GJP is a 34-year-old non-profit located in Atlanta’s historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Our work spans three areas: Holistic Criminal Defense, Advocacy and Education, and Reentry Lawyering. You can read more about our work at www.GJP.org. GJP is funded primarily through private donations and currently has 22 staff members including lawyers, social workers, legal assistants, and development and administrative staff.
We are growing our team and expanding our work and are currently hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney. Applications will be processed as they are submitted. *As an essential service provider, GJP remains open; however, procedures are currently modified to ensure the safety of staff and clients.
ROLE OVERVIEW
This attorney will assist with several different areas of work as part of the defense team, including representing clients with pending charges, removing barriers to release for individuals incarcerated at the Metro Reentry Facility, and helping to develop and implement a new program to address probation issues. GJP provides zealous and client-centered representation of the highest quality, combined with holistic social service support. Each of our legal clients is assigned a social worker; together, the attorney and social worker work closely to support the client and obtain the best outcome in the case. If our clients receive a prison sentence, we visit them while they are in prison and help them develop a reentry plan when they are released. For the last two years we have also assisted men who are incarcerated at the Metro Reentry Facility who have holds and detainers, and plan to expand this work. We are also launching a program to address probation issues by representing individuals and providing community education and policy advocacy, with the goal of reducing the number of people under correctional control in Georgia through systemic change. The attorney will have a caseload that is spread across the three direct representation areas, and contribute to education and policy efforts.
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Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Benefits include health insurance, paid time off, and professional development.
The ideal candidate will have
a minimum of 5 years of criminal defense experience, including representing individuals on felony charges and trial experience
working familiarity with holistic representation
a deep commitment to engaging with clients to seek out the best resolution
a desire to work very collaboratively with a team to keep multiple projects and goals moving forward simultaneously
QUALIFICATIONS:
Licensed Attorney with the State Bar of Georgia
A demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice and an understanding of how poverty and race factor into the criminal legal system
Ability to advocate assertively and effectively for low-income individuals
Ability to engage respectfully with diverse groups of people
Strong attention to detail
Excellent written communication and research skills
Experience with client record database systems, Salesforce preferred.
Experience in recruiting and working with student interns and volunteers
Willingness to perform some administrative tasks (GJP has a small administrative support staff and we all pitch in to help where needed)
Enthusiasm and energy for the difficult work of reforming the criminal legal system
The ability to effectively manage the multiple priorities and fast pace of a non-profit workplace
Ability to work occasional evenings or Saturdays for special events or projects; occasional travel
Driver’s license (required)
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Jyotsna Vanapalli at [email protected]/ Include “Criminal Defense Attorney” in the subject line of the email. This position will remain open until filled. No calls, please.
Georgia Justice Project is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse staff and an inclusive organization. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, colors, religions, national origins, sexes, gender identities, sexual orientations, and disability statuses. GJP encourages people who are formerly incarcerated or justice-involved to apply.
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