Description:
Position Information:Arlington County's Commonwealth's (CWA) Office is seeking to fill a full-time Conviction Review Attorney to investigate and work to correct wrongful convictions, to train and advise line prosecutors on the causes of wrongful convictions in order to prevent wrongful convictions, to train and advise line prosecutors on developments in forensic science, and to represent the Office in expungement matters.
The Commonwealth Attorney's Office is committed to transformative justice in the promotion of effective and evidence-based diversion programs, racial justice, and victim services. We are dedicated to pursuing justice and protecting the rights and safety of citizens of the County and its visitors. As part of that mission, we work to enhance public safety and welfare through the vigorous enforcement of criminal laws in a fair, compassionate, ethical and just manner. We maintain a pro-active role in our community by working to prevent crime in addition to its mandate to prosecute with integrity, equality and excellence.
The conviction review process is a specialized, time-consuming legal process that involves the following specific duties:
- Identifying and investigating cases which may be wrongful convictions and recommending courses of action based on review of these cases;
- Responding to stakeholders' identification of cases and issues which faulty testimony or unreliable analysis of forensic evidence was used;
- Testing the validity of evidence with an emphasis on forensic science;
- Determining acts and sources of any intentional or unintentional wrongdoing in the development and prosecution of these cases;
- Determining if and when a victim should be contacted regarding the conviction review process;
- Training and advising line prosecutors on best practices in interviewing suspects, eyewitness identification, Brady obligations, and forensic sciences – including helping to assist in major motions practice to ensure that prosecutions are reliable and fair;
- Responding to motions for record expungement, appearing in court on behalf of the Commonwealth in those hearings, arranging the bi-annual expungement fair, and working on legislative projects to improve current expungement law;
- Responding to FOIA requests and responsibility as FOIA Officer;
- Reviewing law enforcement internal investigations to identify Brady/ Giglio issues; and
- Performing other tasks that may be assigned as needed to ensure the accuracy and fairness of convictions.
Selection Criteria:
Minimum: Completion of the requirements for graduation with a Juris Doctor; three years of professional experience in the legal field with knowledge of and experience in criminal law procedures and wrongful convictions; expertise in the causes of wrongful convictions and forensic science.
Applicants must be admitted to the Virginia Bar, waivable into the Virginia Bar, or prepared to take the bar exam.
Desirable: Preference will be giving to candidates with one or more of the following:
- Experience with post-conviction review work;
- Experience in the practice of Virginia criminal law;
- Knowledge of expungement law; and/or
- Experience training in areas of wrongful conviction.
Special Requirements:
A background check will be conducted on all candidates who are finalists for the position. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit check and may require signing a release authorizing the County to obtain this information. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record and criminal history.
