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About the Role

The Policy Counsel will play a significant role in advancing the Policy Department’s policy efforts by collaborating in the development of Policy Department strategies, researching and analyzing legislation, managing in-depth legal research, and drafting and reviewing legislation. The goal of this position is to accelerate the Policy Department’s impact in achieving transformative policy change.

Responsibilities

• Track, monitor and analyze, proposed laws, regulations, and emerging legal developments at the federal, state, local levels related to criminal legal legislation, particularly those that affect revealing, correcting, or preventing wrongful convictions.
• Support state-based policy campaigns with research and analysis, including state-by-state comparisons of specific criminal justice laws and policies, analysis of legislation relating to IP’s policy reforms, and analysis of court decisions and case law that affect our policy reform agenda.
• Develop policy materials, such as fact sheets, for use by network partners, respond to requests for information and materials, and provide relevant training for network members.
• Perform in-depth legal research and draft policy and advocacy materials, including multi-state landscapes, position papers, reports, memos, white papers, op-eds, and formal comments on proposed rulemakings.
• Draft and amend legislation and proposed regulations and court rules in collaboration with state policy advocates and other staff.
• Track, monitor, and report on developing areas of case law, active litigation, and court rule amendments in substantive issue areas related to the Innocence Project’s state policy agenda.
• Manage the Policy Department’s library of materials and continuously update with new content; conduct periodic audits of library materials; advise the Department and Director of significant developments impacting the Department’s legislative issue areas.
• Assume a leading and strategic role in new Department initiatives as assigned by the Director of Policy.
• Respond to inquiries by Post-conviction Litigation or Strategic Litigation staff attorneys to provide legislative history research and draft legal memoranda; collaborate with Data Science & Research projects; interface with all programmatic departments.
• Draft and submit comments to state court rule proposals, amendments, and executive orders.
• Advise the Policy Department on emerging legal, legislative, technological, and other developments in innocence issues areas.
• Develop strategy, lead implementation and provide resources for the Innocence Project’s court rule reform agenda; draft and submit state court rule proposals, comments, and amendments.
• Synthesize and organize complex information into clear and well-written briefing materials for members of the Policy Program.
• Assist the Director of Policy with managing the federal legislative agenda and executive branch orders and directives.
• Assist Policy Advocates in developing support materials for Network partners and lobbyists as needed in service of state policy campaigns.
• Aid policy team with the preparation of testimony, briefings, webinars and other external engagements.
• Develop external relationships with national criminal legal reform organizations.
• Partner with internal departments—such as Strategic Litigation, Post-conviction Litigation, and Data Science and Research—to identify emerging issues and opportunities, align policy strategies, and monitor litigation developments.
• Review, summarize and educate Policy and other IP staff on relevant legislative and other policy developments.
• Lead hiring and supervision of legal interns, externs, and fellows.
• Assist, as necessary, with organizing various policy-based working groups with external partners.
• Attend conferences, symposia, and other meetings to develop professional relationships that support the mission.
• Represent the IP in coalitions, task forces, and working groups.
• Serve as a legal policy resource to Innocence Network partners.
• Attend legislative sessions and hearings in collaboration with state policy advocates.
• Represent the Innocence Project on conference panels, webinars, podcasts and other media.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school is required.
• Current member, in good standing, of the New York bar or eligibility for admission to the New York bar via motion pursuant to Section 520.10 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law within 6 months of start date is required.
• Must have at least 3 years public policy experience either within government or with an issue-advocacy organization.
• Possess a high degree of knowledge on court rule-making authority and process; familiar with best practices and strategies for court rule advocacy.
• Must have experience conducting policy and legal research, including ability to use LexisNexis and/or WestLaw.
• Ability to travel roughly 5% of the time.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• Experience authoring articles, position statements, or white papers on criminal law reform and/or public policy.
• Experience translating complex information and developing materials for policy initiatives or campaigns.
• Experience facilitating and assisting with large-scale legal projects.
• Active participation in coalitions or large groups, proven ability to synthesize group goals and collaborate work.

Skills

• Legal research
• Policy analysis
• Writing skills
• Legislative advocacy
• Court rule advocacy
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Organizational skills
• Planning skills
• Relationship building
• Team player
• Logical reasoning

Location

• Virtual/In-office

Work Type

• Hybrid

Experience Level

• 3+ years public policy experience

Education Level

• Juris Doctor (JD)

Salary/Compensations

• $108,375 to $127,500

Benefits

• Fully-paid individual health, dental and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• 401k plan with 6% company-match
• Paid disability and family care leave
• Adoption and fertility expense reimbursements
• Company-paid transportation benefits

About the Company

• The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone.
• Our work is guided by science and grounded in anti-racism.
• The Innocence Project has used DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction.
• Helped to free or exonerate more than 250 people who, collectively, spent more than 3,600 years behind bars.
• Efforts have led to the passage of more than 200 transformative state laws and federal reforms.
• Continues to fight for freedom, drive structural change, and advance the innocence movement.

Equal Opportunity

• The Innocence Project considers the diversity of its workforce to be vital to our organization’s success in meeting its mission.
• We strongly encourage applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, life experiences, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply.
• Individuals with personal connections to the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply.
• As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is our policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, familial status, marital status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, unemployment status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by law.