Delinquent & Dep. Children Appellate Attorney

Defender Association of Philadelphia • Philadelphia, PA

2d

About The Position

Looking to make a difference! Become a Defender! The Defender Association is seeking an appellate attorney in the Child Advocacy Unit (CAU) who would specialize in legal and practical issues involving children. The Delinquent & Dependent Children (D&DC) appellate attorney would be assigned cases in the Courts of Common Pleas, the Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The D&DC appellate attorney would be assigned partial appellate caseload from the CAU, including cases involving dependency, abuse, adoption, and termination of parental rights proceedings. The D&DC attorney would also be assigned appeals from adjudicatory and dispositional orders of the Philadelphia Juvenile Court, including petitions for dispositional review under Pa.R.A.P. 1612, which allow expedited review of the factual basis for out of home placement dispositions. This position would also create and lead trainings on important and novel legal issues respecting children both internally and externally.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate and admission to Pennsylvania Bar (active and in good standing), required
• Minimum of 1 year of experience representing children in dependent or delinquent matters, more experience preferred
• Must be an excellent legal writer
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with attorneys, clients, office, and court personnel, oftentimes under considerable pressure
• Willingness to petition for membership in the PA State Juvenile Rules Committee
• Willingness to continuously develop to presentation skills May travel to various courtrooms and prisons within the city and state
• May have minimum travel out of state for conferences

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience drafting appellate briefs, preferred

Responsibilities

• Write briefs and argue cases on appeal in Pennsylvania courts
• Edit briefs for attorneys in the CAU
• Advise and train attorneys practicing in both the dependency and delinquency units on the law and motions practice as well as new developments in the law or decisions by appellate courts
• Assist the units in drafting pre- and post-trial and hearing motions, advise and train staff and attorneys on record development and proper objections
• Research and advise relevant units on new legal claims that should be raised to advance the rights of the Defender Association’s clients
• Develop expert knowledge on most important and evolving legal issues involving children to develop effective training for internal and external audiences
• Handle adult criminal appeals when office needs may demand special assignments
• Perform other duties as needed

Benefits

• Generous and rich benefits plan offering 100% employer paid medical plan, dental, vision, life insurance, long term disability insurance
• Substantial paid time off- close to 35 days off plus all federal holidays
• Retirement Savings Employer Match
• Eight weeks paid parental leave
• Free Septa Anywhere Key Card
• Public Loan Forgiveness Eligible Employer
• Meaningful Work
• Wellness Benefits
• Ongoing Training and Development of You

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree