Legal Analyst - District of Columbia Sentencing

Legal Analyst - District of Columbia Sentencing Commission

The D.C. Sentencing Commission (the Commission) is currently looking to hire a Legal Analyst who supports the application of the District’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines (Sentencing Guidelines).

The incumbent in this role is responsible for supporting the responding to inquiries about the application of the Sentencing Guidelines, planning and developing potential modifications to the Sentencing Guidelines, researching legal issues related to sentencing in D.C. and other jurisdictions, developing outreach and training materials, tracking legislation that may impact the Commission or the Sentencing Guidelines, assisting with data or research projects, and other similar activities.

The incumbent uses considerable discretion and independent judgment in the performance of duties.

This Excepted Service position is in the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission, which is an independent agency of the District of Columbia. The Commission monitors and supports the District’s Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, promotes fair and consistent sentencing policies, increases public understanding of sentencing policies and procedures, evaluates the effectiveness of the Guidelines, and recommends data-driven changes to sentencing policies.

• Provides accurate and usable responses to inquiries about the general or specific application of the Sentencing Guidelines from presentence report writers, legal practitioners, judges, court staff, agency partners, and the public.
• Analyzes statutes, orders, proposed and implemented legislation, regulations, and policies to determine their impact on the Commission, agency operations, or the Sentencing Guidelines. Conveys this information to agency management, Commission members, and/or staff in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.
• Under the direction of the Executive Director and General Counsel, develops potential changes to the Sentencing Guidelines or agency policies. Presents these proposals to agency management and/or Commission members and assesses the impact of proposed policy or Sentencing Guidelines changes.
• Reviews, interprets, and conveys information about specific sentencing or court cases, and reviews DC Superior Court sentences to determine their legality and compliance with the Guidelines, allowing the agency to determine and report on Guidelines compliance and sentencing statistics.
• Creates a variety of agency outreach and training materials for use in person, online, or on the agency’s website to further the agency’s outreach and educational goals.
• Assists in agency outreach activities, including attending community events and meetings, and in training individuals on the purpose, use, and application of the Sentencing Guidelines.
• Contributes to the development and publication of agency policies and research materials. Composes general correspondence pertaining to administrative matters (e.g., emails, letters, memoranda, reports, etc.). Performs administrative and technical tasks, applying a broad range of clerical and technical administrative procedures, methods, and techniques to support agency operations.
• Conducts final reviews of Commission publications or materials for formatting, typographical, and grammatical errors to ensure professional, error-free publications.
• Prepares policy and position statements and papers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Specialized experience is experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of the position and has equipped the applicants with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, one (1) year of specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression.

Preferred Qualifications and/or

Experience:

• Knowledge of criminal law and criminal justice policies, including sentencing guidelines or procedures, statutes, rules, regulations, and D.C. criminal procedure.
• Experience drafting legal and policy documents.
• Demonstrated skill and experience in explaining complex legal or…