Senior Staff Attorney

Company: The University of Arizona

Job Location: Tucson, Arizona

Category: Legal Affairs

Type: Full-Time

Posting Number: req22908

Department: Law Administration

Location: Main Campus

Address: Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona is accepting applications for a Senior Staff Attorney within the UA Innocence Project (UAIP) clinic. UAIP is a legal clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law that seeks to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals in Arizona. UAIP has been awarded a grant to review and pursue relief in cases where DNA testing has the potential to prove innocence. The grant will support the Senior Staff Attorney's provision of direct legal services in these DNA cases. The Senior Staff Attorney's primary role will be reviewing, investigating, and litigating post-conviction claims of innocence. The Senior Staff Attorney will also manage teams of clinic students working on UAIP cases, implement and report on federal grant funding, and conduct community outreach.

This one-year restricted position is renewable for up to two additional years, subject to performance and continuation of funding.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

• Investigate post-conviction claims of innocence, including reviewing trial and appellate records, engaging with experts, interviewing witnesses, and requesting trial records. Seek post-conviction relief in state and federal court and before the Board of Executive Clemency
• Supervise and manage teams of students, conduct weekly case meetings, guide investigations, oversee legal research and drafting, and act as primary case contact
• Contribute to the design of course curriculum, draft course instructional materials, lecture on substantive and procedural issues related to reviewing and litigating wrongful convictions, hold office hours, review coursework submitted by students, and provide feedback regarding same
• Contribute to application, implementation, and reporting on federal grant funding. Interact with the innocence and criminal defense community-including the Innocence Network, Conviction Integrity Units, and other innocence organizations-on UAIP's behalf

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated commitment to representing indigent clients
• Excellent legal research, writing, and presentation skills

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA accredited law school
• Minimum of five years of relevant practice experience
• Active member in good standing of a state bar

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with an innocence project/clinic
• Supervisory Experience
• Criminal post-conviction experience

FLSA: Exempt

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40

Job FTE: 1.0

Work Calendar: Fiscal

Job Category: Academic Administration

Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay: $85,000

Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies: 1

Expected End Date: 5/19/2026

Contact Information for Candidates

Vanessa Buch

Director, University of Arizona Innocence Project

vbuch@arizona.edu

Open Until Filled: Yes

Documents Needed to Apply: Resume and Cover Letter