Full-Time POSTCONVICTION UNIT DIRECTOR
Job Description
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC) seeks a director to lead the OADC’s new Postconviction Unit. This visionary and dedicated attorney leader will be passionately committed to postconviction representation, holistic team-oriented defense, equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice reform. The Postconviction Unit Director will help design and build the OADC’s first in-house direct representation unit to exclusively handle postconviction cases for indigent clients.
About Us:
The OADC is the legislatively created state agency responsible for providing client services and legal representation for indigent individuals (adults and youth) when the state has charged them with a criminal or delinquent act, and the state public defender’s office has a conflict of interest. Traditionally, the OADC has accomplished this by contracting with over 400 private attorneys and another 500 legal service providers (forensic social workers/clinical advocates, paralegals, investigators, legal researchers, case assistants, etc.) to provide client services on an hourly basis. Our fundamental belief is that good holistic legal defense teams produce good results for our clients.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the OADC, through the practice of holistic public defense, is to help adults and children whom the government has charged with criminal and delinquent offenses. The OADC’s holistic practice model fosters ethical, informed, and standard-driven best practices in public defense. The OADC allocates resources in a manner intentionally designed to rebalance the disparate power wielded by the government in the criminal legal system. The OADC advocates for every client’s inherent worth and dignity by centering the client’s lived experiences and voice to achieve the best legal outcome.
The OADC is dedicated to zealous, client-centered advocacy rooted in social justice, integrity, and humility. We recognize that we are working within a broken and racist criminal legal system. Public defense advocates play an essential role in challenging bias and disparity within the courtroom, within our offices, and within ourselves. Statistical data and experiences support that there is a disparate presence of violent policing, over-charging, and harsher sentencing outcomes for Colorado’s people of color and other vulnerable populations. The OADC is unwavering in its support of decarceration, the decriminalization of youth, and equity within the criminal legal system.
Our EDI Vision:
accelerate Equity, advance Diversity, amplify Inclusion – together
#SeeStriveTransformTogether
The OADC believes that transforming EDI work at this core level takes courage and intention. The work has progressed from the inside out – beginning first with building a team united in its understanding of and deep commitment to EDI and working to actualize this commitment through efforts to shape and refine our culture, spaces, and practices.
About the Job:
The new OADC Postconviction Unit will provide direct representation to people pursuing claims under Crim. P. Rule 35(c) and 35(a), where the court has found they are indigent, and the OSPD has declared a conflict of interest. The unit will operate independently within the agency structure.
The Postconviction Unit Director will design and launch the OADC’s new Postconviction Unit. This is an innovative and unique opportunity to build a direct client services unit from scratch, that is dedicated to holistic team-oriented defense, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and social justice reform.
As this unit gets created, the director will be responsible for tasks such as:
- Recruiting and hiring personnel (anticipated to be): 4 staff attorneys, 1 paralegal, 1 social worker, 2 investigators, and 1 legal assistant;
- Building out necessary office infrastructure, including but not limited to office space, equipment, and software;
- Creating internal organizational protocols for handling and tracking cases, and compiling data and demographics;
- Designing best practice models for all staff positions that incorporate holistic, team-oriented, and client-centered representation;
- Creating standards that ensure staff continuity and burnout reduction while encouraging positive client-centered relationships.
Some of the additional anticipated tasks the director will do include:
- Training new, diverse team members who are dedicated to public defense and social justice reform;
- Supervising all team members to ensure best practices are consistently followed;
- Engaging in direct representation in postconviction work;
- Tracking cases to identify patterns and responsibly grow the program;
- Implementing best practice protocols to ensure a balanced workplace and caseloads, and avoid burnout;
- Providing trainings and educational development for post-conviction teams;
- Participating in the annual budget process; and
- Creating and implementing innovative policies and procedures.
This is a dynamic and new position where duties will evolve, and the Postconviction Unit Director should anticipate fulfilling other duties as assigned that are reasonable and necessary to fulfill OADC’s mission.
The OADC is a collaborative agency designed for people who thrive in a team environment. This position reports to the OADC Director and will periodically engage with other OADC team members.
About You:
Our ideal candidate will be passionate about team-oriented, holistic public defense and zealous in their commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and empathy. The ideal candidate will have a vision and passion for postconviction client-centered direct representation and litigation and possess strong leadership, innovative programmatic development, and strong organizational skills. The person will need to work both collaboratively and independently to build their team, organize the unit and shape its design, processes, and procedures.
There is a preference for a person who has:
- At least five years of criminal and/or youth indigent defense experience, including postconviction work;
- Knowledge of Colorado procedural and substantive criminal law;
- Extensive mentorship and supervision skills with new lawyers and law students;
- Ability to lead an interdisciplinary team;
- Ability to communicate and work cooperatively with a wide range of people, including government personnel and officials, law enforcement, attorneys, record custodians, social workers, investigators, paralegals, prison officials, and members of the community;
- Excellent legal research, writing, and organizational skills; and
- Program development and management skills.
There is a preference for someone who possesses the following subject matter knowledge and expertise:
- Ineffective assistance of counsel claims;
- DNA and other forensic evidence;
- Developing investigative plans, interviewing witnesses and drafting statements and affidavits;
- Experience managing complex multi-year litigation criminal cases;
- The importance of cohesive, in-depth mitigation;
- Best practices regarding holistic defense and interdisciplinary criminal defense; and
- Reporting and case data analysis.
If you are offered employment, the following are the conditions of employment:
- Be a current resident of the State of Colorado or become a resident of the State of Colorado within 30 days of the hire date;
- Be currently licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado or can be licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado within 90 days of the hire date;
- Be willing to submit to a routine background investigation, including a criminal history check; and
- If hired, the Immigration Reform and Control Act requires you to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States within three workdays.
Salary Range: $128,660 – $144,744
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Colorado
The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or political affiliation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and an environment of representation diversity, and encourage individuals of many identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.
To request accommodation, please contact Daniel Nunez at
da****@co*********.com
or (720) 994-2844 as soon as possible. Any person with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to participate in the hiring process. The person making the request may be asked to provide additional information regarding functional limitations and the type of accommodation needed, which will be kept confidential. Advance preparation may be required, so timely requests for accommodation are appreciated.
How to Apply
How to Apply: You must provide a resume, a cover letter, and an original writing sample. A post-conviction writing sample is preferred. Two letters of recommendation are preferred. Please complete the online application at the link below by 11:59 pm on Sunday June 25, 2023. Please add noreply@fs2.formsite.com as a safe sender. Once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic email from Formsite. If you cannot find this email, please look in your spam/junk folder. https://fs2.formsite.com/OADC/nd3fixmbri/index Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Faxed, mailed, or emailed applications will not be accepted. Please direct any additional inquiries or questions to job@coloradoadc.com. The State of Colorado is committed to providing employees with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Click here for further information about State of Colorado Employee Benefits. In addition to benefits offered by the State of Colorado, there is a gym located in the Ralph Carr Building for use by OADC employees, you will receive an RTD pass, a cell phone stipend each month, and a flexible work schedule.76 total views, 0 today