Deputy Defender for Litigation and Post-Conviction Support

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

The goal of the deputy defender for litigation and Post Conviction Support is to improve the quality of representation for indigent clients in criminal cases by: (1) Assisting the panel attorneys in analyzing legal and strategic issues, (2) broadening the scope of knowledge of the panel attorneys, especially in new or changed areas of law, and (3) Providing reliable and prompt in-office/In-Court support for trial attorneys who encounter legal issues.

ROLE AND 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

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Graduation from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to the New York State Bar
• Ten (10) years legal experience, preferably in a combination of criminal trial and criminal appellate work

PREFERRED SKILLS

• Ability to accurately digest complex legal issues, case law, and statutes
• Strong research and writing skills
• Strong organization skills, as there is a high volume of attorney requests for assistance
• Demonstrated Trial and Appellate experience in order to consult attorneys regarding strategy
• Demonstrated dedication to working with indigent and underserved populations

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The Assigned Counsel Program is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Level/Salary Range:

$128,000-$138,600

Location:

Office and One Day Remote from Home Office