. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights includes many types of civil rights, such as freedom of movement, equality before the law, freedom of expression, and freedom from torture, slavery, and other harm and discrimination. Civil rights are essential to all sectors of society, so there are many careers dedicated to protecting them. In this guide, we\u2019ll describe the types of available jobs, what organizations offer those jobs, and how to start working in civil rights.<\/p>\n
Civil rights are fundamental rights and freedoms every person is entitled to, like freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and the right to public education. Jobs in this field include civil rights lawyer, civil rights researcher, housing advocate, activism coordinator, and interpreter\/translator. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Because civil rights encompass so many rights, there are lots of jobs in the field. Here are ten examples:<\/p>\n Civil rights lawyers defend the rights of individuals and groups. They\u2019re typically called when a civil right has been violated. Lawyers file lawsuits on behalf of their clients, represent clients in court, conduct research, draft legal documents, and more. They may focus on a specific area, like the rights of children or immigrants.<\/p>\n Civil rights investigators, who are often employed by local or national government agencies, investigate civil rights violations and ensure people are being protected. As an example, a civil rights investigator with a labor agency will focus on the rights of workers and enforce laws on wages, hours, conditions of employment, and more.<\/p>\n Research is very important to civil rights organizations. The type of research can vary widely, but generally, civil rights researchers are responsible for collecting and organizing data. As an example, to learn more about gender-based violence, researchers may conduct surveys, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. Researchers are also often responsible for compiling the data into reports.<\/p>\n Housing advocates often come from social work backgrounds. They help individuals and families find temporary or permanent housing. Clients can include houseless people, people leaving domestic violence situations, formerly-incarcerated people, and others. Housing advocates work closely with other social services.<\/p>\n Healthcare can be fraught with civil rights violations. Patient advocates help clients navigate complex, stressful healthcare settings and get the care they\u2019re entitled to. They may be hired by the healthcare organization itself or as part of a nonprofit organization. They help patients communicate with healthcare providers, schedule appointments, figure out insurance, and access financial and legal support.<\/p>\n Activism coordinators work with organizations to raise awareness of civil rights issues and mobilize support. They\u2019re typically very organized, motivated, and quick thinking. They communicate well with diverse groups and unite people behind a common cause. Their tasks can include organizing events, speeches, fundraisers, and campaigns.<\/p>\n Language barriers can lead to and exacerbate civil rights violations. Interpreters and translators, who can work in just about any organization like a law firm or a hospital, help clients communicate and advocate for their needs. It can be done verbally or through written communication. Good interpreters\/translators can communicate the emotion and nuanced aspects of a language as well as literal information.<\/p>\n DEI specialists, who can work within an organization or come in as a consultant, work to improve an organization\u2019s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, strategies, and overall environment. They\u2019re excellent communicators who are trained in things like conflict management and civil rights law. DEI specialists come from a variety of backgrounds, but most have at least a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n Voting is an essential civil right, but unfair barriers prevent many people from exercising their rights. Voter outreach specialists perform tasks like voter education, election awareness campaigning, and election worker recruitment. They\u2019re typically nonpartisan and work to educate and encourage anyone eligible to vote.<\/p>\n Every civil rights organization needs a good accountant. These finance officers ensure an organization\u2019s long-term success and compliance with the law. Responsibilities include maintaining and preparing financial records, evaluating financial risks, and making sure all taxes are filed and paid properly.<\/p>\n Many governments and corporations offer civil rights jobs or jobs adjacent to civil rights, but here are five examples of organizations<\/a> dedicated to civil and human rights:<\/p>\n Amnesty International is a Britain-based advocacy organization. It focuses on research, advocacy, lobbying, and campaigns. Researchers, advocates, lawyers, and other professionals can find job opportunities at the organization. It began with a focus on prisoners of conscience but has since expanded to calling for an end to the death penalty and protecting rights like reproductive freedom, children\u2019s rights<\/a>, freedom of expression, and more.<\/p>\n UN Women is a UN entity dedicated to women\u2019s rights. It supports member states, governments, and civil society organizations on laws, policies, and services related to women\u2019s rights. Its priority areas are women in leadership; women\u2019s income security and economic autonomy; freedom from violence; and sustainable peace, resilience, and benefits from humanitarianism. It hires professionals like researchers, policy advisors, administrators, and others.<\/p>\n The United Nations Children\u2019s Fund is a UN agency. With a presence in more than 190 countries and territories, it focuses on the rights of children. Priority areas include child survival, child protection, education, social policy, emergencies, and research. There are jobs available in management, programs, external relations, and executive management.<\/p>\n The ACLU bases its work on the United States Constitution and civil rights policies around the country. Since 1920, the organization has worked with litigation and lobbying. It also represents people whose civil rights have been violated. It’s a nonpartisan organization, and so represents a wide variety of people whose rights are threatened or violated. It has job opportunities in communications, legal, advocacy, operations and management, and so on.<\/p>\n The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has been the United States\u2019 leading civil rights organization for Latinos since 1968. Through court cases and public policy, it seeks to protect and defend the rights of Latinos and all Americans. Target areas include education, employment, immigrant rights, voting rights, and access to justice. Jobs are available on the legal, digital media, and development side of the organization.<\/p>\n Wages vary widely within civil rights depending on several factors. They include:<\/p>\n Civil rights lawyers generally make more than a professional like a housing advocate. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a civil rights lawyer<\/a> in the US is $108,482 a year. For housing advocates, the average is $43,666.<\/p>\nWhat kinds of jobs are there in civil rights?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Civil rights lawyer<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Civil rights investigator<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Civil rights researcher<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Housing advocate<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Patient advocate<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Activism coordinator<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Interpreter\/translator<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Voter outreach specialist <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Accountant<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What organizations offer civil rights jobs? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Amnesty International<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
UN Women<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
UNICEF <\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
American Civil Liberties Union<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
MALDEF <\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
How much do jobs in civil rights pay? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Your role<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The job\u2019s seniority <\/strong><\/h3>\n