Special Proceedings Division

The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office is currently seeking experienced, practicing attorneys for its Special Proceedings Division in the following bureaus: 

Appeals Bureau: The Bureau is a dynamic place to be an appellate lawyer. The work is interesting and challenging, and the Bureau has a supportive and collegial atmosphere. With a staff of nearly 20 lawyers devoted to handling appeals and post-judgment motions by convicted defendants, the Bureau is at the forefront of “making law” and establishing legal precedents that influence the landscape of criminal law in New York. The Bureau handles all post-judgment litigation of the County’s criminal cases - in every level of the trial and appellate courts of New York and the United States. The Appeals Bureau also serves an important role in advising Assistant District Attorneys throughout the Office on legal issues that arise during the investigative and trial stages of a case.

Office of Core Services: includes Core Services, Immigrant Affairs, Community Affairs, Victims Services Unit, and school-based programming. The Office of Core Services focuses on community engagement and outreach, preventative approaches to crime reduction, and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and community partners.  

Intake and Discovery Compliance Bureau: This Bureau processes the intake of new cases and prepares the necessary information for the District Court staff appearing in the Arraignment Part in District Court. The District Attorney’s Office relies upon the information obtained and data entered by an Intake ADA, which is invaluable to the smooth function of arraignment, discovery, and trial preparation processes.  

Qualifications and Requirements - Appeals Bureau

All lateral candidates for the Appeals Bureau position must:

• have a Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree from an ABA-accredited law school;
• be a current New York State Bar member in good standing;
• reside in New York State as of the effective date of employment with the NCDAO;
• 3+ years of practicing criminal law or conducting appellate work  
• have a strong work ethic; 
• pay scrupulous attention to deadlines; 
• make a two-year commitment to employment at the NCDAO; and
• prior experience as an appellate attorney or equivalent work experience is strongly preferred. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• researching, writing and arguing briefs in intermediate appellate courts and the NYS Court of Appeals addressing issues of criminal and constitutional law;
• answering collateral post-conviction motions seeking vacatur of convictions under Article 440 of the Criminal Procedure Law; conducting evidentiary hearings related to these motions;
• answering petitions for writs of habeas corpus filed in federal court, and briefing and arguing appeals arising from such cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit;
• counseling ADAs throughout the Office on questions of law arising at pre-trial, trial, and sentencing stages;
• reviewing adverse decisions for potential People’s appeals; researching, briefing, and arguing such appeals
• conducting conviction integrity reviews of post-conviction cases whenever such treatment is warranted;
• litigating specialized civil proceedings, including state habeas corpus and Article 78 petitions; and
• engaging in motion practice related to all stages of the appellate process.

Qualifications and Requirements - CORE Services

All lateral candidates for the CORE Services position must:

• Have passed the NYS Bar Examination and be admitted to the practice of law in NYS, in good standing, prior to submitting an application.
• Reside in New York State as of the effective date of employment with the NCDAO.
• Have at least three (3) years of experience in handling all aspects of criminal investigation and prosecution;
• Have exceptional people skills and demeanor;
• Possess strong public speaking and communication skills; 
• Have the ability to engage with the public in a professional manner and exercise sound judgment;
• (Preferred) – bi-lingual, Spanish-speaking skills are a plus;
• Make a two-year commitment to employment at the NCDAO.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the Executive Director for the Office of Core Services with supervision and training of staff, as well as grant reporting for the Victims Services Unit;
• Deliver presentations to schools and other community groups on topics related to crime prevention;
• Assist the Director for the Office of Immigrant Affairs in handling U-Visa certification requests;
• Assist the Director for the Office of Immigrant Affairs by providing guidance and expertise on immigration consequences of criminal convictions for Assistant District Attorneys across the Office;
• Assist the Director for the Office of Immigrant Affairs in responding to hotline calls, conducting potential victim interviews, and initiating investigations of crimes targeting immigrants, including financial crimes and frauds;
• Assist the Director for the Office of Community Affairs by attending and presenting at community events;
• Assist the Director for the Office of Community Affairs with a caseload of diversion/treatment eligible cases; 
• Plan, coordinate, promote, schedule, and attend Nassau County District Attorney’s Office events; 
• Lead or participate in various presentations, forums, and events, to discuss NCDA’s role, raise awareness of Office initiatives and resources, and educate the community on crime prevention tools;
• Perform other duties as required to support community engagement and outreach work of the Office.

Qualifications and Requirements - Intake and Discovery Compliance Bureau

All lateral candidates for the Intake and Discovery Compliance Bureau position must:

• have passed the NYS Bar Examination and be admitted to the practice of law in NYS, in good standing, prior to submitting an application;
• Reside in New York State as of the effective date of employment with the NCDAO;
• Possess a keen ability to multi-task and produce a large quantity of work under strict time constraints;
• Be able to learn (with extensive, specialized and technical training) how to use our various computer systems to process cases;
• Be available and willing to work during non-traditional hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays;
• Make a two-year commitment to employment at the NCDAO.

Ideal candidates will possess the following skills and experience:

• 3+ years of criminal law practice, including experience drafting complaints, synthesizing discovery, conducting investigations, and/or courtroom litigation;
• Proficient understanding of the New York State Penal Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law and Criminal Procedure Law;
• Computer/tech savvy: an ability to learn and adapt to using various computer databases as well as case and evidence management systems;
• Drive, ambition and a keen intellect;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
• Ability to effectively and confidently communicate with law enforcement officials and to persuade others to act even in the face of resistance;
• Ability to discuss cases professionally and directly;
• Pragmatism and tenacity – e.g., ability to understand the importance of details and the big picture; knows when to compromise and when to persist;
• Ability to multitask and possesses strong organizational skills;
• Ability to stay calm, composed, and focused in a high-pressured, fast-paced, and stressful environment.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Review all incoming police paperwork for legal sufficiency;
• Discuss incoming cases with police to correct defects in charges and to prepare evidentiary checklists;
• Prepare arraignment notices and assessment reports;
• Discuss calls from police requesting legal advice and documenting same;
• Perform legal research for police inquiries and proposed charges in order to determine whether reviewed charges are legally sufficient;
• Prepare email notifications to various bureaus throughout the office and contact on-call ADAs in specialized bureaus to discuss matters which may fall under their purview;
• Obtain paperwork from police records management systems and evidence portals and upload files to our case management and digital evidence management systems;
• Assist police with frequent technological questions they pose about how to generate paperwork and how to share materials via evidence portals;
• Review and update data in our case management system to ensure that said data is accurate and complete;
• Generate and review criminal history reports and DMV records;
• Address and resolve time sensitive inquiries from our arraignment court staff.

Job Benefits

As an ADA, you will receive the following benefits (waiting periods may apply):

• 13 paid holidays each year
• Generous paid vacation, personal and sick days each year
• Contributory medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents
• New York State Employees Retirement Plan
• Optional Deferred Compensation Plan
• Flexible benefits plan for medical and child-care expenses
• Childcare leave
• Nassau Financial Federal Credit Union optional financial services
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience 

Application Process

Lateral applicants will complete 2 rounds of interviews:

1. Panel Interview with two supervisory Assistant District Attorneys from the Hiring Committee
2. Interview with the Chief Assistant District Attorney and the District Attorney, Anne T. Donnelly. 

If you have any questions, please call (516) 571-3387.