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Job Title: Staff Attorney

Department: Criminal Defense

Location: San Marcos, Texas

Reports To: Supervising Attorney

Position Type: Full-time

Union Status: Union eligible

FLSA Status: Exempt

About NDS:

Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) is a national nonprofit public defense organization that pioneered the holistic defense model more than 30 years ago. Founded in Harlem, NDS was built to challenge the traditional public defense model by centering clients, communities, and interdisciplinary advocacy. Today, NDS operates community-based offices in Harlem; the Bronx; Detroit; and Hays County, Texas, supported by a unified national infrastructure that allows local teams to deliver high-quality, responsive representation rooted in the communities they serve.

Across all locations, NDS provides client-centered legal representation through interdisciplinary teams composed of attorneys, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. Our approach emphasizes early and ongoing engagement with clients—before arrest where possible, throughout the life of a case, and beyond case resolution—while addressing the legal, social, and systemic challenges that impact long-term stability. NDS is committed to treating every client with dignity and respect and to advancing justice for individuals and communities that have been historically marginalized and over-policed.

Core Purpose of the Role:

The Staff Attorney serves as the court-appointed legal counsel for indigent clients charged with crimes.  Their primary function is to enforce the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and provide zealous, client-centered advocacy at every stage of the criminal justice process.

Responsibilities:

1. Appear in all court proceedings for each client through the conclusion of their case.

2. Interview clients and their families, conduct legal research, and write pre-pleading letters, motions, and pre-sentencing memoranda on behalf of clients.

3. File motions, briefs, and other related documents on a frequent and timely basis.

4. Prepares cases for trial, collects, organizes and prepares evidence and other legal material.

5. Provide effective oral advocacy in negotiations and arguments in criminal cases.

6. Be responsive to and communicate clearly with clients who are often under great stress.

7. Work closely with team members to advocate for reduced sentences and/or alternatives to incarceration for clients. This advocacy includes:

• Gathering factual mitigation through interviews and obtaining records;
• Analyzing records;
• Researching and recommending alternatives to incarceration;
• Writing pre-pleading memoranda to judges and prosecutors seeking reduced sentences and alternatives to incarceration.

8. Advocate orally on behalf of clients to judges, programs, and prosecutors.

9. Visit clients in custody to conduct initial assessments, screenings, and interviews.

10. Work as part of the interdisciplinary team, including social workers, investigators and other non-attorney advocates, to determine case strategy.

11. Maintain accurate and confidential client records, documenting all interactions, and interventions in the case management system in a timely manner.

12. Obtain clients’ records from all relevant sources; review records; and prepare summary of records.

13. Adhere to all relevant federal and state laws and agency policies and procedures, including HIPAA and other confidentiality regulations.

14. Communicate promptly and professionally with supervising attorney on all case related matters.

15. Demonstrate cultural competence, awareness, and respect for diverse cultures and individual differences.

Qualifications:

Required

1.  A demonstrated commitment to criminal justice, indigent defense, racial equity, and social justice issues, and a substantive understanding of the biases impacting our clients

2.An ability to quickly build relationships with people of varying identities, income levels, races and ethnicities.

3. A high level of organizational and administrative skills to handle a high caseload and multi- task in a very fast-paced environment.

4. Experience representing clients in criminal cases and knowledge of criminal procedure from arraignments to trial and sentencing. Candidates with jury trial experience are encouraged to apply.

5. Presents facts, precedents, and arguments verbally and in writing; able to use negotiation skills effectively to ensure favorable outcomes.

6. A track record of strategically guiding casework, projects, and/or relationships; applying good and practiced judgement; routinely pushing through roadblocks to achieve goals.

7. Experience and skill in connecting with and representing clients who have mental health issues.

8. Must possess excellent interpersonal, analytical, writing, and effective communication skills.

9. An ability to work cooperatively in a team setting and independently with minimal oversight.

10. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clientele, representatives of outside agencies, county employees and officials, and the public.

11. Knowledge of Adobe Pro and Microsoft Office Suite

12. A license to practice law in Texas. Attorneys admitted to the Texas Bar with experience in criminal courts.

Preferred

1. Spanish language fluency is preferred but not required.

Compensation:

Compensation is commensurate with experience.  The current salary range for this position is $79,144.89 - $92,029.62. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.

SALARY RANGE BASED ON TRANSFERABLE EXPERIENCE 

1-5 Years 

$79,144.89 – 86,383.33 

6-10 Years 

$87,549.66 – 92,029.62 

• Full medical and dental benefits
• Retirement plan with company match up to 5%
• Robust time off perks, paid parental leave and other benefits are provided

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample with their application as one document, preferably PDF. For more information about NDS, please visit our website at https://neighborhooddefender.org/locations/texas/.

The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-confirming, and gender fluid people to apply.