Special Advisor on Race and Wrongful Conviction

About This Role

The (Special) Advisor on Race and Wrongful Conviction will serve as an advisor and thought leader on racial justice, equity, bias, and discrimination, specifically its impact on the criminal legal system and wrongful convictions. This role involves setting the vision for this work and collaborating with Innocence Project staff to ensure all substantive work is informed by rigorous research and scholarship on racial bias. The advisor will also collaborate with the NYU Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law to produce scholarly writing.

Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing expertise, thought leadership, and strategic vision on the role of racial bias and discrimination in the criminal legal system and wrongful convictions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with organizations, academics, researchers, attorneys, organizers, and policy advocates specializing in racial bias within the criminal legal system.
• Continuously monitor state and federal court decisions addressing significant claims of racial bias and discrimination in criminal justice.
• Continuously monitor emerging legal, historical, forensic, and social science research and scholarship regarding the impact of racial bias on decision-making, particularly in the criminal legal system.
• Provide regular verbal and written updates, trainings, and resources to IP and Center staff regarding relevant research.
• Produce lay and academic publications and original research on the role of race in wrongful convictions, including co-publishing with NYU Center and IP.
• Collaborate with IP Departments on cases, campaigns, and strategies involving race and racial bias/discrimination as they lead to wrongful conviction.
• Attend relevant trainings, conferences, and conventions regarding racial bias and discrimination in the criminal legal system.
• Collaborate with the NYU Center Executive Director and Faculty Director to produce scholarly writing regarding the role of race in wrongful convictions.

Requirements

• J.D. degree
• Admission to practice in New York
• 8+ years of progressive responsibility in racial justice, civil rights, and criminal justice academia, policy advocacy, or litigation
• Sophisticated analysis and knowledge of racial injustice in America
• Demonstrated history of collaboration with communities of color on race, criminal justice, and civil rights
• Demonstrated project and time management skills
• Demonstrated experience in creative problem solving, strategic flexibility, and good judgment
• Experience with strategic planning
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• Subject matter expertise in racial injustice and the intersections between criminal justice, civil rights and race
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Excellent research and analytical skills

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and admission to practice in New York is required
• 8+ years of progressive responsibility in academia, policy advocacy and/or litigation in areas at the intersection of racial justice, civil rights and criminal justice

Nice to Have

• Experience and passion around teaching, training, and/or disseminating research on racial injustice to broad audiences

Skills

* Required skills

Benefits