Join Michigan’s State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) as our Mitigation Specialist Supervisor to assist in legal representation of people serving unconstitutional life without parole sentences. The position begins in October and the salary for this position ranges from $72,922 - $109,895, depending on experience.
Read the full job posting here: https://www.sado.org/content/pub/11780_Mitigation-Specialist-Supervisor-...
Position Details: In 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled mandatory sentences of life without parole for children committing homicide offenses are unconstitutional. Michigan had one of the highest populations of “juvenile lifers” in the country. 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.
Mitigation Specialists are a crucial part of the defense team and work with attorneys and clients to develop strategies for new sentencing hearings. These resentencing proceedings, which generally occur years, if not decades, after the conviction and original sentencing, require intensive long-term mitigation investigation, and culminate in complex hearings.
The Mitigation Specialist Supervisor will provide onboarding, training, and supervision of the JLU’s five Mitigation Specialists, and will maintain a limited caseload of their own. The Mitigation Specialist Supervisor will work collaboratively with the attorneys, Mitigation Specialists, and core staff of the JLU to create and maintain effective and cohesive teams. The Mitigation Specialist Supervisor will conduct annual reviews and oversee training and continuing education of the Mitigation Specialists.
The Mitigation Specialist Supervisor will collaborate with and supervise the Mitigation Specialists as they carry out their specific duties, which may include, but are not limited to:
• Interview, and build rapport with incarcerated clients to learn about their background, the facts of the offense, current experiences while incarcerated, and specific needs upon release;
• Identify, locate, and interview family, friends, community members, and other individuals to compile material in mitigation of sentence;
• Obtain, analyze, and summarize records and documents, including prison records, social files, school records, and medical and mental health records;
• Prepare reports, including client and witness interview memos, expert reports, social history reports and sentencing memoranda;
• Work with SADO's Project Reentry to help identify support for clients transitioning back into the community;
• Network and collaborate with probation officers, Department of Corrections professionals, circuit courts, and social services organizations;
• Prepare clients for testifying in court or presenting allocution;
• Train attorneys and staff on mitigation and parole hearings; and
• Assist attorneys with general hearing preparation such as preparing exhibits, coordinating with witnesses and other necessary tasks.
Qualifications:
• Demonstrated leadership ability and experience;
• At least two years of experience as a Mitigation Specialist;
• Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict and provide feedback in a positive, professional, and respectful manner;
• Innovative thinking regarding development of mitigation in sentencing;
• Excellent writing and editing skills;
• Commitment to client-centered, zealous advocacy;
• Commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of clients;
• Commitment to cultural humility and cultural competency;
• Education and/or experience in social work, social science, psychology, forensic psychology, journalism, anthropology, criminal justice, or a related field;
• Knowledge of the criminal legal system, preferably in Michigan;
• Excellent communication, trauma-informed interviewing, and interpersonal skills;
• Understanding of mental health signs and symptoms, the effects of trauma, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and the impacts of social, cultural, historical, political, religious, racial, environmental, and ethnic influences on behavior;
• Ability to prioritize multiple client cases, deadlines, and demands;
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, nights, and early mornings, and to travel throughout the state to attend hearings, meet with incarcerated clients, interview witnesses, and obtain mitigation material;
• Ability to organize, interpret, and synthesize large quantities of information into persuasive, compelling, and thorough written narratives
• Flexible and creative thinking;
• The ability to work as part of the defense team under the lead of the case attorney, and maintain confidentiality;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, Excel, and general office equipment; and
• Self-motivated, with the ability to handle constructive feedback.
SADO offers training and mentoring and fosters an environment of success and support. With offices in Detroit and Lansing, SADO’s sixty-plus staff members form a community advocating for clients and a fair criminal legal system.
Benefits Provided:
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401k plan with up to a 9% employer contribution
• 13 paid holidays
• 3 weeks of paid vacation in year one
• Paid sick time and, for eligible employees, paid parental leave
• Long-term disability insurance
• Flexible work hours
• Hybrid work environment (remote/office)
• Paid training opportunities
• Annual pay increases up to the maximum of the pay range with satisfactory performance
To Apply:
Submit a resume, redacted writing sample, and a cover letter via email by July 23, 2023, to: [email protected].
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.
The cover letter should address the reasons underlying your interest in the work of the Juvenile Lifer Unit and explain your commitment to working with incarcerated people and people convicted of crimes. It should also address your ability and experience in supervision and leadership of diverse teams.