The Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System (MAACS), a division of the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO), seeks to hire an experienced criminal appellate attorney to serve as Litigation Support Counsel for the roster of approximately 150 private attorneys who accept 2,300 court-appointed felony appeals in Michigan every year. Working under the supervision of the MAACS Administrator and Deputy Administrator, the Litigation Support Counsel will help train, support, and supervise new and established MAACS roster attorneys and handle other administrative responsibilities as appropriate. The successful candidate may carry a limited caseload, subject to other job responsibilities. This mid-level position is located in Detroit or Lansing and pays from $72,000 to $88,000, depending on experience. Through annual pay increases, this position has the potential to earn up to $121,000.

ABOUT MAACS: SADO is a state public appellate defense agency with about 60 staff members and offices in Detroit and Lansing. MAACS is a division within SADO and administers the appointment of felony appellate counsel in Michigan trial courts from a roster of approximately 150 private attorneys and SADO. MAACS and SADO merged for management purposes in 2014. The consolidated MAACS/SADO agency is overseen by the Appellate Defender Commission under MCL 780.711 et. seq. Additional information about MAACS is available at MAACS Resources Overview and Appellate Defender Commission Annual Reports.

• Provides support and mentorship to new MAACS roster attorneys through their first two appellate assignments and thereafter as necessary.
• Provides briefing support, develops model pleadings, collaborates on training programs, provides case-specific consultation and second-chair courtroom support in select cases.
• Helps facilitate the appointment of expert and investigative services in appropriate cases, collaborates with investigators and experts, and works closely with roster attorneys to develop investigation and litigation strategies.
• Assists the MAACS Administrator in other administrative responsibilities as assigned.
• May carry a limited caseload, subject to other job responsibilities.

• Must be a licensed attorney with at least 4 years of experience, 2 of which must be with Michigan criminal appeals.
• Must have familiarity with criminal defense investigations.
• Outstanding legal research and writing, communication, and appellate advocacy skills are essential.
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to indigent criminal defense and public service.

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401k plan with up to a 9% employer contribution
• 3 weeks of paid vacation in year one, more in subsequent years
• Paid sick time and paid parental leave
• 12 paid holidays
• Long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Flexible work hours
• Work from home options
• Paid training opportunities

SADO offers training and mentoring, and fosters an environment of success and support. With offices in Detroit and Lansing, SADO’s fifty-plus staff members form a community advocating for clients and a fair criminal justice system. Additionally, SADO provides the ability to work remotely as needed. Visit www.sado.org to learn more.

TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter, resume, and a redacted writing sample. The cover letter should state your interest in the position and address your commitment to working with incarcerated people and people convicted of crimes. Applications should be emailed by January 21, 2022 to Human Resources at HR@sado.org.

Writing Sample Special Instructions: As part of its commitment to diversity in the workplace and its goal to prevent hiring bias,we ask that applicants submit redacted writing samples, which will be reviewed without access to applicant information and scored based on objective criteria. Your name, address, work affiliation, and other identifiers should be redacted from your writing sample. Files should be named generically, and your name should not be a part of the filename. For example, you can name the file WS1.pdf or WritingSample.pdf.

SADO is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We recognize people of color are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system and actively seek to employ staff with backgrounds representative of our clients. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ people, and people directly affected by the criminal legal system to apply. A felony conviction does not prohibit employment at SADO.

Subscriber Comments

• You must be a subscriber to view comments