Capital Habeas Unit Investigator

Summary

The Investigator will be a part of a team of attorneys, paralegals, and investigators representing clients on death row in federal post-conviction proceedings. The Investigator will be responsible for developing and refining investigation plans and overseeing both fact and mitigation investigations for the cases to which they are assigned. Investigators engage in ongoing communication with the case team, soliciting feedback and adapting the plan as necessary based on results of the investigation

Duties

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Day to day duties include, but are not limited to, locating and interviewing witnesses and documenting those witness contacts, reading discovery to identify potential investigation, building lasting relationships with clients and their families, locating and supervising expert witnesses, serving subpoenas, drafting reports and social histories, reviewing and summarizing case records, visiting crime scenes, and locating and retrieving documents and other evidence.

Other duties may be assigned.

This position requires frequent overnight out-of-state travel. It also requires significant local travel. Our cases are subject to strict deadlines set by the court; thus, some evening and weekend work is required.

We hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards and expect the same of every member of our team. Employees are expected to demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism, compassion, clear communication, client-centered judgment, and collaborative teamwork. We value continuous learning and expect employees to actively seek improvement in their skills and knowledge. Team members must be willing to acknowledge mistakes and areas for growth and take personal responsibility for developing proficiency in all skill areas relevant to capital habeas defense.

Employees are required to demonstrate good judgment and always maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

All application information is subject to verification. Appointment to the position is contingent upon a background investigation including an FBI fingerprint check. Employees of the Federal Defender are members of the judicial branch of government; they are considered 'at will' and can be terminated with or without cause.

Qualifications

The most important qualifications for this position are a strong passion for helping those in need, the ability to form connections with our clients, with their families, and with witnesses, and the ability to thrive in a team environment.

A successful candidate will have strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. They will be motivated, creative, resourceful, and able to work with different types of people and personalities with tact, discretion, and compassion. They will also have the ability to work well with others in a team-based approach. Fluency in a foreign language and/or experience with different cultures is a plus.

We are seeking candidates with experience investigating crimes, alternative suspects, social histories, intellectual disabilities, and/or mental illness. The ideal candidate will have experience locating people, interviewing people, and drafting reports, as well as experience conducting both fact investigation interviews and mitigation investigation interviews. Experience in post-conviction or capital investigation is a plus. Criminal defense experience is helpful but not required. If you do not have criminal defense experience, please explain why you are now interested in working in criminal defense.

Additionally, applicants for this particular position should have the following:

• Initiative, drive, and the ability to take on a project within their area of expertise without waiting for instruction or a specific assignment.
• Comfort working with clients and their families in both jail and community settings.
• Knowledge and experience with trauma-informed interviewing.
• Ability to learn and understand the legal process and the current status of assigned cases.
• A working knowledge of legal terminology and court procedures.
• The ability to establish and maintain rapport and good working relationships.
• The ability to communicate…