Attorney - Conviction Integrity Unit

About the role

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office’s (HCAO) Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) is seeking an experienced licensed Attorney with Admission to the Bar of the State of Minnesota or ability to obtain Minnesota licensure as a conditional offer of employment, to review prior convictions of the HCAO for indicators of actual innocence, constitutional violations, excess sentences, or other injustices.

Responsibilities

• Review prior convictions of the HCAO for indicators of actual innocence, constitutional violations, excess sentences, or other injustices.
• Obtain and review voluminous court records, law enforcement documents, and all other documents connected with or relevant to a criminal prosecution.
• Partner and collaborate with attorney’s, law enforcement agencies, counsel for represented parties, and other stakeholders in the review of cases.
• Oversee DNA and other forensic testing on cases.
• Engage in legal research to assess claims relevant to prior convictions under review.
• Make recommendations on courses of action and remedies, if any, based on review of cases and findings.
• Prepare motions, briefs, and other legal papers in connection with court proceedings resulting from the CIU’s case reviews.
• Appear in court in connection with court proceedings resulting from the CIU’s case reviews.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota and two years of experience as an attorney.

Nice to have

• Experience: Working in a public law office, which includes prosecutor or public defender offices.
• Working in criminal law, including innocence or wrongful conviction organizations, conviction integrity units, or other specialty areas related to the position.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of: Legal principles and practices in the area of criminal law, including matters of constitutional law relevant to criminal practice; common causes of wrongful convictions.
• Postconviction procedure and the rules of evidence.
• Local laws and ordinances, established precedents, and legal reference sources.
• The principles, methods, and practices of legal research and investigation.
• Judicial procedures and the rules of evidence.

Skills

• Ability to: Prepare and conduct postconviction litigation regarding wrongful convictions and corrective sentencing.
• Review and synthesize large volumes of information.
• Construct well-organized and cogent written work products, including statements of fact and legal arguments; prepare proper legal instruments and court documents.
• Demonstrate initiative in keeping projects progressing forward.
• Exercise superior judgment on complex, highly consequential matters.

Benefits

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit employee referral program. Find us here at upcoming career fairs!

Pay

This is a full-time benefit earning position. This position is internally classified as an Attorney. Click here to view the job classification specification.

Schedule

This position is hybrid and will be performed both on-site at the Hennepin County Government Center at 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487, and remote as job duties require. Work hours will be Monday through Friday, with typical hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin.

About the Department

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is a fierce advocate for justice and equity, pursuing holistic community safety and providing quality legal services through evidence-informed practices and collaborative problem solving. We prosecute crimes with fairness and integrity. We advocate for victims of crime by seeking meaningful accountability and supporting healing. We use preventive and restorative approaches to address the complex root causes of crime and violence. We engage with partners to pursue system accountability. And we provide proactive and innovative legal services in the areas of mental health, child support, child protection, and civil legal representation for Hennepin County to advance the County’s efforts to reduce disparities and enhance the quality of life of our community.

About Hennepin County

Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive. Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).

Contact Information

If you have any questions, please contact Talent Acquisition division Hennepin County Human Resources department. Submit a request at hennepin.us/ask-hr or 612-348-7855.