Capital Habeas Mitigation Specialist/Investigator

The CHU Mitigation Specialist / Investigator plays an integral role in the investigation and presentation of both guilt/innocence phase and penalty phase issues at all stages of habeas corpus proceedings, as well as stay litigation and executive clemency. Core duties include building relationships with clients and their families; assisting attorneys in investigating and developing clients’ life history evidence; reviewing, analyzing, and organizing voluminous case files and records; identifying and initiating new areas of investigation; gathering and assessing documentary and other evidence; locating and interviewing witnesses; drafting memoranda, declarations, chronologies, and social history reports; working with experts; serving subpoenas; and assisting with hearings. The Mitigation Specialist / Investigator will work collaboratively with paralegals and under the supervision of one or more attorneys. The position requires extensive overnight travel and work outside of business hours, including weekends and holidays. To qualify, the applicant should have the following: ▪ Experience relevant to the investigation and development of mitigating evidence, preferably in capital trial or post-conviction cases. ▪ A desire and capacity to work collaboratively in a team environment. ▪ A strong commitment to providing holistic representational support and the desire to work with and on behalf of people from diverse backgrounds. ▪ The ability to build relationships and develop rapport with clients and their families, and the ability to obtain and analyze anecdotal and documentary evidence relevant to the client’s life history. ▪ The ability to be a self-starter, recognizing and assessing mental health symptomology and determine the best mitigation investigation approach for each individual case. ▪ A high level of organizational skills to gather, maintain, and manage documents and information for assigned cases, and the ability to analyze, Interpret and integrate records and legal documents. ▪ The ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with counsel and experts and assist in the identification and selection of appropriate experts. ▪ Attention to accuracy and detail. ▪ Computer fluency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs, including Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat. ▪ The ability to keep confidences and protect legal privileges, as well as a strong sense of personal and professional integrity. ▪ The ability to work under time pressure and ability to appropriately prioritize responsibilities.