Join SADO’s Juvenile Lifer Unit as an Assistant Defender and participate in the rewarding mission of representing people serving unconstitutional life without parole sentences. The position begins in October and the salary for this position ranges from $64,723 - $131,405, depending on experience.
Read the full job posting here: https://www.sado.org/content/pub/11781_Assistant-Defender----JLU.pdf
Position details: In 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles committing homicide offenses are unconstitutional. Michigan had one of the highest populations of “juvenile lifers” in the country, and the Assistant Defender works collaboratively in teams to investigate, mitigate, and litigate the contested resentencings of these clients. In 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court extended that protection to those 18 at the time of the homicide offense, and now an additional group of almost 300 people are potentially eligible for resentencing. For this type of litigation, the successful applicant must be able to:
• Develop meaningful relationships of trust with clients, family members, and others. Frequently visit with clients housed in prison facilities throughout the state.
• Develop mitigation evidence and social histories through record retrieval and review, and interviews with clients and others. Attorneys will work with other members of a team, which could include second chair counsel, an investigator, and a mitigation specialist or social worker.
• Review trial transcripts and appellate decisions of each client’s case.
• Identify and litigate through motion practice novel issues of law.
• Select and manage expert witnesses and consultants as needed.
• Engage in persistent negotiations with prosecutors on a case-by-case basis.
• Conduct hearings in trial courts throughout Michigan.
• In conjunction with SADO’s Project Reentry, develop reentry plans for clients.
Qualifications and skills:
• Must be admitted to the Michigan Bar or eligible for immediate transfer.
• Must demonstrate commitment to indigent defense, public service, and racial equity.
• Must have excellent legal research and writing skills.
• Litigation experience in death penalty phase or juvenile lifer resentencing hearings preferred.
• Experience in both trial and appellate courts preferred.
• Experience negotiating with prosecutors, preparing mitigation for clients, working with expert witnesses, and preparing experts for testimony preferred.
• Must have the desire and ability to investigate and litigate novel areas of law.
• Must have the ability to work with individuals who have been incarcerated since childhood.
• Must demonstrate an understanding of the need to acquire and practice cultural competency and humility.
• Attorneys with significant criminal trial experience are encouraged to apply.
Benefits include:
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401k plan with up to 9% employer contribution
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid sick time and paid parental leave
• Long-term disability insurance
• Flexible work hours
• Hybrid work environment
• Casual dress as appropriate
• Paid training opportunities
• Annual pay increases up to the maximum of the pay range with satisfactory performance
SADO employees are members of UAW Local 2200.
To Apply: Submit a cover letter stating your interest in the position. Include your resume and a redacted writing sample. As part of our commitment to diversity in the workplace and prevention of hiring bias, we ask that applicants submit redacted writing samples, which will be reviewed without access to applicant information and scored based on objective criteria. Your name, address, work affiliation, and other identifiers should be redacted from your writing sample. Files should be named generically, and your name should not be part of the file name.
Applications should be emailed to [email protected] by July 23, 2023.