Who We Are
The Office of the Los Angeles Independent Defender Program (IDP) at the Los Angeles County Bar Association is accepting applications for a post-conviction coordinating attorney. The IDP is a nationally recognized, award-winning program of the Los Angeles County Bar Association providing oversight and legal support for appointed counsel who represent adults and youth charged with crimes in Los Angeles County. In response to wide-ranging changes in California law impacting the sentences of thousands of criminal defendants, the IDP is creating a legal team to coordinate and assist attorneys appointed to represent clients in a post-conviction posture.
Summary and Responsibilities
The IDP Post-Conviction Coordinating Attorney will oversee the panel’s post-conviction unit, coordinating and supporting panel attorneys engaged in post-conviction work and managing the in-house post-conviction team. The Coordinating Attorney is responsible for recruiting and vetting attorney applicants to the post-conviction subpanel, coordinating and assigning post-conviction cases, and engaging in ongoing efforts to support and improve the quality of representation provided by the post-conviction attorneys. They will supervise and direct the work of the post-conviction unit’s Resource Attorney, social worker, paralegal, and investigator/mitigation expert and develop an effective litigation support team available to all post-conviction subpanel attorneys. The Coordinating Attorney will liaise with court staff, appellate counsel, Public Defender, Alternate Public Defender, District Attorney, and other justice partners, representing IDP in various post-conviction stakeholder working groups. Key job functions will include developing and presenting trainings to post-conviction subpanel attorneys in coordination with the Resource Attorney, creating and implementing systems for case assignments/tracking, attorney support, and evaluation/oversight of attorney performance, and managing post-conviction team support staff.
Qualifications
• JD from an ABA accredited law school and 6 or more years of criminal defense experience,
• Demonstrated excellence as an advocate with strong oral and written communication skills,
• Understanding of California resentencing reforms or ability to quickly learn this area of the law, including but not limited to SB 1437/775, SB 483, AB 1540 and the attendant changes to the relevant Penal Code sections and case law.
Applicants whose professional experience do not exactly match the desired qualifications, or applicants with a unique combination of experience are still encouraged to apply.
Who You Are
Successful candidates will be energetic, self-starters who work well in a team environment with an interest in social justice and/or criminal justice reform. The coordinator position requires a candidate who is adept at working and communicating with clients, court staff, criminal justice stakeholders and policy makers. The coordinator will be a team leader so supervisorial experience or a demonstrated interest in managing teams is also a plus. Fluency in Spanish a plus. Applicants must be familiar with Adobe, the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Word and Excel.
Workplace Environment
IDP is currently employing a hybrid work model. The Post-Conviction Coordinating Attorney will be required to travel on-site to our office located in downtown Los Angeles.
To Apply
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To apply, email a resume, writing sample and cover letter to [email protected]. Include “IDP Post-Conviction Coordinating Attorney Application” in the subject line. For more information about the IDP, please go to: www.lacba.org/idp.
Salary and Benefits Package
Salary parameters are low to mid $100,000.00 range, depending on qualifications and we provide a comprehensive employee benefits package. The deadline for applications is May 6, 2022.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
