Staff Attorney - DNA Unit

Full-time

No

The Criminal Defense Practice of The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a Staff Attorney in its DNA Unit. The Staff Attorney will provide support to attorneys handling DNA matters, advance policy initiatives, and litigate systemic issues as needed. This position will also involve developing litigation strategies to assist attorneys and clients in litigating forensic feature comparison methods such as fingerprints and firearms/toolmark comparisons. Staff Attorneys in the DNA Unit are the Society's in-house experts in forensic science matters and provide support for Criminal Defense Practice attorneys and other defense attorneys. They maintain caseloads pertaining to matters where DNA evidence or other forensic feature comparison methods are involved and provide support, including expert assistance and second-seating cases handled by other Society attorneys. The DNA Unit provides citywide support on DNA issues. Staff Attorneys are either assigned to a borough office or to headquarters at 199 Water Street and then deployed to any of the five boroughs as the need arises. When needed, Staff Attorneys assigned to a particular borough may also be called to provide assistance and client services in other boroughs. All members of this citywide unit work together to develop, implement, and coordinate Society policy and litigation strategy concerning DNA matters. ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Writing motions, appellate briefs, and amicus briefs Represent clients in criminal proceedings involving DNA and other forensic feature comparisons Develop litigation strategies surrounding fingerprints, firearms/toolmark comparisons, and other forensic feature comparisons Provide support and assistance for other Society attorneys handling forensic feature comparison cases Provide in-house and external training on forensic feature comparison issues Provide back-up support for other defense attorneys in New York City Advocate for policy changes, as needed Other duties as assigned

Required Documents Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal. Cover Letter Resume 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. 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. COVID VACCINATION INFORMATION The Legal Aid Society is taking precautions and implementing safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to comply with New York City's requirements concerning Covid-19. All members of the Legal Aid community have a shared responsibility to support and comply with policies and protocols to protect the health and safety of our community. Learn more about our COVID-19 policy by visiting our website. 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 jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org .

Qualification and Experience Requirements Admission to New York State Bar Demonstrated aptitude for evaluating scientific evidence, such as on DNA. Substantial background in forensics, or the demonstrated aptitude and willingness to acquire such knowledge and to maintain expertise, particularly in such areas as forensic biology and statistics Excellent oral advocacy skills Excellent research and writing skills Excellent ability to train other staff Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills Ability and willingness to work as part of a citywide team

Legal