Investigator - Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF)
The Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF) is a highly specialized unit within the Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society. As the primary defender in New York City, HDTF was established to meet the needs of clients charged with homicide. The HDTF Unit can respond quickly to homicide arrests by immediately dispatching an experienced team of attorneys, investigators, mitigation specialists and paralegal case handlers on every case. Through an integrated system of representation, including our nationally recognized DNA and Forensics Units, our immigration and community justice units, and our media relations team, the clients we represent receive unparalleled attention on their homicide cases.
The HDTF has an immediate opening for an investigator to work on intense homicide cases that they may carry for years. You will be working closely with your interdisciplinary task force members to provide investigative services and support; establishing and participating in collaborative alliances with various institutional, judicial and governmental entities throughout the entirety of the court case.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
- Create an investigation plan for each homicide independently and in consultation with your legal team
- Manage an ongoing, active caseload of homicides within the 5 boroughs of NYC, and throughout the life of the case
- Available to the HDTF team during evenings and weekends
- Regular visits to Rikers Island and other detention facilities in NYC, and potential visits to correctional facilities outside of NYC
- Interview and communicate with clients at correctional facilities while maintaining the defense relationship throughout the life of the case
- Independently review and detail all discovery documents received from the prosecution including but not limited to Rikers Island calls, DD5s, video surveillance footage, and Body Cam footage.
- Visits to Medical Examiner or medical/forensic facilities to review autopsy reports and other medical reports or documents
- Participate in weekly case conferences with team members, clients, and client’s family.
- Participate in regular in-unit trainings
- Regular travel of the 5 boroughs of NYC and surrounding area including but not limited to NJ, Westchester County, and Long Island
- Maintain an organized case file (hard copy and digital) for each homicide
- Keep up-to-date of all news media coverage and create a media record
- Locate and interview witnesses and other relevant parties
- Investigate crime scenes and other relevant locations
- Document scenes (photographs, video, diagrams, measurements, etc.)
- Create crime scene sketches/diagrams/maps
- Prepare written summaries of investigation results via our case management system
- Conduct background checks, social media investigations, and internet research
- Use databases to retrieve relevant case information (e.g., CLEAR, DMV, ACRIS, etc.)
- Testify in court and assist during voir dire/jury selection
- Transport defense players to crime scenes and relevant locations
- Witness lineups and other police procedures (e.g., Ballistics test, examination of evidence at DA’s offices, vehicular inspection at NYPD Auto Yards, etc.)
- Discover and manage physical and digital evidence (e.g., cellphones, surveillance video, social media, etc.)
- Locate, extract, and preserve surveillance footage from varying locations and buildings
- Communicate with other city agencies as necessary
- Provide accurate, detailed reports on investigations; as well as maintaining other necessary documents (e.g., chain of custody, witness statements, investigation memorandum, etc.)
- As licensed process servers, serve subpoenas, motions, and other legal documents associated with your cases
- Participate in client and client’s family outreach efforts
- Good listening and questioning skills and skilled in interpersonal interactions
- Ability to effectively manage time on a daily and weekly basis while conducting multiple investigations
- Participate in, and provide support for, data collection, periodic pilot projects and new initiatives
- Other duties as assigned
Required Documents
Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society)Recruitment Portal.
- Resume
- Cover letter
Location
Brooklyn - Criminal Defense Practice Office
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice or in a related field or demonstrated work experience; minimum 3 years of prior experience conducting criminal investigations on serious violent offenses (e.g., manslaughters, attempted murders, felony assaults, rapes, robberies, and gang related offenses) required
- Commitment to obtaining justice for indigent persons and zealous defense representation preferred
- Additional training and certifications relating to criminal investigations preferred
- Basic knowledge of forensic sciences preferred
- Ability to analyze and evaluate facts
- Exhibit and execute high ethical standards, integrity, and discretion
- Good listening and questioning skills
- Excellent writing skills
- Skillful at interpersonal interactions while under pressure
- Familiarity with NYC neighborhoods
- Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office, Video Teleconference, and Zoom
- Proficiency in current social media platforms including but not limited to: Slacker, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok.
- Extensive fieldwork including some off hour travel
- Ability to travel 95% of time
- Spanish (or other pertinent language) fluency preferred
- Licensed Process Server preferred
- Candidates must be prepared to become a licensed process server if not currently licensed
- Notary License preferred
- A valid New York State driver’s license as well as everyday access to an automobile with appropriate motor vehicle insurance for use in investigations is preferred.
SALARY TRANSPARENCY
The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.
Salary Range
$63,478 - $ 85,981
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.
COVID VACCINATION INFORMATION
The Legal Aid Society is taking precautions and implementing safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to comply with New York City's requirements concerning Covid-19. All members of the Legal Aid community have a shared responsibility to support and comply with policies and protocols to protect the health and safety of our community. Learn more about our COVID-19 policy by visiting our website.
HOW TO APPLY
All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth; one’s gender identity may be male, female, neither or both, e.g., non-binary), gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not be distinctively male or female and may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.