Closing Date: 18th July, 2024
Description:
Pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP) has been providing quality legal services to indigent persons since 1966. These services are funded by the City of New York through the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice and provided with oversight of the 1st and 2nd Appellate Division Departments. The ACP provides compensation to private attorneys for representing indigent clients charged with criminal offenses. Attorneys are assigned matters by the Court and the Administrator's office when a conflict exists prohibiting the institutional providers from providing representation.The Supervisory Attorney will provide oversight for ACP attorneys representing clients facing misdemeanor, felony and homicide charges in the Criminal and Supreme Courts in New York City. Under the supervision of the ACP Administrators and with significant latitude for independent judgment, the Supervisory Attorney will assist in the professional development of ACP attorneys through the provision of technical assistance to attorneys by executing the following tasks:
- Monitor and maintain a high standard of representation and client services
- Evaluate ACP attorney needs and identify necessary resources to address these needs.
- Foster and encourage teamwork and communication, reinforce and maintain staff accountability, mentor and train staff, advice and provide assistance to panel attorneys on all cases.
- Assist with database management.
- Monitor case activity to ensure attorney adherence to best practices (e.g., occurrence of in person or video-conference meetings, effective motion practice, robust and timely utilization of experts and investigators).
- Attend citywide and statewide coalition meetings, task forces, and working groups for a variety of initiatives. Represent ACP at meetings with community, government, professional associations, and other business entities.
- Maintain cooperative/supportive relationships roles with relevant personnel in state and city agencies and among community-based stakeholders.
- Oversee recertification programs.
- Respond to client, community, and staff concerns.
- Develop staff trainings with the Training/Continuing Education Coordinator across a variety of skill and practice areas.
- Respond to client, community, staff, and court operational concerns and needs, including, but not limited to, the resolution of court-based issues such as court production of clients, case assignment inequities, attorney tardiness, staffing allocations, etc.
- Investigate and respond to complaints filed against panel attorneys
- Prepare and deliver written and oral presentations to city officials and other key stakeholders.
Minimum Qualifications:
Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
Preferred Skills:
Supervisory and management experience preferred. Extensive legal experience combined with being an effective self-starter, possessing both the capacity for independence and the ability to work cooperatively to advance the goals of the ACP. Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of entities from government agencies, other prosecutorial and regulatory bodies, and community organizations. Effective and creative leadership ability with the capacity to work both independently and cooperatively to implement key strategies, evaluate new policies and analyze new legislation.
