Description:
Position Summary:A Premier Public Interest Law Firm is hiring for the position of Supreme Court & Appellate Counsel to join its Washington, D.C. Office. The person selected for this position will develop and manage a docket of high impact appellate cases and litigate appellate cases from development to resolution, in federal and/or state appellate courts, in furtherance of the organization's mission, including police and prosecutor accountability, jail and prison conditions, and other aspects of criminal legal system reform.
The Supreme Court and Appellate Counsel oversees internal and external strategy and partnerships on issues that the organization has identified as current priorities, and works closely with the Supreme Court & Appellate Program (SCAP) Director on case management, litigation team direction, and resource allocation. The SCAP Counsel will also mentor junior attorneys, interns/students, clinical students, and/or litigation support team members.
About the A Premier Public Interest Law Firm
A Premier Public Interest Law Firm is a national, nonprofit civil rights law firm. We advocate for people harmed by America's criminal legal system to vindicate their rights, hold people with power accountable, and transform the system. Our advocacy includes cutting-edge litigation across the country, addressing end-to-end issues in the criminal legal system: from police and prosecutorial misconduct to mass incarceration, to the conditions of jails and prisons, to wrongful convictions.
We have offices in Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; New Orleans,Louisiana; Oxford, Mississippi; and Washington, D.C. For more information about MJC, visit www.macarthurjustice.org.
The criminal legal system disproportionally harms people of color, people from low-income communities, the formerly incarcerated, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We strongly encourage those who identify within these and other communities underrepresented in the legal profession to apply.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Litigation:
- Manage appellate litigation, including overall litigation strategy and allocating responsibilities between team members (including internal and external co-counsel, and paralegals);
- Oversee work performed by attorneys in the context of appeals, including training and preparing them for all aspects of appeals.
- Assess potential legal risks and risk mitigation strategies in the identification and screening of potential appeals;
- Ensure client-centered approach to litigation, including effective client outreach and communication to ensure clients are informed about the status of their case;
- Write or review and approve brief drafts including federal and state courts, and all stages of U.S. Supreme Court litigation;
- Second- and first-chairing oral argument;
- Provide case-related direction and oversight for more junior team members, such as more junior attorneys, legal fellows, interns, or clinical students.
- Demonstrates leadership in supporting Communications in external work related to one or more of the organization's priority issues, in addition to supporting and working in collaboration with Communications in relation to casework;
- Demonstrates thought leadership in convenings, such as relevant conferences or with community groups;
- Demonstrates leadership in building and sustaining relationships with partner organizations that are connected to the MacArthur Justice Center's work.
- Undertakes a leadership role in strategic discussion and convening as to one or more of the organization's priority issues, either at the organizational or group level;
- Works closely with the SCAP Director on needs related to case management, litigation team supervision and resource allocation, and mentoring of more junior attorneys, interns/students, or litigation support team members;
- Supports internal initiatives and needs, including supporting organizational or group functions related to development, technology, and the administration of intern or clinical programs connected to the organization's work.
- Attend yearly MJC organizational-wide meetings and regular planning meetings of the Supreme Court and Appellate Program;
- Participate in organizational and group-specific trainings; and
- Travel as required for meetings and court appearances.
Qualifications:
Education:
Bachelor's Degree and J.D. degree required.
Skills and Experience:
- Four (4) years of appellate experience—whether clerkships or litigation required;
- Seven (7) years of litigation experience preferred (including clerkship);
- Oral argument experience required;
- Exceptional skills in legal research, writing and editing;
- Substantial skill and experience in all aspects of appellate strategy;
- Exceptional interpersonal communication skills, including with supervising attorney and/or office director, collaborating team-members, external co-counsel, and opposing counsel as appropriate;
- Experience leading teams;
- Self-motivated, diligent, and able to ensure strict deadlines are met;
- Comfortable working with people in detention centers and with people otherwise caught up in the criminal legal system;
- Experience with coalition building, and a demonstrated ability to use the law creatively and strategically to seek justice for clients;
- Substantial experience with constitutional law, and 42 U.S.C. 1983 litigation;
- Ability to create a working environment that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming, and a willingness to honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of MJC staff and clients.
Technology: Proficiency with Microsoft products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as Westlaw, required.
Travel: Occasional travel for oral arguments, conferences, and MJC-wide meetings.
Location: DC Office Hybrid, Remote/Onsite
