Skip to main content

This job has expired

Staff Attorney, the Innocence Project at UVA School of Law

Employer
University of Virginia
Location
Charlottesville, VA

View more

Administrative Jobs
Student Affairs, Counseling
Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution

Job Details

The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law seeks a staff attorney to supervise teams of law students who help screen, investigate, and litigate wrongful convictions in Virginia. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, the Law School is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity, and community service.

The Innocence Project at UVA School of Law identifies, investigates, and litigates wrongful conviction cases in Virginia and advocates for policy reform. The Innocence Project Clinic is a for-credit clinic in which approximately 14 enrolled law students engage in investigation and post-conviction litigation of wrongful conviction cases for a full academic year. Other students—approximately 50+ students each year—volunteer their time with the pro bono clinic to work on cases and other matters for the Innocence Project; pro bono clinic students also have the opportunity to develop policy proposals and advocate for legislative reform.

The staff attorney manages the volunteer/pro bono clinic students, under the supervision and with the assistance of Innocence Project Clinic director Jennifer L. Givens and associate director Juliet Hatchett. The staff attorney’s primary role is to supervise student teams working on individual cases, and oversee the investigation, litigation, and related advocacy for each case. The staff attorney will also be asked to assist with efforts to increase public awareness of wrongful convictions.

The staff attorney will be expected to:

  • Supervise weekly team meetings; teach students how to collect relevant legal documents and investigate the case in the field; set up and oversee phone calls and meetings with clients and potential witnesses; teach students how to make and possibly litigate FOIA requests; oversee legal research; and draft relevant pleadings such as petitions for writs of habeas corpus, petitions for writs of actual innocence, requests for conditional and absolute pardons, and requests for parole.

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for their cases’ clients, witnesses, and other involved parties.

  • Oversee the intake process and manage students who are evaluating potential cases.

  • Supervise and manage teams of students working on policy/reform issues or communication/outreach/development issues.

  • Work with the clinic directors on other litigation matters as needed, including pending litigation to which no student team is assigned.

  • Assist with efforts to raise public awareness of wrongful convictions.

Requirements:

  • J.D. from an ABA approved law school or foreign equivalent and be an active member of a state bar in good standing (VA bar admission preferred).

  • At least one to three years of relevant practice experience is preferred.

  • Able to travel domestically, mostly in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with evening and weekend work as needed.

  • Have a valid driver's license.

This one-year restricted position is renewable for up to two additional years, subject to performance and continuation of funding.The position is classified as Professional Research Staff (“Postdoctoral Research Associate”) and offers compensation of $60,000 plus benefits.

The School of Law is located in Charlottesville, VA, a college town setting with natural beauty and significant historical relevance in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charlottesville is a wonderful place to live with an extraordinary quality of life, often ranked among the best places to live in the United States.

Application review will begin on May 27, 2022. The staff attorney applicant must be able to begin no later than mid-August of 2022.

To Apply:

Apply online at https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UVAJobs search for requisition R0036303. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile. Complete the application, and upload the following required materials:

  • Cover letter

  • CV/resume

  • Names and contact information for three professional references

*** Please note that ALL REQUESTED documents MUST be uploaded in the resume submission field, and you can combine documents into one PDF. ***

**Applications that do not have all the required documents will not receive full consideration.***

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Jennifer Givens, at jenniferlgivens@law.virginia.edu. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Marcus Rozier, Academic Recruiter, at hjv5vm@virginia.edu.


COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines

Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements and guidelines for employment at UVA.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

Organization

In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.

What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.

Each of the University’s eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s, 2016).  

As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES

As an R1 institution, the University’s research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.

Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty’s engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.

NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM

UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.

Established as the nation’s 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children’s Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.

The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.

INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING

The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.

One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University’s residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation:  UVA’s faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.

Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards.  Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow’s leaders inside and outside the classroom.

LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

Living in Charlottesville you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries.  No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.

In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others.  Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses.  The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers. 

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, qualified individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist in their pursuit of employment at the University. This includes assistance in completing the online job application as well as reasonable accommodations during the interview process. Please contact the UHR Service Center: 434.982.0123 orAskHR@virginia.edu to request assistance.

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert