Join Michigan’s State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) as a Mitigation Specialist working in SADO’s Direct Appeals Unit to represent people as they appeal their felony convictions and sentences. We focus on our clients as people and actively work to challenge injustices and disparities in the criminal legal system based on race, class, ability, behavioral health, and other identifying characteristics and statuses. Our office follows a hybrid workplace model that mixes in-office and remote work to offer flexibility and support to staff. This position is for either our Lansing or Detroit office.
Mitigation Specialists draw from a diverse range of professional, academic, and life experiences to inform their work. Mitigation specialists must be empathetic communicators, effective interviewers, curious investigators, critical readers, data managers, creative writers, compassionate listeners, and zealous advocates. At SADO we are dedicated to building a multi-disciplinary team with diverse perspectives and experiences, so if you are excited about this role but you do not meet every qualification in this job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for the job.
Job Responsibilities
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
• Interview and build rapport with incarcerated clients to learn about their background, the facts of the offense, their experiences while incarcerated, and their specific needs upon release;
• Identify, locate, and interview family, friends, community members, and other individuals to compile material for mitigation of sentence;
• Travel extensively throughout Michigan and occasionally out of state to visit clients in prison and interview witnesses;
• Obtain, analyze, and summarize records and documents, including prison records, social files, school records, and medical and mental health records;
• Prepare reports, including client and witness interview memos, social history reports, and sentencing memoranda, using creative writing and storytelling techniques;
• Work with SADO's Project Reentry to help identify support for clients transitioning back into the community;
• Identify and consult with appropriate experts to obtain reports and prepare for hearings;
• Prepare clients for testifying in court or presenting allocutions;
• In limited circumstances, testify in court;
• Train attorneys and staff on mitigation and parole hearings; and
• Assist attorneys with general hearing preparation such as preparing exhibits, coordinating with witnesses, attending court hearings, and other necessary tasks.
• Commitment to client-centered, zealous advocacy;
• Commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of clients;
• Commitment to cultural humility and cultural competency;
• Education and/or experience in social work, social sciences, psychology, forensic psychology, journalism, anthropology, criminal justice, or a related field;
• Knowledge of the criminal legal system, preferably in Michigan;
• Experience in investigation and/or research;
• Excellent communication, trauma-informed interviewing, and interpersonal skills;
• Understanding of mental health signs and symptoms, the effects of trauma, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and the impacts of social, cultural, historical, political, religious, racial, environmental, and ethnic influences on behavior;
• Proficiency in prioritizing multiple client cases, deadlines, and demands;
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, nights, and early mornings, and to travel throughout the state to attend hearings, meet with incarcerated clients, interview witnesses, and obtain mitigation material;
• Possession of a valid driver’s license;
• Ability to organize, interpret, and synthesize large quantities of information into persuasive, compelling, and thorough written narratives;
• Proficiency in flexible and creative thinking;
• Ability to work as part of the defense team under the lead of the case attorney, and maintain confidentiality;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, Excel, and general office equipment; and
• Self-motivation and the desire to grow through experience, training, and constructive feedback.
• Specialized knowledge in multiple languages or cultures is a plus.
Submit a resume, cover letter, and redacted writing sample via email by November 10, 2024, to [email protected] and include “Job ID 2024-21” in the subject line. Applications without a resume, cover letter, and writing sample will not be considered.
The cover letter should address the reasons underlying your interest in the work of the Direct Appeals Unit and explain your commitment to working with incarcerated people and people convicted of crimes.
Writing Sample Special Instructions: As part of its commitment to diversity in the workplace and its goal to prevent hiring bias, we ask that applicants submit redacted writing samples, which will be reviewed without access to applicant information and scored based on objective criteria. Your name, address, work affiliation, and other identifiers should be redacted from your writing sample. Files should be named generically, and your name should not be a part of the filename. For example, you can name the file WS1.pdf or WritingSample.pdf.
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