California Appellate Project (CAP) seeks to fill the attorney job opening of CAP Training Attorney.
OVERVIEW: The CAP Training Attorney organizes and conducts all of CAP’s legal trainings, including CAP trainings for appointed counsel; trainings co-sponsored with other capital defense organizations; and many internal trainings for CAP staff. The CAP Training Attorney also is responsible for the collection, development and posting of Training Materials for appointed attorneys.
CAP MISSION: 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.
CAP ASSISTANCE & ROLE OF TRAINING ATTORNEY: CAP Staff Attorneys provide direct assistance to appointed capital counsel at every stage of post-judgment proceedings to ensure high quality representation. CAP’s Unrepresented Project (UCIP) provides assistance to capital clients who have not yet received appellate and/or habeas counsel. The CAP Training Attorney collaborates with CAP staff attorneys and UCIP staff alike for CAP’s training needs.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Organizes and conducts all CAP trainings, including but not limited to:
a. Annual Appellate Conference;
b. Oral Argument Skills Workshop;
c. Late-Stage and Clemency Training;
d. Summer Intern Training;
e. New Case Consults;
f. Factual and Legal Brainstormings;
g. Legal Issues Training; and
h. Moot Courts.
2. Confers regularly with CAP legal staff and appointed counsel regarding training needs.
3. Development of new trainings as needed, including those needed for implementation of Proposition 66.
4. Regularly Present at CAP or other Capital Defense trainings.
5. Collaborate with CAP resource attorney as well as capital defense organizations and resource centers, including the Habeas Corpus Resource Center (HCRC) and the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD), to develop resources and sponsor trainings.
6. Membership on the Planning Committee and the Post-Conviction Subcommittee for the CACJ--CPDA Annual Capital Case Defense Seminar (CCDS) required. Regularly develop, collect and post relevant training materials on CAP’s website.
7. Familiarity with CAP’s website; ability to train others on its use.
8. Collaborate with CAP Legal Staff to formulate policies regarding death penalty litigation.
9. Frequent participation in various CAP Projects as needed, such as edits and updates to the CAP manual; authoring CAP comments on various policy issues.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. Admission to the California Bar.
2. Capital litigation experience – minimum of 3-5 years, preferably in California.
Post-Conviction Experience Preferred.
3. Knowledge of death penalty law and procedure, preferably California, in state and federal court.
4. Knowledge of mitigation, mental health and other socio-cultural factors affecting our clients.
5. Demonstrated commitment to vigorous advocacy of behalf of indigent defendants. Prior direct contact with indigent clients preferred.
6. Superior legal analysis and writing skills.
7. Strong Public Speaking skills.
8. Strong interpersonal and communication skills to build constructive relationships with colleagues, counsel and other capital defense organizations.
9. Demonstrated commitment to group and team collaboration.
10. Direct prior experience conducting training and developing training materials preferred.
11. Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills. Demonstrated ability to manage numerous tasks under time constraints.
12. Ability to take initiative; ability to develop and/or redesign the position as needed.
13. Ability to work without supervision. A Senior CAP Attorney will provide minimal supervision, but the Training Attorney is expected to conduct all work independently.
14. Strong technical skills. Knowledge of Microsoft Office products required. Prior experience with time/ task management programs and apps (e.g., Outlook, Trello, Smartsheet, Case Map), a plus.
15. Some Travel required, mostly to attend capital defense conferences.
Send us a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references. In your cover letter, please describe any past training or resource development experience you have. If you have given presentations on capital defense in the past, please send the materials from at least one of the presentations. Please address all correspondence to the Attorney Selection Committee at: [email protected].