The Mills Legal Clinic of Stanford Law School invites applicants for the staff attorney position with its Criminal Defense Clinic (“CDC”). The staff attorney will join the thriving clinical community at Stanford Law School where, together with the clinical faculty and staff, he or she will represent clients and train law students at one of the country’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education.
CDC is one of eleven clinics comprising the Mills Legal Clinic. The Stanford clinical program is unique in that students participate in a clinic on a full-time basis; the clinic is the only course a student takes during the term of enrollment. The Mills Legal Clinic occupies an entire floor in an award-winning central campus building opened in summer 2012.
CDC focuses on introducing students to the discipline of indigent criminal defense practice. Students in the Criminal Defense Clinic represent indigent individuals accused of crimes in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. The cases encompass a wide range of misdemeanor offenses and some of the more common charges include drug possession, assault, theft, and weapons possession.
Students represent clients at all stages of criminal proceedings, including conducting fact investigation, interviewing witnesses, plea negotiations, working with experts, suppression motions, and trials. Students generally work in two-person teams and represent multiple clients during the term. CDC also includes a twice-weekly seminar. Seminar sessions focus on core lawyering skills and orientation to criminal defense practice.
The staff attorney participates in all activities of the clinic. The attorney engages in supervision of students, interaction with county defender organizations and independent client representation. He or she will also assist the director with curriculum design, development of teaching materials, classroom teaching, student evaluation, and clinic operations.
Mills Legal Clinic attorneys are part of the intellectual community within the clinical program and the Law School and university at large. For example, the staff attorney will be invited to attend weekly faculty workshops at which scholars from Stanford and throughout the world present research and works in progress. The clinic also provides resources for its lawyers to participate in continuing education and other professional development activities.
Applicants for the staff attorney position must have at least three years experience in criminal defense practice in the California courts. Specific experience in the counties of San Mateo or Santa Clara is desirable. Applicants must possess strong academic credentials and the organizational and team skills essential to law firm practice and clinic management. Successful teaching and student supervision experience or the demonstrated potential for such teaching and supervision are desirable but not required.
Experience in the provision of services to low-income communities and Spanish language proficiency are additional plus factors.
The salary is based on a formula that is competitive with similar positions.
Applicants should submit resumes through http://jobs.stanford.edu, referencing job number 49500. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
In addition, applicants should send the following materials to the addresses below:
- a statement no longer than one page describing: (i) prior experience in criminal defense practice; (ii) other relevant experience; and (iii) information relevant to the applicant's interest and potential for clinical supervision and teaching
- a list of at least three references
- a complete law school transcript
Applicants may send the materials electronically to Judy Gielniak, the Mills Legal Clinic administrative manager, at jgielniak@law.stanford.edu. Hard copies may be sent to:
Ronald Tyler
Associate Professor of Law
Director, Criminal Defense Clinic
Stanford Law School
Crown Quadrangle
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305-8610