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About the Role

The Legal Aid Society seeks experienced trial attorneys for its Criminal Defense Practice in New York City. This role involves providing holistic, client-centered representation to individuals facing criminal charges, from arraignments through trials and plea negotiations.

Responsibilities

Provide client-centered, comprehensive representation from arraignments through trial, disposition or dismissal
Provide representation at arraignments including interviewing clients; connecting with family and others to aid in bail advocacy; connecting with supervised release, social workers and others to assist in addressing client needs and advocacy; presenting bail arguments and follow up with appropriate referrals
Prepare cases for advocacy and litigation, including submitting referrals for investigation, referrals for social work services and/or community-based programming as needed, and gathering information and researching law for effective representation
Conduct bail review hearings and writs of habeas corpus to secure client’s liberty post arraignments
Coordinate with specialty units to assist in advocacy including DNA Unit, Digital Forensics, Decarceration, Immigration and others
Consult and coordinate with supervising attorneys for case reviews
Review discovery materials to challenge certificates of discovery compliance, contest statements of readiness, secure all disclosures under discovery law, and prepare for litigation
Conduct any preliminary hearings, Crawford hearings, suppression hearings, and other pretrial hearings, and conduct trials
Prepare mitigation materials to advocate for diversion courts in connection with community-based programs or to advocate for sentencing
Advise and enter appropriate pleas in consultation and consent of clients addressing any collateral consequences of such plea
File appropriate notices of appeal and coordinate with appellate counsel
Other duties as assigned

Requirements

A minimum of at least 3 years of demonstrated commitment to public defense, racial equity, and social justice with experience handling felony matters
At least 2 years of experience representing clients on felony matters
Demonstrated litigation experience in pretrial suppression hearings and jury trials
Track record of strategically guiding casework, projects and/or relationships, applying good judgement and routinely pushing through roadblocks to achieve your goals
Ability to work collaboratively and in community with other members of the office
Clear and effective oral and written advocacy
High level of organization to meet multiple competing deadlines
New York State bar admission (or ability to waive into New York State from another jurisdiction)
Must have experience representing clients charged with serious felony matters
Experience in first chairing hearings and trials, negotiating pleas, and working with paid experts
Legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit

Skills

Criminal defense litigation
Trial advocacy
Plea negotiation
Client-centered advocacy
Legal research
Case preparation
Bail advocacy
Discovery review
Mitigation preparation
Oral advocacy
Written advocacy
Organization

Location

New York City

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

Experienced trial attorneys
Minimum of at least 3 years of demonstrated commitment to public defense, racial equity, and social justice with experience handling felony matters
At least 2 years of experience representing clients on felony matters

Education Level

NYS admitted criminal defense attorney

Salary/Compensations

$86,520 - $157,075

Benefits

Health insurance
Paid vacation
Disability insurance
Life insurance
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
State and Federal loan forgiveness programs
Potential assistance from New York state for loan repayments

About the Company

The Legal Aid Society is the nation's oldest and largest social justice legal services organization.
The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered vertical representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges.
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 (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs.
Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

Equal Opportunity

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.