Criminal Defense Practice Staff Attorney - Entry Level Fall 2026 - New York, NY

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Criminal Defense Practice Staff Attorney - Entry Level Fall 2026

#25-148

New York, New York, United States

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Deadline is 3 : 00 PM EST for Date Listed

Dec 01, 2025

Job Description

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice is seeking dedicated and passionate entry-level Staff Attorneys for trial offices in the five boroughs of New York City. Entry level staff attorneys are defined as those that have 0-3 years of experience in criminal defense, are admitted to practice in the State of New York or can practice Pro Hac Vice pursuant to New York State rules.

The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client- centered representation to people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges. Staff Attorneys will provide zealous advocacy and handle all aspects of criminal defense, from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and beyond.

The deadline to apply is December 1, 2025 . Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Offers will also be extended on a rolling basis. Interviews will be scheduled throughout the fall, and if you are selected for an interview, you will receive an email notification during this season. The application process will include :

• On Campus Interview (OCI), if applicable, serving as a screening
• Two rounds of interviews
• Reference check

ESSENTIAL DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

QUALIFICATIONS

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 : $ 84,000 to $152,500

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here 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 PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov / loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits . (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal . We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF :

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org .

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

Location

Citywide