Direct Appeals Attorney at CAL

ABOUT US

The Center for Appellate Litigation (CAL) is a leading holistic legal services organization dedicated to providing high-quality appellate representation to low-income people in New York City. We are committed to ensuring that every individual has access to fair and just legal representation in the appellate courts and in a full panoply of post-conviction litigation. Our team of dedicated attorneys, paralegals, and staff work tirelessly to advocate for our clients' rights and uphold the principles of justice.

POSITION OVERVIEW

CAL is seeking to hire staff attorneys to work in its direct appeals practice. The attorneys will be members of the bargaining unit.

CAL is assigned to represent New Yorkers convicted of crimes in Manhattan and the Bronx in their criminal appeals and other post-conviction proceedings. We pride ourselves on adopting dynamic approaches to serve our clients and challenge the status quo. Outside of the courtroom, we work tirelessly to center and protect our clients’ well-being through the work of our Anti-Racism Working Group, Legislative Advocacy Committee, and array of Client Support Service projects. Our clients are among society’s most disenfranchised—people who have been convicted and imprisoned—and we work hard to live up to the trust our clients place in us. Our mission is to fight injustice through exceptional advocacy and enduring compassion for each client. We envision a post-conviction process grounded in our clients’ humanity.

CAL staff attorneys gain extensive exposure not only to appellate practice but to all aspects of post- conviction proceedings. Concretely, this entails building relationships of trust, support, and dependability with clients; writing briefs and arguing in the Appellate Division and Appellate Term; writing motions to vacate our clients’ convictions; and appearing in trial court for post-conviction proceedings.

QUALIFICATIONS

All applicants must have:

• At least three years of relevant legal experience, preferably as a public defender or in public interest law;
• a demonstrated commitment to public criminal defense;
• excellent analytical, writing, research, and oral advocacy skills;
• a passion for creative, persuasive, and strategic writing;
• strong organizational skills and a diligent work ethic;
• empathy and respect for people who have been convicted of serious offenses;
• strong interpersonal skills, especially in the face of crisis or disagreement;
• experience serving and/or advocating for disenfranchised communities;
• a willingness and ability to work within the dehumanizing environments of prisons, jails, and detention facilities.

LOCATION

The position is based at CAL’s New York City office. Currently, CAL has a hybrid remote office policy, and attorneys are permitted to work remotely 8-14 days per month depending on their tenure at CAL.

SALARY

Salary will be commensurate with experience according to an established step system. The base salary will be between $94,139 for a 2023 graduate and $122,655 for a 2015 graduate withan additional $3,000 language differential for candidates who are fluent in Spanish or another second language commonlyused in our practice. CAL offers comprehensive medical benefits, a retirement account, generous vacation time, holidays, and sick days.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter as one pdf file. To apply, click on the APPLY HERE link or go to https://bit.ly/directappeals2026and fill out the form, which asks for some basic information, and submit your resume and cover letter as a SINGLE PDF. The deadline to apply is October 9, 2026.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At CAL, we embrace and value our staff’s diversity, recognizing that our differences strengthen our community and advance our mission. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, orientations, experiences, and communities to apply. CAL is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, reproductive health decision-making, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status where protected by law, arrest or conviction record where protected by law, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

CAL offers comprehensive medical benefits, a retirement account, generous vacation time, holidays, and sick days.