The Office of the Appellate Defender, Inc. (OAD) is one of New York’s oldest provider of appellate representation to poor people convicted of felonies, the City’s second oldest institutional indigent defense offense, and a national model of effective, innovative, and holistic defense representation. OAD strives to ensure that poor people convicted of felonies receive full and equal access to justice by providing exceptional appellate representation, improving the quality of indigent defense representation through education and training, and advocating for systemic reform of New York City’s criminal justice system.
OAD handles post-conviction cases from the Bronx and Manhattan, including direct appeals before the Appellate Division, First Department, and the New York Court of Appeals. OAD also litigates sex offender registration level hearings, drug law resentencings, and motions to overturn wrongful convictions (including claims based on new or undisclosed evidence, prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel). OAD additionally advocates for improved prison and parole conditions, and provides reentry assistance.
OAD seeks a Staff Attorney, for a three-year position, to join its outstanding team. Each OAD Staff Attorney is closely supervised, including “double-teaming” of each case. Under the “double-teaming” method, the Supervisor assigned to the case reads the entire appellate record, and works closely with the Staff Attorney to identify appellate issues and develop a theory of the case. The Supervisor also edits drafts of the briefs and helps to prepare the Staff Attorney for oral argument. This model provides comprehensive training to Staff Attorneys, while assuring that OAD clients receive high-quality representation.
OAD is devoted to maintaining a staff of lawyers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Every OAD staff member shares a profound commitment to public service and to defending the disadvantaged.
Responsibilities:
• Representing poor people convicted of felonies in Manhattan and the Bronx on direct appeal in the Appellate Division and the New York Court of Appeals; in post-conviction motions and hearings; in hearings to determine classification level pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA); and in federal habeas corpus challenges to state court convictions;
• Extensive researching and writing of appellate briefs;
• Case conferencing, strategy development, client communication, and legal visits;
• Advising clients of potential appellate options, including withdrawal of guilty pleas, where appropriate, and negotiating pleas or other remedies following reversal of conviction;
• Assisting clients with parole proceedings and re-entry preparation.
• J.D. degree;
• Admission to the New York Bar, ability to promptly secure such admission, or registration for July 2020 New York Bar Examination;
• Outstanding legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to representing poor people convicted of crimes;
• Strong belief in the value and importance of communication with and respect for clients;
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently;
• Prior criminal defense experience, particularly at the appellate level, is highly preferred.
Applications will be considered and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should submit a resume, writing sample, and cover letter. The cover letter should address.
1) Why the applicant is interested in working at OAD;
2) What skills or experiences make the applicant a strong candidate.
Application materials should be sent by email to [email protected], with a subject line in the email stating: Staff Attorney Position 2020. If necessary, questions may be directed to the same email address, with Question in the subject line.
OAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, disability, or genetic information.
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