Trial Mitigation Specialist
Federal Defender Services of Idaho, Boise Headquarters

Federal Defender Services of Idaho is now accepting applications for a full-time
Mitigation Specialist position in the Boise Headquarters Trial Unit.

Federal Defender Services of Idaho (“FDSI”) is the Community Defender
Organization (see 18 U.S.C.§ 3006A(g)(2)(B)) for the District of Idaho. The organization’s main office is in Boise, Idaho with a branch in Pocatello, Idaho and a
Capital Habeas Unit also in Boise. The Trial Unit represents indigent criminal defendants charged with federal crimes in the District of Idaho. Attorneys handle all aspects of representation at the trial level and on appeal to the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mitigation investigation and reentry work is core to the Trial Unit’s mission. Sentencing advocacy centrally involves unearthing our clients’ traumas and risk factors, vividly telling their stories, and working creatively with local reentry services to develop solid release and reentry plans so that our clients have a fair shot at rehabilitation. In Boise, the Trial Unit is currently staffed by seven trial attorneys, a research and writing attorney, two mitigation specialists, one investigator, an interpreter, and support staff. FDSI is not an agency of the federal government; staff members are not federal employees.

Job Description: The Trial Mitigation Specialist helps the attorneys in this office tell their clients’ stories and advocate for thoughtful, community-based corrections.
Under the supervision of trial attorneys, the Mitigation Specialist will handle all aspects of mitigation investigation and reentry work. Core tasks include:

• Records collection—gathering police, medical, school, and other records to corroborate and elaborate on our clients stories;
• Fact investigation—interviewing mitigation witnesses, obtaining declarations, and otherwise working in the field to particularize and vivify our clients’ lived experiences;
• Client trust-building—developing strong, supportive relationships with our clients and their families, virtually all of whom are impoverished and struggling with addiction and mental health crises;
• Social histories—drawing on records, fact investigation, and our clients’ own stories to prepare detailed social histories and humanizing narratives of our clients’ lives; and
• Reentry work—preparing strong release plans and developing relationships with mental health, housing, vocational rehabilitation, and other programs in the community to plug our clients into the best network to maximize their chances of success in the community.

Strong organizational and communication skills, the ability to balance independent work and membership in a team, and an enduring compassion for marginalized and at-risk populations are critical to this job.

Qualifications and Skills: The ideal candidate for this position is a skillful, independent, yet team-oriented mitigation specialist. The ideal candidate is a highly organized self-starter who can balance complex long-term mitigation projects with the short-term fire drills that inevitably arise in a busy public defense office. They write well, communicate well, work well with others, and have a gift for engaging with and earning the trust of the marginalized, the mentally ill, and the drug addicted. They are committed to obtaining justice for indigent criminal defendants, and they are dedicated to the hard, at-times frustrating, and detail-oriented work it takes to get there.

The person hired for this position will be expected—with our help—to develop a deep understanding of Idaho’s criminal-justice, social services, and mental health systems. Their day-to-day experience will involve the following types of duties: conducting ongoing, exhaustive and independent investigations of every aspect of the client’s character, life history, record, and any circumstances of the offense, or other factors, which may provide a basis for a lesser sentence; and maintaining complete and accurate files, including records that may assist successor counsel.

Requirements: To qualify for the position of Trial Mitigation Specialist, a bachelor’s degree and three years of experience in mitigation investigation or a closely related field (such as social work) is required. A candidate with an advanced or graduate degree in social work is strongly preferred. A candidate with a degree in or related to a field such as social work, psychology, sociology, law, criminal justice; or a bachelor’s degree with at least three years’ experience investigating and developing mitigation evidence after graduation is also preferred. Education may be substituted for some experience, and vice versa.

Applicants must have a driver’s license, car, and appropriate motor vehicle insurance. This position requires considerable resourcefulness, creativity, initiative and drive; ability to analyze and evaluate facts, evidence and related information; tact and discretion. Applicants must be flexible, able to work as part of a team, and capable of providing results with quick turnaround when necessary. This position requires local and interstate travel. Employees of this program may not engage in other full-time employment or litigation assistance for hire.

The selected candidate will be subject to a comprehensive background check or investigation and subsequent favorable suitability determination for employment. Employees of the Federal Defender Services of Idaho are considered “at-will” employees and are not covered by the Civil Service Reform Act. This position is not overtime exempt. Employment will be provisional and contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a 180-day probationary period. COVID-19 vaccination is required as a condition of employment, exceptions allowed with reasonable accommodation.

Submit an electronic PDF resume including cover letter and references. Applications without these items are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Go to: https://id.fd.org/employment for more information and specifics on how to apply. Please do not call regarding the status of your application.

Application deadline: December 22, 2022

Salary: Competitive salary (Judicial Pay Scale JSP 11-1 to 14-10: $66,214-
$144,976), health coverage, long term disability and life insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan.

FDSI is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity and inclusion in its work and with its staff.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $66,214.00 - $144,976.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Work Location: One location

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