2025 NEW STAFF ATTORNEY AT CAL

Overview

Position Overview

CAL is seeking to hire current third-year law students, current judicial clerks, and recent law school graduates to join us in September 2025.

CAL is assigned to represent New Yorkers convicted of crimes in Manhattan and the Bronx in their criminal appeals and other post-conviction proceedings. We pride ourselves on adopting dynamic approaches to serve our clients and challenge the status quo. Outside of the courtroom, we work tirelessly to center and protect our clients’ well-being through the work of our Anti-Racism Working Group, Legislative Advocacy Committee, and array of Client Support Service projects. Our clients are among society’s most disenfranchised—people who have been convicted and imprisoned—and we work hard to live up to the trust our clients place in us. Our mission is to fight injustice through exceptional advocacy and enduring compassion for each client. We envision a post-conviction process grounded in our clients’ humanity.

CAL Staff Attorneys have the distinct honor of standing with, serving, and fighting for our clients. New staff attorneys gain extensive exposure not only to appellate practice but to all aspects of post-conviction proceedings. Concretely, this entails building relationships of trust, support, and dependability with clients; writing briefs and arguing in the Appellate Division and Appellate Term; writing motions to vacate our clients’ convictions; and appearing in trial court for post-conviction proceedings. CAL’s comprehensive and practical training program, close supervision process, varied practice, and supportive environment provide an ideal experience for a new attorney.

Applications must be submitted by October 18, 2024.

QUALIFICATIONS

All applicants must have:

• a demonstrated commitment to public criminal defense;
• excellent analytical, writing, research, and oral advocacy skills;
• a passion for creative, persuasive, and strategic writing;
• strong organizational skills and a diligent work ethic;
• empathy and respect for people who have been convicted of serious offenses;
• strong interpersonal skills, especially in the face of crisis or disagreement;
• experience serving and/or advocating for disenfranchised communities;
• a willingness and ability to work within the dehumanizing environments of prisons, jails, and detention facilities.

Spanish fluency is preferred, but not required.

LOCATION

The position is based at CAL’s New York City office. Currently, CAL has a hybrid remote office policy, and new attorney employees may telecommute up to eight days per month. The in-office requirement is subject to change.

SALARY

Starting salary will be at least $79,310 for a 2025 graduate before admission to the bar and at least $84,718 for a 2023 graduate with relevant experience. CAL offers comprehensive medical benefits, a retirement account, and generous vacation time, holidays, personal and sick days.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be submitted by October 18, 2024, through the Google form linked here. (Applicants without a Gmail account may email their materials to jobs@cfal.org. Please do not submit via both the form and the email address).

Applications must include a resume, cover letter, and writing sample in one PDF document, with the cover letter addressed to:

Jenay Nurse Guilford
Executive Director
Center for Appellate Litigation
120 Wall Street, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10005-4003

To the extent practicable, writing samples should represent applicants’ own writing. An excerpt ten pages or less would be acceptable.

Because of the expected high number of applications, we ask that applicants not contact the office to inquire about the status of their application. Any necessary updates to an application should be sent to jobs@cfal.org with the subject line “2025 Application Update.”

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At CAL, we embrace and value our staff’s diversity, recognizing that our differences strengthen our community and advance our mission. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, orientations, experiences, and communities to apply. CAL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, arrest or conviction record, caregiver status, citizenship status, color, credit history, creed,
disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, marital status, partnership status, pregnancy, race, religion, salary history, sexual and reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, status as a covered veteran or active military service member, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sex offenses in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.