Staff Attorneys

California Appellate Project; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement savings plans

Job summary

California Appellate Project is seeking two staff attorneys to join its capital litigation teams in San Francisco. The roles involve supporting unrepresented condemned prisoners, assisting appellate counsel, and coordinating habeas work, with opportunities to contribute across teams and reform efforts.

Applicants should have California Bar admission, strong legal analysis and writing, and a commitment to anti-racism and public defense. Travel to correctional facilities in California is required.

Job description

California Appellate Project ("CAP") is accepting applications for two staff attorneys. CAP is a nonprofit legal resource center funded by the Judicial Council of California to implement the constitutional right to counsel for indigent death row inmates challenging their convictions and sentences on direct appeal and through habeas corpus proceedings. These Staff Attorneys will work with 3 CAP teams, gaining broad exposure to the diverse aspects of capital litigation.

Unrepresented Team Role and Responsibilities

Staff attorneys on CAP’s Unrepresented Team manage a caseload of incarcerated individuals sentenced to death who do not yet have appointed counsel. Their work includes ongoing record collection, regular client communication, and monitoring legal developments that may impact cases. This role requires exceptional communication skills to effectively interact with a wide range of individuals, including clients, family members, court and records clerks, correctional staff, legal colleagues, and subject‑matter experts. Staff attorneys also develop specialized knowledge of laws governing access to public and confidential information (such as CPRA, FOIA, and HIPAA). Travel to correctional facilities throughout California is required for in-person client visits.

Appellate Team Role and Responsibilities

Staff attorneys on CAP’s Appellate Team work closely with court‑appointed counsel to support effective representation in capital direct appeals. Responsibilities include assisting in issue development, reviewing pleadings at various stages of the appeal process, and providing legal resources, training, and constructive feedback. Staff attorneys also help prepare for oral arguments and support counsel in managing timelines and meeting deadlines. The role requires strong legal skills, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with professionalism and diplomacy.

Habeas Team Role and Responsibilities

Staff attorneys on CAP’s Habeas Team oversee and track capital habeas cases in the California Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal, and Superior Courts. They collaborate with appointed counsel on case strategies, issue development, investigation, pleading drafts, and hearing preparation. The role requires strong analytical skills to identify constitutional violations, excellent research and writing abilities, and effective communication with a diverse range of individuals. Effective case management skills are essential, including the ability to coordinate with appointed counsel, investigators, experts, and other specialists, while managing large, complex cases with multiple deadlines.

Collaborative Legal Strategy on Emerging Reform Measures

CAP staff members from all teams work together to develop strategic legal responses to a variety of recent criminal justice reforms that affect our clients. These include the Racial Justice Act, SB 1437, AB 333, AB 600 and others. The cross‑team collaboration allows CAP to maintain consistency in approach, share resources and insights, and ensure thoughtful, legally sound application of new statutory rights. Our new staff members can anticipate being involved in these efforts at all levels and stages of litigation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Admission to the California Bar.
• A minimum of two years’ experience in criminal law practice, preferably in California. Experience with capital litigation and/or Racial Justice Act (RJA) litigation is strongly preferred.
• Superior legal analysis and writing skills.
• Commitment to vigorous advocacy on behalf of indigent defendants along with a deep commitment to working toward anti‑racism and improving the criminal justice system.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Word Perfect, and legal research databases (e.g., Westlaw, Lexis).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple litigation tasks in the face of time constraints.
• Exceptional communication skills – both written and oral, including the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with outside counsel, clients, clients’ families, witnesses, expert consultants, court personnel, prison personnel, and CAP colleagues.
• Proven organizational and project management skills, including planning, negotiating, effective problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
• Fluency in Spanish is highly desirable.

Working Conditions

CAP is conveniently located near public transportation in downtown San Francisco. Remote work may be considered.

Salary Range is $90,000 - $100,000 per year plus generous benefits package including employer paid health, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, and retirement savings plans.

Equal Opportunity Statement

CAP is committed to cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age, are encouraged to apply.

Company Description

California Appellate Project is a non‑profit resource center established in 1983. CAP has three primary functions: 1) assisting unrepresented condemned prisoners on death row in California during their protracted wait for counsel; 2) assisting appointed counsel in state appellate and state habeas corpus proceedings; and 3) maintaining and developing case‑specific documents, training materials and other resources to enhance the representation of appointed counsel.

Company Description

California Appellate Project is a non‑profit resource center established in 1983. CAP has three primary functions: 1) assisting unrepresented condemned prisoners on death row in California during their protracted wait for counsel; 2) assisting appointed counsel in state appellate and state habeas corpus proceedings; and 3) maintaining and developing case‑specific documents, training materials and other resources to enhance the representation of appointed counsel.