Assistant Appellate Defenders represent people on their direct appeals or for other post-conviction proceedings. Appeals involve challenges to convictions and sentences following trials and guilty pleas. Attorneys at SADO do many different things as part of an appeal, including:
• Travel to Michigan’s prisons and jails to consult with the people we represent
• Research legal issues and compose appellate and trial court briefs
• Oral argument in the trial and appellate courts, including the Michigan Supreme Court
• Interview witnesses, investigate and develop new evidence, and conduct evidentiary hearings in the trial courts, including direct and cross examination of witnesses
• Mitigate for resentencing hearings in the trial courts
• Negotiate with county prosecutors
• Communicate with our clients’ family, friends, and loved ones
• Collaborate with staff investigator and mitigation specialist to develop claims on appeal
Applicants must be current members of the Michigan Bar or eligible to waive into the bar. Applicants must have a commitment to indigent defense, public service, and racial equity. Skills in legal research and writing, client communication, and oral advocacy are required. A demonstrated ability to mentor and train new attorneys is preferred. The location for this position is a hybrid environment between remote and in-office at either our Lansing or Detroit office.
Benefits: State employee benefits are comprehensive and include:
• 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
SADO employees are members of the UAW Local 2200
Submit a cover letter stating your interest in the position. Include your resume and a redacted writing sample.
Writing Sample Special Instructions: As part of its commitment to diversity in the workplace and its goal to prevent 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 a part of the filename. For example, you can name the file WS1.pdf or WritingSample.pdf.
Applications should be emailed by April 12, 2024 to [email protected] and include “Job ID 01-2024” in the subject line.