Closing Date: 17th October, 2025

Description:

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks experienced attorneys to join the Homicide Unit in our Brooklyn and Queens offices.

BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. For nearly 30 years, BDS has worked, in and out of court, to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. Our legal expertise work with clients is focused on the intersections of these legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty.

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including for housing, public benefits, education, and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families and communities.

The Homicide Unit utilizes a team approach in the representation of clients, with an attorney, investigator and social worker assigned from the inception of the case who conduct regular team strategizing and information gathering sessions. In addition, the unit as a whole works very closely together in order to take advantage of the wealth of expertise of the unit's attorneys and staff.

Because of the nature of homicide cases, the use of experts is a large part of the legal practice, including ID and false confession, medical and pathology, digital forensics, photogrammetry and video enhancement as well as creative use of new types of experts. BDS has an in-house forensic unit that assists with all areas of expert testimony, but attorneys should be prepared to build their own expertise in the wide range of forensic and scientific evidence that are collected or are necessary to defend a homicide case.

Responsibilities:

Directly represent clients in Brooklyn or Queens Criminal and Supreme Courts from intake through dismissal, plea or trial in the most serious and complex cases including major felonies and homicide.
Foster strong attorney/client relationships.
Work collaboratively on interdisciplinary case teams with experienced investigators, social workers with mitigation expertise, attorneys specializing in appellate issues, forensic/DNA expert/attorneys, paralegals, and admins.
Work closely with experts including ID and false confession, medical and pathology, digital forensics, photogrammetry and video enhancement as well as develop creative uses of new types of experts.
Participate in a rotation to be available to appear at the arraignment of a homicide case or other case deemed appropriate for the unit on weekdays, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Prepare for and litigate hearings and trials in Supreme Court, as well as collateral administrative tribunals.
Prepare and argue written motions, argue in court regarding discovery, answer legal motions filed by the District Attorney's office and other legal written and oral arguments in cases assigned to the attorney.
Collaborate with other BDS staff from our housing, immigration, family defense and education
practices to provide comprehensive assistance to clients.
Meet regularly with supervisor to review caseload, discuss case strategy, and prepare for trial.
Be an advisor to the client when decisions are made about the case.
Meet with family members or other support networks as client requests.
Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

Admission to the New York Bar, or ability to become admitted in New York.
At least five years of prior experience as a criminal defense attorney, although more than five years is preferred.
Meet minimum homicide requirements (see application questions), or be close to meeting the requirements.
Demonstrated ability as a litigator in the courtroom.
Strong interpersonal skills with clients, family members and friends.
Excellent written work on legal motions and memorandum of law.
Desire to delve deeply into cases, find factual and legal issues and utilize mitigation and social work services. This would include conducting multiple investigations in each case, fully exploring the prior record of the client as well as his/her life circumstances in detail as well as litigating multiple legal issues in each case.
Work effectively in a team as described above, particularly as regards to collaborating with the investigator and social worker on the case.
The ability and dedication to work with experts and develop your own expertise in technical areas like DNA, fingerprint, hair analysis, cell phone triangulation, etc.

Position Information:
This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The position is based at BDS's offices and the courts in Brooklyn or Queens.