Criminal Defense Practice Staff Attorney – Entry Level Fall 2027

The Legal Aid Society - New York City; New York (NY); On-site; USD 87,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid vacation

Disability

Life insurance

Job summary

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice seeks entry-level Staff Attorneys for trial offices across New York City. This role is for candidates with 0-3 years of criminal defense experience, admitted to the New York State Bar or eligible to practice pro hac vice.

Staff Attorneys will provide zealous, holistic representation from arraignment through trial, handling investigations, motions, hearings, and sentencing, with opportunities for growth in a public defender setting in one of NYC's

Qualifications

• Admitted to the New York State Bar or law school graduate eligible to practice under The Legal Aid Society's Practice Order
• Knowledge of evidence, criminal and constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and ethical principles under the Rules of Professional Conduct
• Commitment to serving racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities and understanding racial disparities affecting client communities
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with others

Responsibilities

• Represent clients holistically on misdemeanor matters, including counseling, motions, plea negotiations, directing and participating in investigations, reviewing discovery, interviewing witnesses, advising clients of collateral consequences, and preparing hearings and trials
• Engage in frequent court appearances and litigation, including arraignments, bail reviews, writs of habeas corpus, conferences, hearings, trials, and sentencings
• Interview clients and their families in person and virtually, conduct legal research, and write pre-pleading letters, motions, and pre-sentencing memoranda
• Coordinate work performed by defense team members such as investigators, social workers, paralegals, and others
• Work with cross-practice colleagues (immigration/civil/family defense) to obtain comprehensive legal outcomes for clients
• File motions, briefs, and other related documents on a frequent, timely basis
• Handle ancillary proceedings related to the criminal cases
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Oral advocacy

Team collaboration

Ethics and professional conduct

Education

New York State Bar admission or eligible to practice

Job description

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice is seeking dedicated and passionate entry-level Staff Attorneys for trial offices in the five boroughs of New York City. Entry level staff attorneys are defined as those that have 0-3 years of experience in criminal defense, are admitted to practice in the State of New York or can practice Pro Hac Vice pursuant to New York State rules.

The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges. Staff Attorneys will provide zealous advocacy and handle all aspects of criminal defense, from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and beyond.

The deadline to apply is December 2, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Interviews will be scheduled throughout the fall, and if you are selected for an interview, you will receive an email notification during this season. Offers will also be extended on a rolling basis.

The application process will include:

• On Campus Interview (OCI), if applicable, serving as a screening


• Two rounds of interviews


• Reference check

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for the full holistic representation of clients on misdemeanor Criminal matters, which include, client counseling, preparing motions, plea negotiations, directing and participating in investigations, reviewing discovery materials and compliance, interviewing witnesses, advising clients of collateral consequences, referring cases for social work intervention and mitigation, preparing for and conducting hearings and trials


• Engage in frequent court appearances and litigation, including arraignments, bail reviews and writs of habeas corpus, preliminary conferences & examinations, legal arguments, hearings & trials, and sentencings


• Interview clients and their families in person and through virtual means, conduct legal research; and write pre-pleading letters, motions, and pre-sentencing memoranda on behalf of clients


• Coordinate work performed by defense team members such as investigators, social workers, paralegals, and others


• Work with cross-practice colleagues (immigration defense/civil defense/family defense) to obtain comprehensive legal outcomes for clients


• File motions, briefs, and other related documents on a frequent, timely basis


• Handle ancillary proceedings related to the criminal cases


• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Be admitted to the New York State Bar or law school graduate eligible to practice under The Legal Aid Society's Practice Order


• Have knowledge of the law of evidence, criminal and constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and ethical principles contained in the Rules of Professional Conduct


• A demonstrated commitment to serving racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities and an understanding of the racial disparities affecting client communities


• The ability to work collegially and collaboratively with others

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: $86,520 - $157,075

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

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.

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.)

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.