Defender: Litigation & Post-Conviction Support Leader

Erie County Bar Association Assigned Counsel Program; Buffalo (NY); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 139,000; Full time

Job summary

Erie County Bar Association Assigned Counsel Program seeks a Deputy Defender for Litigation and Post-Conviction Support to improve indigent criminal representation. Responsibilities include assisting panel attorneys, drafting motions, supervising writing staff, and responding to urgent trial issues, including after hours.

The position requires a NYS-bar admission, ABA-law school degree, and at least ten years of criminal trial/appellate experience.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Ten (10) years legal experience, preferably in a combination of criminal trial and criminal appellate work.

Responsibilities

• Assist criminal panel attorneys in analyzing and resolving complex legal and strategic issues.
• Assist criminal panel attorneys in writing persuasive motions and memoranda of law, as requested.
• Assign writing projects to Legal Writing Specialists and edit and supervise their work for our panel attorneys.
• On call at all times to resolve urgent legal issues that arise during trials and other court proceedings, including superior courts and court proceedings that are held outside of business hours.
• Coordinates with the Chief Criminal Investigator and participates in “War Room” sessions where applicable.
• Drafts and appears on motions for “QRF” bail applications, Article 78s, Writs of Habeas Corpus and other urgent matters where truncated timelines and the Deputy’s level of expertise makes he/she the ideal candidate to handle such matters.
• Moderates and updates the “Motions Library” on a monthly basis.
• Oversees the criminal appellate panel attorneys to ensure quality representation and compliance with ILS standards.
• Monitors Appellate and Post-Conviction attorney assignments to ensure timely completion.
• Reviews vouchers for appellate and post-conviction matters where requested to provide context on attorney billing.
• Assist in development and implementation of a training curriculum for new panel attorneys, and for attorneys seeking to increase their level of cases.
• Prepare and teach CLE courses, making use of written materials and training aids.
• Keep abreast with developments in the law, digest those changes, and communicate them to panel attorneys.
• Assist in review of panel attorneys to ensure that clients are receiving quality representation.
• Participate in ILS’ Appellate Defender Council, providing assistance as needed, including coordinating statewide CLE programs.
• Participate as a member of the Criminal Division Team to innovate and find ways to improve the quality of representation for indigent criminal clients.
• Carry out instructions of the First Deputy Defender – Criminal and the Chief Defender/Executive Director
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Digest complex issues

Research & writing

Organization skills

Trial & Appellate experience

Indigent client service

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Admitted to NYS Bar

Job description

Erie County Bar Association Assigned Counsel Program seeks a Deputy Defender for Litigation and Post-Conviction Support to improve indigent criminal representation. Responsibilities include assisting panel attorneys, drafting motions, supervising writing staff, and responding to urgent trial issues, including after hours.

The position requires a NYS-bar admission, ABA-law school degree, and at least ten years of criminal trial/appellate experience.