The Legal Aid Society has immediate openings for anchor attorneys in citywide Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF). The anchor attorney will handle homicide cases exclusively and assist the Director of HDTF in providing leadership and mentorship to all homicide certified attorneys, and other interdisciplinary team members.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent clients charged with homicide offenses
• Mentor, support, and provide opportunities for attorneys to second seat homicide trials
• Assist director in providing support mentorship and daily administration for other HDTF attorneys, mitigation specialists, paralegal case handlers and investigators in the boroughs
• Establish the vision and strategies for the HDTF to achieve high quality legal representation and optimal outcomes for clients charged with homicide offenses
• Attend required trainings
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• Previous experience of conducting a minimum of five felony jury trials as lead counsel and a minimum of fifteen litigated motions required
• Substantial litigation experience as first chair, including the resolution of homicide and serious felony offenses required
• Commitment to develop and participate in all training programs for attorneys in trial offices
• Mentor and motivate all staff to advance their professional development and growth

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover Letter: In your cover letter, please include the following:
• A list of your felony trials with brief descriptions of at least five.
• Summaries of two litigated motions you have handled.
• Your experience with direct and cross-examinations of expert witnesses in the following areas (check all that apply):
  • DNA
  • Ballistics and Firearm Testing
  • Medical Examiner Physician/MD Identification
  • Psychology/Psychiatry
  • Criminalist
  • False Confession
  • Arson
  • Digital Forensics
  • Vehicle Collision Reconstruction
  • Fingerprint Analysis
  • Intimate Partner Violence
• Examples of at least two direct or cross-examinations of expert witnesses.
• Any relevant specialized training you have received or conducted in the practice of serious crimes.

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $83,844 – $147,907

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society 

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov 

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.