Mitigation Advancement Program Staff Attorney

Description

The Capital Area Private Defender Service (CAPDS) Mitigation Advancement Program

is a statewide resource for attorneys representing indigent defendants in non-death

penalty murder cases. The program is funded through a generous grant from the Texas

Indigent Defense Commission and provides multiple resources including one-on-one

consultation and training and CLE trainings. The program is working on launching a

website with resources and creating a manual. The program is also conducting a study

to demonstrate that mitigation works in non-death penalty murder cases and determine

whether a centralized mitigation resource is helpful to indigent defense attorneys. The

initial grant award is for three years.

The Mitigation Advancement Program uses an approach consistent with United States

Supreme Court precedent in Wiggins v. Smith and its progeny.

The Mitigation Advancement Program is part of the CAPDS Post-Conviction Division.

In 2026 the State Bar of Texas honored the CAPDS Post-Conviction Division with the

first Jeff Blackburn Award for innovation in indigent defense.

For more information, please visit www.mitigationadvancement.org.

About the Position

The Mitigation Advancement Program is seeking a mid-level staff attorney to work with

attorneys who request assistance from the program to develop and execute a plan for

mitigation investigation and presentation in murder cases. The staff attorney will assist

with the organization of annual and monthly training sessions. The staff attorney will

be primarily responsible for the creation of a manual, pleading databank, and other

resources. The staff attorney will act as thought partner and help develop other

resources as appropriate. The staff attorney will also assist with the collection and

organization of data for the research component of the project and will co-author

reports about the project.

The position can be hybrid or remote. The staff attorney can live anywhere in Texas.

This position will require some travel within the state.

Requirements

• Must be licensed in Texas state courts at time of hire.
• 5-10 years of experience litigating murder or other serious felony cases as a

defense attorney.

• Extensive experience developing and presenting mitigation evidence consistent

with the Wiggins line of cases and prevailing professional norms.

• Experience working with expert witnesses.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated analytic and writing skills.
• Honed organizational skills.
• Experience working with a diverse range of people.
• Enthusiasm for creating a successful pilot program.

The salary range for this position is $95,000 – 108,000. CAPDS offers an excellent

benefits package, including fully paid health, dental, and vision insurance, Flexible

Spending Account, and 403(b) individual retirement plan with 10% annual employer

contribution.

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