Description:

Overview:
The Neighborhood Defender Service is building a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office in Wayne County and we invite you to join our team as we represent our clients with excellence. Building on 30 years of experience of providing high quality representation, we are expanding our efforts to bring the same caliber of representation to the communities of Wayne County. We are seeking entry-level attorneys, to include new attorneys and third-year law students. We are looking for highly organized, self-driven, and resilient individuals dedicated to our mission.

The Criminal Defense Practice at NDS Detroit will represent residents of Wayne County who are charged with felony crimes and cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients' needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending, and after the case concludes. NDS is committed to addressing the comprehensive legal and social service needs of clients while treating each client with dignity and respect.

An Entry-Level Staff Attorney demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities and an enthusiasm for holistic defense. The ideal Entry-Level Staff Attorney is someone who demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities, preferably with a demonstrated commitment to public defense, or demonstrated experience serving marginalized communities in a social justice organization. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes and our attorneys approach the cultivation of a positive office culture and the representation of indigent clients with equal rigor and commitment.

Responsibilities:

Embrace NDS' philosophy of client-centered, community-based, holistic representation and commitment to excellence by providing vigorous representation with energy and enthusiasm to the residents of Wayne County.
Engage in frequent court appearances and litigation, including arraignments, preliminary examinations, evidentiary hearings, oral arguments, trials, and sentencings.
Interview clients and their families in the office or local jails, conduct legal research and write pre-pleading letters, motions and pre-sentencing memoranda on behalf of clients.
Coordinate work performed by team members (investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators).
Work with cross-practice colleagues (immigration defense/civil defense/family defense) to obtain comprehensive legal outcomes for clients.
Provide effective oral advocacy in negotiations, hearings, and trials in criminal cases.
Work primarily at NDS' main office when not in Court.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will bring:

A demonstrated commitment to criminal justice, indigent defense, racial equity and social justice issues and the Wayne County communities.
Experience representing clients in criminal cases and knowledge of criminal procedure from arraignments to appeals (preferred but not required). Candidates with trial experience, particularly as lead counsel in the most serious felony cases, are encouraged to apply.
A track record of strategically guiding casework, projects and/or relationships; applying good and practiced judgment; and routinely pushing through roadblocks to achieve your goals.
Management skills and a coaching mindset.
Doggedness and resilience combined with people and situation smarts.
An ability to quickly build relationships across varying identities, income levels, races and ethnicities.
A high level of organizational and administrative skills to handle a high caseload.
Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.
Enrollment in an accredited law school with a graduation date not later than May 2026, with the ability to take the July 2026 Michigan Bar Examination; OR
A license to practice law in Michigan or in another state; and/or the capability of becoming licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan within six months. Experience in the criminal courts of Wayne County (and Michigan generally) are encouraged to apply.
Bi-lingual (Spanish or Arabic) attorneys are encouraged to apply.