Join Michigan’s State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) in our Lansing or Detroit office as a Mitigation Specialist. SADO’s Juvenile Lifer Unit seeks motivated and qualified applicants who can start immediately working with incarcerated clients who are newly eligible for resentencing. The position pays from $53,953 to $90,535, depending on experience. Our office follows a hybrid workplace model that mixes in-office and remote work to offer flexibility and support to staff.
This is a full-time temporary position with funding guaranteed through September 30, 2025. Continuation of this position after September 30 depends on state budget allocation.
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
- Interview, and build rapport with incarcerated clients to learn about their background, the facts of the offense, current experiences while incarcerated, and specific needs upon release;
- Identify, locate, and interview family, friends, community members, and other individuals to compile material in mitigation of sentence;
- Travel extensively throughout Michigan and occasionally out of state to visit clients in prison and interview witnesses
- Obtain, analyze, and summarize records and documents, including prison records, social files, school records, and medical and mental health records;
- Prepare reports, including client and witness interview memos, social history reports, and sentencing memoranda, using creative writing and storytelling techniques;
- Work with SADO’s Project Reentry to help identify support for clients transitioning back into the community;
- Identify and consult with appropriate experts to obtain reports and prepare for hearings;
- Prepare clients for testifying in court or presenting allocution;
- In limited circumstances, testify in court;
- Train attorneys and staff on mitigation and parole hearings; and
- Assist attorneys with general hearing preparation such as preparing exhibits, coordinating with witnesses, attending court hearings, and other necessary tasks.