Staff Attorney, Training Coordinator (Citywide Trial Offices)

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice is seeking experienced criminal defense litigators for the newly formed role of Litigation Training Coordinator. This Staff Attorney position bridges centralized training to on-the-ground practice in the trial borough offices of the practice's Criminal Defense Trial Division. Litigation Training Coordinators will be under the direction of the Training Unit and work in partnership with the trial office leadership Attorneys in Charge and Supervising Attorneys of the trial office to provide professional development to attorneys and core staff. Litigation Training Coordinators will carry a partial felony caseload that will allow them the opportunity to work with attorneys on hearings and trials and remain current on practice and court processes. This role requires candidates to embrace The Legal Aid Society's philosophy of client-centered, community-based, holistic representation and commitment to excellence in litigation and advocacy. Ideal candidates for these positions recognize the critical importance of partnering with local and centralized management and all staff to ensure the highest quality of professional development and training deserving of our practice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with Trial Office leadership and Supervising Attorneys to mentor fellow staff attorneys in all facets of litigation practice, particularly uncertified and limited certified attorneys

• Develop programs with other members of the Training Unit to enhance litigation skills, including brainstorming and developing case theories, preparing suppression arguments, conducting moot sessions for upcoming voir dire, opening statements, cross-examinations, closing arguments, arguments regarding evidence, mitigation and pre-trial strategy

• Work with office and union leadership to develop second seating opportunities and promote fair and equitable felony certification processes utilizing data and other criteria for success

• Ensure that Criminal Defense Practice attorneys remain up to date on developments in the law by facilitating internal trainings, identifying external training opportunities and by collecting, creating and circulating training materials with the goal of increasing litigation, mitigation and advocacy skills

• Participate in centralized training, including those for newly hired attorneys

• Identify patterns and trends as newer attorneys transition from training programs to practice, and work with other members of the Training Unit to address these issues

• Keep local attendance records for CLE programs in the borough offices and coordinate with centralized training and Learning and Development regarding the Leaning Management System

• Participate in train-the-trainer programs both as trainee and a trainer

• Participate in and lead training for non-attorney and attorney staff on working collaboratively as a defense team

• Retain a partial felony caseload providing zealous representation to clients and modeling best practices to newer staff. Coordinators will also be expected to provide litigation opportunities on these cases for uncertified and limited certified attorneys

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• JD and at least 9 years New York State criminal defense practice with significant hearing and trial litigation on serious felony and homicide cases, including at least 15 trials or a suppression hearings

• Must have previous experience training, supervising, teaching or mentoring attorneys, other core defense staff and legal interns

• Comfort and facility with public speaking, and engaging presentation style and skills

• Ability to adjust to the unexpected, such as last-minute faculty cancellations, etc., and help find solutions

• Experience preparing cross examinations for expert witnesses, such as OCME criminalists, NYPD lab technicians, medical experts, etc

• Must possess a high level of organizational and administrative skills

• Must be able to work cooperatively in a team setting

• Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $83,844- $147,907

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter

• Resume

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT 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.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

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. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. 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.