The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest and largest social justice legal services organization, has immediate opening for an Appellate Resource Attorney, for its Queens Criminal Defense Trial Office. The Appellate Resource Attorney will provide essential support to Queens Trial Office members on potential appellate and post-conviction issues for the dual purpose of obtaining favorable rulings in the trial court and protecting the record should appellate or post-conviction review become necessary. The Resource Attorney will also work with the training unit to ensure that evolving issues are effectively addressed through training.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide legal advice and support to Queens Trial Office team members
• Assist attorneys with legal research
• Draft substantive pre-trial motions, post-hearing memoranda of law, motions in limine, etc.
• Help with issue-spotting involving possible insufficiency of accusatory instruments
• Help with review of Grand Jury minutes to identify any issues to litigate
• Assist attorneys in challenging use of client’s out-of-state felony at sentencing
• Second-seat pre-trial hearings when requested in serious cases or cases involving novel issues
• Be present during trials as feasible
• Advise attorneys on preservation issues
• Develop preservation strategies for novel issues.
• Field questions about stays pending appeal
• Provide SORA hearing advice
• Facilitate the commencement of the appellate process when needed
• Coordinate with the Training Unit to brainstorm content for borough specific CLEs
• Coordinate the creation and maintenance of a borough-specific database on court decisions related to discovery and certificates of compliance, as well as other topics that might arise
• Act as point person (with supervisors and attorney in charge) for borough-specific issues
• Must stay up to date on new developments in criminal law, both statutes and case law
• Prepare drafts of template motions
• Other duties as assigned

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

• Cover Letter
• Resume

• New York State Bar Admission and 8+ years of litigation experience required
• Extensive New York State litigation experience required
• Experience in appellate litigation strongly preferred
• Trial court experience preferred but not required
• Desire to draft new legal arguments in consultation with LAS Training Unit and other relevant specialized units at LAS
• Interest in litigating issues regarding the 2019 discovery and speedy trial reforms
• Ability to analyze evidence and conduct discovery review
• Excellent research, writing, brief-writing, and oral advocacy skills
• Comprehensive knowledge of relevant New York State and federal law including evidence laws, speedy trial laws, criminal and constitutional laws, statutory interpretation, and ethical principles contained in the Rules of Professional Conduct
• Knowledge of recent Supreme Court precedent and willingness to assist attorneys in drafting arguments using this precedent
• Some teaching and/or mentoring experience
• Excellent interpersonal coaching and development skills
• Ability to challenge others to seek innovative and creative approaches to advocacy
• Capacity to work with computer, electronic data and file sharing software, e-discovery platforms and processes, Adobe Pro, and Microsoft Suite
• Ability to work collaboratively with the LAS Training Unit, and other relevant specialized Units, regarding litigation strategies

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.