Staff Attorney (Post-Conviction)

Position Summary:

The Center is seeking to hire a staff attorney to assist with cases in the Perlmutter Freedom Clinic.

The Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo School of Law has two programmatic components: The Perlmutter Freedom Clinic, which trains students to work on cases involving scientific evidence, fight wrongful convictions based on the misuse of scientific evidence and obtain clemency for individuals unjustly incarcerated, and The Perlmutter Forensic Science Education Program, an ambitious continuing legal education program for practicing attorneys. The Center is led by Executive Director Josh Dubin, a prominent civil rights attorney and Deputy Director Derrick Hamilton, who won his own exoneration after serving twenty-one years for a wrongful conviction.

Position Responsibilities:

The Staff Attorney will reinvestigate actual innocence, working with a wide range of forensics and other experts and investigators. Our cases focus on factual innocence, newly discovered evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct and the misuse / misapplication of forensic science. We also review cases for clemency, when applicable, for submission to the Governor for individuals that we feel are ready to join society as proactive members of their communities. Staff Attorneys litigate at trial court and appellate levels, in state and federal courts around the country.

The Staff Attorney will train and supervise law students in the Freedom Clinic and co-teach seminars. Staff Attorneys work under the direction of the Deputy Director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice and supervise a paralegal, as well as two to three clinic students.

Essential Job Functions:

• Direct litigation teams, including law students, pro-bono partners and local counsel
• Manage docket of individuals seeking relief from wrongful conviction
• Craft litigation strategy
• Direct factual post-conviction re-investigations
• Prepare motions & briefs
• Conduct evidentiary hearings
• Represent clients facing retrial after their conviction has been vacated
• Conduct oral arguments before trial and appellate courts
• Co-teach Perlmutter Freedom Clinic and supervise law students
• Supervise paralegals
• Work with social workers and assist with post-release planning for exonerated clients

The Staff Attorney is a full time position, plus evening and weekend work as needed. Routine travel to visit clients, investigate cases, and appear in court is expected.

Experience & Educational Background:

• 4 plus years of litigation experience on post-conviction, habeas corpus, and/or federal civil rights litigation, and experience in conducting post-conviction factual re-investigations
• Knowledge of forensic disciplines preferred, but not required
• Interest in legal education and teaching
• A demonstrated abiding commitment to social justice
• Bilingual is a plus

Skills & Competencies:

• Must have extraordinary legal writing and research skills and strong advocacy skills
• Able to move throughout the post-conviction and appellate courts from evidentiary hearings to oral arguments
• Must embrace the mission statement of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice and be dedicated to changing the criminal justice system through all aspects, including engaging in public education regarding wrongful convictions

Application Instructions:

Resume and cover letter required

Salary Range:

$70,000-$75,000

About Us:

The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law is a leader in legal education, located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The law school is renowned for its program in intellectual property, which includes the FAME Center for Fashion, Arts, Media and Entertainment Law. Cardozo Law has a long tradition of public advocacy and is the birthplace of the Innocence Project and the home of our Center for Rights and Justice. Cardozo offers a world-class faculty and encourages creative thinking and innovation in the legal profession. Cardozo provides students with a strong foundation in legal theory combined with practical hands-on experience in a variety of areas including criminal law, civil rights law, and business law. The school prides itself on creating a vibrant and warm community for faculty, staff and students.

A division of Yeshiva University, Cardozo Law School offers an excellent compensation package, and a broad range of employee benefit plans. The law school is a secular institution within a religious university and welcomes people of all religions, ethnic backgrounds, races and sexual identities.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Yeshiva University is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.