The Criminal Practice of The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a Staff Attorney in its Digital Forensics Unit. Founded in 2013, The Legal Aid Society’s Digital Forensics Unit uses technology to advocate for our clients in courtrooms across New York City and to fight against government surveillance and the erosion of digital privacy rights. The DFU was created in recognition that, as the largest public defender in the city, The Legal Aid Society needed an internal unit that would be able to acquire, process, and analyze the vast amount of digital evidence that exists in the modern world. The Unit currently consists of three analysts, two senior analysts, four staff attorneys, one paralegal, and one director.

For this position, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for writing and reviewing DFU amicus briefs and maintaining, expanding, and litigating the DFU’s Freedom of Information Law work.  The attorney will also work with the Criminal Law Reform’s Director of Policy and the Policy Unit to advance policy initiatives related to digital forensics and electronic surveillance. The role will act as a bridge between the Digital Forensics Unit and the Criminal Law Reform Unit, specifically regarding policy work and litigating systemic FOIL issues.

Digital Forensic Staff Attorneys must have an understanding of the processes of how digital forensic evidence is retrieved, handled, analyzed, and preserved. Staff Attorneys for the Digital Forensics Unit are the Society’s in-house experts in digital forensic and electronic surveillance matters, and they work closely with the Analysts on the Unit’s casework. They provide support for Criminal Defense Practice attorneys and other defense attorneys. Staff Attorneys maintain a caseload limited to matters where digital forensic and/or electronic surveillance evidence is involved and provide support, including expert assistance and second-seating, for digital forensic and electronic surveillance cases handled by other Society attorneys.

This citywide unit also develops, implements, and coordinates Society policy and litigation strategy concerning digital forensic and electronic surveillance matters, as well as present CLEs and trainings on related issues.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Amicus and Freedom of Information Law Work

• Writing, reviewing, and submitting amicus briefs, and seeking out potential amicus opportunities
• Drafting and litigating Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, administrative appeals, and Article 78 matters
• Writing motions and appellate briefs

Working Closely with the Criminal Law Reform’s Director of Policy and the Policy Unit

• Formulating and advancing policy positions on digital forensics and electronic surveillance related issues, consistent with the mission and core values of The Legal Aid Society and the Digital Forensics Unit
• Engage in research, writing, and advocacy to support policy reform at the city and state levels
• Working with coalitions on policy and legislative strategies and advocacy
• Coordinating with the Criminal Law Reform’s Director of Policy and the Policy Unit on the Digital Forensics Unit’s legislative priorities and advocacy

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing support and assistance for other Society attorneys handling digital forensic and electronic surveillance cases
• Providing in-house and external training on digital forensic and electronic surveillance issues
• Providing back-up support for other defense attorneys in New York City
• Acting as a spokesperson for Legal Aid on issues within areas of expertise
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Admission to the New York State Bar (or ability to waive into New York State from another jurisdiction)
• Three (3) years or more of litigation experience and/or policy work related to criminal defense, civil rights, privacy rights, digital forensics, and/or electronic surveillance
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
• Substantial background in the retrieval, handling, analysis, and preservation of digital forensics evidence or the demonstrated aptitude and willingness to acquire such knowledge and to maintain expertise
• Excellent ability to provide training and support assistance for the Criminal Practice and, as needed, Society-wide
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a citywide team
• Felony case experience is preferred
• Prior experience in working on digital forensics and/or electronic surveillance cases or issues is preferred
• Prior experience in policy development and legislative advocacy, including drafting policy memos and testimony, is preferred
• Prior experience in drafting amicus briefs is preferred
• Prior experience in filing and/or litigating freedom of information requests is preferred

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: $88,568 – $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/find-aid-you-need/new-york-state-loan-forgiveness-programs

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 

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

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

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample

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.)

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.

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.