Associate Counsel , CSJ

The Center for Social Justice is a new center based at Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana that provides capital appellate and post-conviction representation to indigent people on Louisiana’s death row, as well as juveniles facing sentences of life without parole. CSJ provides high-quality representation to a full caseload of clients in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana, with the assistance of students at Loyola. CSJ attorneys, formerly of the Capital Appeals Project, have successfully represented clients in state district courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court, which in turn has dramatically improved the quality and standards of representation for indigent capital defendants in Louisiana and throughout the Deep South. With the new center, CSJ will train new capital defense attorneys and continue providing excellent client-centered representation in our cases.The role of Associate Counsel is primarily responsible for legal research and writing, support for lead counsel, investigators and mitigation specialists, assistance with records collection and investigation, file management, and has an important voice in the overall case strategy. An Associate Counsel is a highly organized and self-directed individual with significant criminal defense/capital/post-conviction experience and a demonstrated commitment to excellent, client-centered representation. Associate Counsel must be qualified as such under the state capital guidelines, and are expected to act as second chair on their capital teams.Required Qualifications
Applicants must be:
(1) a graduate of an accredited law school.
(2) licensed to practice law in the State of Louisiana, or must become so licensed at the earliest opportunity after hiring.

Selection Criteria
Ideal candidates will have a minimum of three years’ experience in the direct representation of criminal defendants and ideally some capital defense experience. Candidates must be qualified to serve as associate appellate and post-conviction counsel, which involves at least three years of experience representing criminal defendants or two years of experience at a full-time capital defense organization, along with other experience-based qualifications. For more about the Louisiana Public Defender guidelines see here. Candidates should demonstrate familiarity with national and state capital defense best practice standards, as well as working knowledge of trauma, brain dysfunction, and mental illness. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to working with diverse populations and centering the humanity of all of our clients and their family members, as well as a commitment to anti-racism. Candidates must have strong legal research, legal analysis and writing skills; the ability to analyze complex legal records and issues; perform detailed and complex legal research; and draft motions, memoranda, briefs, appeals and petitions for writs of certiorari; an established capacity to complete assignments timely; and an established capacity to work both independently and collaboratively. Candidates must be able to communicate effectively with clients, family members, experts of all kinds, witnesses, colleagues, office staff and court personnel.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Submit an application package via Loyola's application system, Neogov, containing the following:
1. Cover letter. The cover letter should be no more than 3 pages, and should detail your qualifications under the selection criteria section above.
2. Resume.
3. Writing sample. The writing sample must be fully written by the applicant, should be no more than 10 pages, can be an excerpt, and should be from a capital case.
4. Email contacts for 3 References.
Applicants MUST also send the application packet to ckappel@loyno.edu.
Deadline: Applications are considered on a rolling basis. *Priority will be given to applications submitted by EOD September 16, 2024.