APC Section Head

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Salary offers for the selected candidate are based on the candidates education and experience related to the position as well as our agency budget and equity.

The primary purposes of this position are to supervise the Appellate and PostConviction Section which currently consists of sixteen other attorneys and four paralegals and to independently handle major cases in both the state and federal courts. This includes assignment and monitoring of cases and duties of the attorneys and support staff in the Section; representing the State of North Carolina in complex criminal litigation at both the state and federal postconviction stages before the trial and appellate courts; representing the State of North Carolina in criminal appeals ;assisting District Attorneys in all aspects of state capital litigation in postconviction proceedings; assisting District Attorneys by answering criminal law questions tracking and expediting criminal cases in the state and federal court systems;; formulating strategies and legal positions for the State in both state and federal criminal litigation; advising District Attorneys and law enforcement officers throughout the State of North Carolina on issues pertaining to criminal litigation.

In addition to supervising the work of the members of the section this position is also expected to work independently in handling their own cases. This position must have the ability to independently manage and litigate major complex criminal cases both in superior court federal court and in the appellate courts. They must be effective and persuasive writers and oralists with in depth knowledge of criminal law.

Candidates should be familiar with 1 general case statutory and common law with particular emphasis on criminal law and procedure relating to capital litigation evidence constitutional law appellate procedure and federal habeas; 2 expertise in the conduct of criminal litigation in the appellate courts and represent the State of North Carolina in capital litigation in the State and Federal Courts; Candidates should have the ability to independently prepare and prosecute capital cases on direct appeal and in postconviction; ability to organize and digest complicated factual situations; ability to read analyze and understand complex fact situations; ability to read analyze and understand complex legal issues; ability to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of victims families; ability to express conclusions and arguments clearly and logically in oral and written form; ability to maintain effective working relationships with the public the media law enforcement officers and prosecutors and effectively supervise a large section handling bases in all three of the sections main areas of work: (a) capital postconviction (b) federal habeas proceedings and (c) major criminal appeals.

Travel including some overnight stays are required.

Selected candidate will undergo a background and records check.

Note to Current State Employees:

The salary grade for this position is LG10. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as or lower than their current position. Please detail ALL work history including nonstate service experience. If selected for this position a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience funding availability and internal equity. Based upon these factors a pay increase MAY or MAY NOT result.

The State of North Carolina offers employer paid health insurance plus twelve paid holidays generous vacation and sick leave accrual dental vision and other insurance options and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at Employee Benefits.

Section Information:

The primary purpose of the Appellate and PostConviction Section of the Criminal Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice is to represent the State in criminal matters after a defendants trial is completed. This includes: 1 direct appeals of criminal convictions in any of the judicial districts of the State before the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of North Carolina as well as state postconviction petitions filed in the State Appellate Courts;2 to research and prepare the States briefs and present oral argument in federal habeas corpus litigation in the federal district courts and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; 3)the attorneys in the section handle the most difficult and complex criminal appeals and petitions and therefore because of their expertise also serve as resources for all of the attorneys in the Department of Justice who handle occasional criminal appeals as part of their duties through the criminal brief rotation; 4 the section attorneys also represent the State of North Carolina in capital (death penalty) litigation particularly at the state and federal postconviction levels before the North Carolina Supreme Court the Supreme Court of the United States and the lower federal courts; 5 assist District Attorneys in all aspects of such state capital litigation both at trial and in postconviction proceedings; 6 act as liaison with Attorneys General and prosecutors on criminal law issues; 7 the section attorneys represent the State in noncapital state postconviction petitions filed upon request of the District Attorneys and approval of the Division Head; 8 the section also has the responsibility to defend against noncapital federal habeas corpus actions filed in federal courts by State prisoners seeking to overturn their North Carolina state court convictions and thereby prevent expensive and timeconsuming retrials or the premature release of criminals who cannot be retried.

Department Information:

Ability to read analyze and understand complex legal issues.

Ability to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of victims families.

Ability to express conclusions and arguments clearly and logically in oral and written form.

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with the public the media law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

Ability independently to prepare and prosecute capital cases on direct appeal and in postconviction.

Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and five years of progressively responsible professional legal experience. NOTE: GS 1142 and 1146 make it the duty of the Attorney General of NC to represent the State of North Carolina in all litigation unless another statute specifically states otherwise.

Note the following:If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.

Resumes and cover letters:To receive credit for your work history and credentials you must list the information on the online application form. This information is used to determine if you meet the requirements of the position and if you are selected it is used to determine a salary offer.

Using the terms See Resume or See Attachment will not be accepted and your application will be rejected as incomplete. Cover letters are highly encouraged but not required.

Transcripts:Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. A copy of your transcripts indicating the degree received can be uploaded with your application. If a transcript has been requested your application will be considered incomplete if you do not provide one. Using a photograph of your diploma is not acceptable.

Credit for foreign degrees will only be given if verification of degree certification is attached to your application. Transcripts for foreign degrees have to be evaluated by an organization like World Education Services to determine US equivalency.

Any licenses or certificates must be included in the appropriate section of the application form.

Applicants seeking Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD214 or discharge orders.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if you are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If you are a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions you must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Application status:To check the status of your application please log in to your account. Upon the closing date applications are Under Review and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take an average of 6 8 weeks. All applicants will be notified by email once a position is filled.

If you are having technical issues submitting your application please call the NeoGov Help Line at. If there are any questions about this posting other than your application status please contact the NC DOJ Human Resources office.

The NC Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The NC Department of Justice uses MeritBased Recruitment to select from among the most qualified applicants to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act.

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