Entry Level Staff Attorney

Neighborhood Defender Service Inc; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 71,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full medical and dental benefits

Retirement plan with company match up

Robust time off and parental leave

Job summary

Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) Detroit seeks an Entry-Level Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense department to provide vigorous, client-centered representation for residents of Wayne County. You will engage in frequent court appearances, interviews, and research, working within an interdisciplinary team to advance holistic defense.

Applicants should be enrolled in an accredited law school with a May 2027 graduation or possess Michigan bar eligibility and be prepared to pursue licensure

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to criminal justice and social justice issues.
• Enrollment in a law program with graduation by May 2027 or Michigan Bar eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Provide vigorous, client-centered advocacy in criminal cases.
• Appear in court and conduct hearings, interviews, and research.
• Coordinate with interdisciplinary team members to achieve holistic outcomes.
• Maintain office workflow and support for indigent clients.

Skills

Criminal justice commitment

Public defense

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Court appearances

Communication skills

Education

Enrollment in accredited law school

Michigan Bar readiness within 6 months

Tools

Microsoft Office

Legal research

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Entry Level Staff Attorney

Department: Criminal Defense

Location: Detroit

Reports To: Supervising Attorney

Position Type: Full-Time

Union Status: Union

FLSA Status: Exempt

About NDS:

Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) is a national nonprofit public defense organization that pioneered the holistic defense model more than 30 years ago. Founded in Harlem, NDS was built to challenge the traditional public defense model by centering clients, communities, and interdisciplinary advocacy. Today, NDS operates community-based offices in Harlem; the Bronx; Detroit; and Hays County, Texas, supported by a unified national infrastructure that allows local teams to deliver high-quality, responsive representation rooted in the communities they serve.

Across all locations, NDS provides client-centered legal representation through interdisciplinary teams composed of attorneys, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. Our approach emphasizes early and ongoing engagement with clients—before arrest where possible, throughout the life of a case, and beyond case resolution—while addressing the legal, social, and systemic challenges that impact long-term stability. NDS is committed to treating every client with dignity and respect and to advancing justice for individuals and communities that have been historically marginalized and over-policed.

Core Purpose of the Role:An Entry-Level Staff Attorney demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities and an enthusiasm for holistic defense. The ideal Entry-Level Staff Attorney is someone who demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities, preferably with a demonstrated commitment to public defense, or demonstrated experience serving marginalized communities in a social justice organization. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes and our attorneys approach the cultivation of a positive office culture and the representation of indigent clients with equal rigor and commitment.

Responsibilities

• Embrace NDS’ philosophy of client-centered, community-based, holistic representation and commitment to excellence by providing vigorous representation with energy and enthusiasm to the residents of Wayne County.
• Engage in frequent court appearances and litigation, including arraignments, preliminary examinations, evidentiary hearings, oral arguments, trials, and sentencings.
• Interview clients and their families in the office or local jails, conduct legal research and write pre-pleading letters, motions and pre-sentencing memoranda on behalf of clients.
• Coordinate work performed by team members (investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators).
• Work with cross-practice colleagues (immigration defense/civil defense/family defense) to obtain comprehensive legal outcomes for clients.
• Provide effective oral advocacy in negotiations, hearings, and trials in criminal cases.
• Work primarily at NDS’ main office when not in Court.

Qualifications

Required

• A demonstrated commitment to criminal justice, indigent defense, racial equity and social justice issues and the Wayne County communities.

• Experience representing clients in criminal cases and knowledge of criminal procedures from arraignments to appeals (preferred but not required). Candidates with trial experience, particularly as lead counsel in the most serious felony cases, are encouraged to apply.

• A track record of strategically guiding casework, projects and/or relationships; applying good and practiced judgment; and routinely pushing through roadblocks to achieve your goals.

• Management skills and a coaching mindset.

• Doggedness and resilience combined with people and situation smarts.

• An ability to quickly build relationships across varying identities, income levels, races and ethnicities.

• A high level of organizational and administrative skills to handle a high caseload.

• Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.

• Enrollment in an accredited law school with a graduation date not later than May 2027, with the ability to take the July 2027 Michigan Bar Examination; OR

• A license to practice law in Michigan or in another state; and/or the capability of becoming licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan within six months. Experience in the criminal courts of Wayne County (and Michigan generally) are encouraged to apply.

• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite including Microsoft Word and OneDrive.

Preferred

• Bi-lingual (Spanish or Arabic) attorneys are encouraged to apply.

Compensation:

Compensation is commensurate with experience. The pre-licensed salary starts at $78,794.69 annually.

• Full medical and dental benefits

• Retirement plan with company match up to 5%

• Robust time off perks, paid parental leave and other benefits, are provided

The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-confirming, and gender fluid people to apply.

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USD $78,794.69/Yr.

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