Attorney - Central Capital

Associate Trial Counsel - Capital Litigation

Attorney will represent clients who have been charged with first degree murder, and the State has filed a notice that it intends to seek the death penalty. The clients come from throughout the state, with an emphasis on those charged in the central region. Extensive travel is required.

Capital litigation is differs from non-capital trial practice in that most capital cases involve strong evidence of guilt. Extensive pretrial practice focuses on sentencing advocacy, negotiation, motions (legal and evidentiary), and social work. Successful capital litigation focuses on plea agreements and keeping capital jury trials to a bare minimum. This is not a practice area for attorneys who live for the rush of excitement that surrounds a jury trial. However, capital pretrial motion practice creates trial-like demands and requires experts and multi-day hearings. During preparation, the capital team must progressively and thoroughly evaluate the entire case.

All capital attorneys are expected develop one-on-one relationships with the client and the client’s family/support system. Associate trial counsels do not independently take on primary roles. Typically, the associate trial counsel progresses by shadowing senior team members and taking on relatively minor case assignments. On a capital team, associate trial counsels are expected to take direction from lead trial counsel and to be open to suggestions from the mitigation specialist and investigator.

Licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri, or transferring bar license from a different state. Passion for criminal defense and commitment to justice for indigent clients. Strong communication and advocacy skills. Experience in litigating complex and serious trials. Willingness to work in varied settings and adapt as necessary. Collaborative spirit to work effectively with support staff and legal team members. Openness to continuous learning and participation in training programs. At least five years of criminal defense practice preferred.

This is a full-time position based in Columbia. The successful candidate will receive competitive compensation and State of Missouri benefits that include a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Learn more about benefits at https://publicdefender.mo.gov/employment/working-for-mspd/benefits/ Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found https://pers.oa.mo.gov/applicants .

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• State of Missouri

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