Senior Staff Attorney

Senior Staff Attorney

Job No: 498849
Work Type: Staff Full-time
Department: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Location: Brookdale Center, 55 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY
Categories: Legal

Position Summary:

The Center is seeking to hire a senior staff attorney to assist with cases in the Perlmutter Freedom Clinic.

The Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo School of Law has two programmatic components: The Perlmutter Freedom Clinic, which trains students to work on cases involving scientific evidence, fight wrongful convictions based on the misuse of scientific evidence, and obtain clemency for individuals unjustly incarcerated, and The Perlmutter Forensic Science Education Program, an ambitious continuing legal education program for practicing attorneys. The Center is led by Executive Director Josh Dubin, a prominent civil rights attorney, and Deputy Director Derrick Hamilton, who won his own exoneration after serving twenty-one years for a wrongful conviction.

Position Responsibilities:

The Senior Staff Attorney will reinvestigate actual innocence, working with a wide range of forensics and other experts and investigators. Our cases focus on factual innocence, newly discovered evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, and the misuse/misapplication of forensic science. We also review cases for clemency, when applicable, for submission to the Governor for individuals that we feel are ready to join society as proactive members of their communities. Staff Attorneys litigate at trial court and appellate levels, in state and federal courts around the country.

The Senior Staff Attorney will train and supervise law students in the Freedom Clinic and co-teach seminars. Staff Attorneys work under the direction of the Deputy Director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice and supervise a paralegal, as well as two to three clinic students.

Essential Job Functions:

• Direct litigation teams, including law students, pro-bono partners, and local counsel
• Manage the docket of individuals seeking relief from wrongful conviction
• Craft litigation strategy
• Direct factual post-conviction re-investigations
• Prepare motions & briefs
• Conduct evidentiary hearings
• Represent clients facing retrial after their conviction has been vacated
• Conduct oral arguments before trial and appellate courts
• Co-teach Perlmutter Freedom Clinic and supervise law students
• Supervise paralegals
• Work with social workers and assist with post-release planning for exonerated clients
• This is a full-time position, plus evening and weekend work as needed. Routine travel to visit clients, investigate cases, and appear in court is expected

Experience & Educational Background:

• Four plus years of litigation experience on post-conviction, habeas corpus, and/or federal civil rights litigation, and experience in conducting post-conviction factual re-investigations
• Knowledge of forensic disciplines preferred, but not required
• Interest in legal education and teaching
• A demonstrated abiding commitment to social justice

Skills & Competencies:

• Must have extraordinary legal writing and research skills, and strong advocacy skills
• Able to move throughout the post-conviction and appellate courts from evidentiary hearings to oral arguments
• Must embrace the mission statement of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice and be dedicated to changing the criminal justice system through all aspects, including engaging in public education regarding wrongful convictions

Application Instructions:

Resume and cover letter required

Salary Range:

$180,000 - $185,000