Investigator, Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF)

The Legal Aid Society has an immediate opening for an investigator to work in the Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF) Unit.

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 litigation assistants on every case. Through an integrated system of representation, including our nationally recognized DNA and Digital 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 Investigator in the HDTF unit will work on intense homicide cases that they may carry for years. The Investigator will be working closely with 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 and 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, and trainings for all investigative staff
• Regular travel around 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 on all news/media coverage and create a media log
• 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 or accompany all 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

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or in a related field and demonstrated work experience with a minimum of 3 years’ experience conducting criminal investigations on serious violent offenses (e.g., manslaughters, attempted murders, felony assaults, rapes, robberies, and gang related offenses) are required

• Commitment to obtaining justice for clients and zealous defense representation

• Excellent listening and questioning skills in the field and where required

• Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office, Video Teleconference, Excel and PowerPoint

• Proficiency in current social media platforms including but not limited to: Slacker, Meta (Facebook), X (Twitter), Instagram, and Tik Tok

• Ability to travel 95% of time

• Ability to perform extensive fieldwork including some off hour travel

• Ability to exhibit and execute high ethical standards, integrity, and discretion

• Excellent writing skills

Preferred qualifications:

• Additional training and certifications relating to criminal investigations

• Basic knowledge of forensic sciences

• Ability to analyze and evaluate facts

• Skillful at interpersonal interactions while under pressure.

• Familiarity with NYC neighborhoods

• 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 AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $70,737 - $96,581

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter

• Resume

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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); 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 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.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

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 (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.