Criminal Appellate Attorney

Criminal Appellate Attorney

Junior Partner Opportunity — Boutique Law Firm

Location: 1 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NYPosition: Criminal Appellate Attorney / Junior Partner TrackStarting Salary: Minimum $150,000 AnnuallyAdditional Compensation: Performance Bonus + Christmas Bonus + Potential Partnership ParticipationAvailability: Immediately

The Opportunity

We are seeking a talented Criminal Appellate Attorney to join a new premier boutique law firm in Buffalo, New York.

This is an additional attorney position within the developing firm and is intended for an attorney who is earlier in his or her career than our Senior Attorney/Managing Partner position but has demonstrated excellent legal ability, judgment, writing skills, and professional potential.

For the right individual, this position provides a meaningful opportunity to develop into a Junior Partner and participate in the long-term growth of the firm.

In addition to traditional criminal appellate work, the attorney may represent incarcerated individuals in selected post-conviction, administrative, disciplinary, clemency, and parole-related matters.

The firm intends to be highly selective in accepting these matters, focusing on clients for whom there is a substantial, good-faith basis to assert innocence, wrongful conviction, or other significant legal or procedural injustice, subject to the attorney’s independent professional evaluation.

Compensation

Starting compensation will be a minimum of:

$150,000 Annually + Performance Bonus + Christmas Bonus

Compensation may be higher depending upon experience, qualifications, appellate record, client relationships, and ability to contribute to the development of the practice.

Exceptional performance may also lead to additional compensation and future partnership participation.

Responsibilities

The Criminal Appellate Attorney may handle matters involving:

• Criminal appeals;
• Wrongful conviction and actual-innocence matters;
• Post-conviction proceedings and available collateral relief;
• Inmate disciplinary hearing appeals;
• SHU/disciplinary confinement matters, sometimes referred to as “box time”;
• IPC and other applicable correctional or institutional proceedings;
• Clemency applications and supporting submissions;
• Parole preparation and parole hearings;
• Administrative and institutional appeals;
• Sentence and conviction-related legal research;
• Review of trial, hearing, disciplinary, and institutional records;
• Identification of constitutional, procedural, evidentiary, and appellate issues;
• Drafting appellate briefs, motions, petitions, and other submissions;
• Oral argument and hearing preparation;
• Client interviews and case investigation; and
• Coordination with investigators, experts, trial counsel, and other professionals when appropriate.

The attorney will also be expected to identify potentially meritorious cases in which the record or other credible evidence raises substantial questions regarding innocence, wrongful conviction, constitutional violations, procedural fairness, or other serious injustice.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

• A Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school;
• Admission and good standing to practice law in New York State, or appropriate eligibility for admission;
• Strong legal research and writing capabilities;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Demonstrated interest or experience in criminal appellate practice;
• Strong professional judgment;
• Excellent communication skills;
• High ethical standards; and
• The ability to work collaboratively within a sophisticated boutique practice.

Experience involving criminal appeals, post-conviction litigation, wrongful-conviction matters, correctional law, parole proceedings, clemency, criminal defense, prosecution, judicial clerkships, or substantial litigation will be particularly valuable.

Junior Partnership Opportunity

We are interested in developing professionals who want more than another associate position.

An attorney who demonstrates exceptional legal ability, professionalism, leadership, client service, teamwork, and commitment to the growth of the firm may be considered for advancement to Junior Partner.

Partnership opportunities will be based upon merit and contribution rather than simply years of service.

Our Culture

The firm is being developed around a professional culture emphasizing collaboration, professional mentoring, exceptional client service, integrity, accountability, continuous professional development, merit-based advancement, strong institutional governance, and long-term opportunities for exceptional professionals.

Our goal is to provide the sophistication and professional standards associated with a major law firm while maintaining the flexibility, personal relationships, and entrepreneurial opportunities of a boutique practice.

Immediate Availability

This position is available immediately.

Qualified candidates should provide a current résumé, strong professional references, and representative legal writing samples or examples of appellate work that may appropriately be shared.

All applications and discussions will be treated confidentially.

If you are a talented criminal appellate attorney interested in sophisticated appellate advocacy, selected innocence and wrongful-conviction matters, inmate advocacy, and a genuine path toward partnership, we welcome your application.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Case acceptance will be determined following independent attorney review of the facts, available evidence, procedural posture, applicable law, ethical obligations, and professional judgment. Compensation, partnership opportunities, and professional responsibilities will be structured in accordance with applicable New York law and Rules of Professional Conduct.

Pay: $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person