The mitigation specialist will assist attorneys across the Northern District of Georgia in investigating, analyzing, developing, and presenting mitigation evidence in the life history of clients. The mitigation specialist will gather and summarize social history records and conduct interviews with lay and professional people with relevant knowledge about the client’s early childhood development, education, employment, and medical and mental health histories. The mitigation specialist will also consult experts; develop and maintain relationships with clients, their family members, local social service providers, and pretrial services/probation officers; and perform other duties as assigned. They must maintain sufficient knowledge of current research and trends in areas such as substance abuse, mental health, psychology, and treatment. The Mitigation Specialist will prepare mitigation reports which will be filed and may be asked to testify in court.
Minimum qualifications for this position are a post-graduate degree in social work, psychology, or a related discipline. The position will require travel during work hours, as well as occasional overnight travel. Valid driver’s license, vehicle, and insurance are required for this position. To qualify, the applicant should have the following:
▪ A desire and capacity to work collaboratively in a team environment.
▪ A strong commitment to providing holistic representational support to indigent persons in proceedings under federal criminal law and the desire to work with and on behalf of people from diverse backgrounds.
▪ The ability to build relationships and develop rapport with clients and their families, and the ability to obtain and analyze anecdotal and documentary evidence relevant to the client’s life history.
▪ The ability to be a self-starter, recognizing and assessing mental health symptomology and determine the best mitigation investigation approach for each individual case.
▪ A high level of organizational skills to gather, maintain, and manage documents and information for assigned cases, and the ability to analyze,
Interpret and integrate records and legal documents.
▪ Story-telling skills and the ability to synthesize mitigation themes and craft a
compelling, well-written narrative contextualizing the client’s life based on
the information gathered, often totaling 10-20 pages in length.
▪ The ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with counsel and experts and assist in the identification and selection of appropriate experts.
▪ Attention to accuracy and detail.
▪ Computer fluency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs, including Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
▪ The ability to exercise good judgment in a mature and diplomatic manner.
▪ The ability to keep confidences and protect legal privileges, as well as a strong
sense of personal and professional integrity.
▪ The ability to work under time pressure and ability to appropriately prioritize responsibilities.
Interested applicants should provide the following by email: cover letter discussing your interest in the position, CV, a relevant writing sample such as a mitigation report, biopsychosocial assessment or social history, and contact information for two references.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
