Investigator; Manhattan

Position: Investigator (Manhattan)
As New York City's leading public defender, The Legal Aid Society is committed to vigorously advocating for the rights of the most marginalized and disenfranchised individuals. The reach of its Criminal Defense Practice extends beyond the courtroom, with a strong presence and collaborative partnerships within the communities it serves.

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice is currently seeking to fill 4 openings in the Manhattan Trial Office. Investigators will work closely with the defense team under the guidance of the Supervising Investigator, Attorney-in-Charge, and Director of Investigative Services. The caseload includes, but is not limited to, misdemeanors, domestic violence, burglaries, robberies, sexual assaults, and other serious felonies. This role demands a high level of initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, and determination.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Locate and interview complainants, witnesses, defendants, 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, internet, and social media investigations/research
• Use databases to retrieve relevant case information (e.g., CLEAR, DMV, ACRIS, etc.)
• Testify in court
• 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 and extract 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 summaries etc.)
• Travel within borough as well as out-of-borough as needed
• Communicate with clients and clients' family and friends, as needed
• Communicate with other members of staff/team to effectively analyze and discuss cases
• Review detailed and voluminous discovery
• Locate clients in person, as needed
• Serve subpoenas, motions and other legal documents, as needed
• Perform field work during office hours as well as during irregular hours as directed
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or 3-4 years of relevant work experience
• Prior experience conducting investigations on criminal cases preferred, including investigative internships
• Commitment to obtaining justice for indigent people and zealous defense representation required
• Ability to analyze and evaluate facts, as well as integrity and discretion
• Good listening and questioning skills
• Familiarity with MS Office and social media platforms required
• Excellent written skills
• Skillful interpersonal interactions
• Requires field work during office hours as well as at irregular hours
• Ability to travel 95% of time required
• Familiarity with borough neighborhoods
• Travel throughout NYC via mass transit

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in criminal justice or in a related field is strongly preferred
• Additional training/certifications relating to criminal investigations preferred
• Spanish language fluency strongly preferred
• Notary License 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:$62,337- $89,602

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

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…