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Employment/Internships/Volunteers

Current Opportunities

The District Attorney's Office employs a number of prosecutors within various concentrations. 

Assistant District Attorney

Location: Schenectady County

Description: The Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to fill several Assistant District Attorney positions within our City Court, County Court, Grand Jury and Major Crimes Units.  Entry level candidates must be in the third year of law school and intending to seek admission to the New York State Bar.  Experienced attorneys will ideally have litigation or appellate experience, preferably in the area of criminal prosecution or defense. 

Current salary structure:

ADA I (0-1 yrs)            $80,000
ADA II  (1-3 yrs)          $90,000
ADA III (4-5 yrs)          $98,000
ADA IV (6-7 yrs)          $108,000
ADA V  (8-9 yrs)          $117,000
ADA VI (10+ yrs)         $125,000

                       

Please send application materials including a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to the attention of:  Counsel to the District Attorney Peter H. Willis
612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.

 ~ or ~

via email to DistrictAttorney@schenectadycounty.com  

Crime Victim Services Assistant

CSEA Grade 10: $45,329 - $53,422

Distinguishing Features of the Class:

This is a public contact position involving responsibility for assisting in the Crime Victims' Services Program of the Schenectady County District Attorney's Office. The incumbent assists in interviewing victims of crime to determine the kinds of assistance needed, assists in the transmitting of all required and appropriate notifications under law, and assists with follow-up and referral service.  Work is performed under the direct supervision of the Crime Victim Services Coordinator. Performs related work as required.

Typical Work Activities:

  • Assists in carrying out policies to deal with victims and witnesses to crime in the resolution of problems arising in response to a crime;
  • Assists in preparing grant applications, budgets and reports;
  • Assists in preparing Crime Victims Board compensation claims;
  • Assists in preparing financial reports and program reports for review by the District Attorney and for submission to the Crime Victims Board;
  • Assists in assessing clients needs and may make referrals to appropriate agencies which can provide financial, physical, emotional, and material assistance;
  • Assists in providing notifications required of the District Attorney's Office by law to victims of crime and/or affected family members, including survivors of homicides;
  • Encourages victim participation in all phases of the criminal justice system, including pre-trial proceedings, trials, sentencing and parole hearings;
  • May act as a contact person for all crime victims to obtain information and answer questions concerning the status of their case;
  • May act as a liaison between the victim and the prosecutor assigned to the case when the prosecutor is unable to respond directly to that victim;
  • May assist crime victims in submitting victim impact statements to the probation department and to the Court;
  • May assist crime victims in obtaining release of personal property from law enforcement agencies and criminal courts;
  • May assist in the preparation and distribution of public relations materials concerning the program and crime victims' rights;
  • May assist in counseling crime victims and their families;
  • May accompany crime victims in interviews and court appearances where appropriate.

 

Full Performance, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics:  Good knowledge of court procedures;  working knowledge of the rights of crime victims;  excellent oral and written communications skills;  strong counseling skills;  effective interviewing skills;  skill in using a computer to enter, sort and retrieve data;  good organizational skills;  ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse individuals and groups;  ability to advocate for the rights of crime victims;  ability to prepare and maintain accurate reports and records;  tact;  patience;  compassion.

Minimum Acceptable Training and Experience:

  1. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college with an Associate's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Paralegal Studies, or Human Services;  OR
  1. Graduation from High School or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and three years of experience in victim advocacy or in advocacy in the field of human services; OR   
  1. An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A) and (B), above.
  1. NOTE:  Appropriate volunteer/part-time experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a pro-rated basis for up to one year of the required experience.

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT:  Possession of a valid New York State Driver's license at the time of appointment, and maintenance of such license throughout the tenure of employment in the position.

 

NOTE:  The essential functions of this position are determined by the department in which it is located.

Special Note:  Permanent appointment is dependent upon successful completion of a criminal background check.

Adopted CSC 3/10/98

Revised CSC 10/17/06

Revised CSC 12/15/15

JC: COMPETITIVE

 

 

Discovery Clerk

CSEA Grade 10: $45,329 - $53,422

Distinguishing Features of the Class: 

The position exists in the District Attorney’s Office to primarily assist prosecutors in compliance with all of the obligations to provide discovery to the defense in every criminal and vehicle and traffic prosecution undertaken by the office.  It is the obligation of Assistant District Attorneys to certify compliance with those laws in every case before the prosecution can declare readiness for trial, so a Discovery Clerk will work under the direct supervision of one or more prosecutors, while acquiring the knowledge and skills required to comply with discovery laws and prepare the files for trial.  Does related work as required.

 

Typical Work Activities:

  • Contacts police departments to obtain all police files in criminal and vehicle and traffic cases including, but not limited to, accusatory instruments, pedigree information, police reports, witness statements, officers statements, lead sheets, officers and investigators notes, statements made by defendants and co-defendants, photo arrays, identification procedures, photographs and drawings, evidence submission documents, and records of evidence seized;
  • To digitize said records and to implement procedures to provide copies of said records to the defense attorneys electronically when possible;
  • Obtain all video evidence in any criminal and vehicle and traffic case, including but not limited to public surveillance camera videos, private surveillance camera videos; body-worn camera videos, and in-car dashboard camera videos;
  • Prepare and transmit video evidence to the defense attorney;
  • Prepare records and correspondence outlining and describing all the items turned over to the defense in order to document its production to prove compliance with our legal obligations;
  • Search for criminal histories of defendants and witnesses in order to comply with our legal obligations to disclose criminal convictions of defendants and witnesses;
  • Obtain and digitize all documents that contain information that can be used by the defense to impeach the credibility of prosecution witnesses and prepare and disseminate such information to the defense attorneys;
  • Prepare a list of prosecution witnesses including a method of contacting said witnesses that is acceptable to them for dissemination to the defense attorney;
  • Locate and track down any additional evidence that must be disclosed under our discovery laws, to assist the prosecutors to fulfill their discovery obligations under the law;
  • Obtain and digitize all reports prepared by expert witnesses to be called by the prosecution including that expert’s current curriculum vitae, publications, and proficiency tests taken by that expert in the prior ten years;
  • Obtain copies of all grand jury transcripts of testimony given in a case and prepare and disseminate said transcripts to the defense attorney;
  • Obtain all 911 calls made in connection with a case and prepare and disseminate it to the defense attorney;
  • Obtain all search warrants including supporting documents that were issued in connection with the case and prepare for dissemination to the defense attorney;
  • Assist prosecutors in preparing and drafting protective motions to limit the risks of disclosure to victims and witnesses and to redact sensitive information where permitted in all records turned over to the defense;
  • Assist prosecutors in responding to omnibus motions and conducting hearings;
  • Performing such other tasks as may be required to assist prosecutors in the performance of their overall prosecutorial responsibilities.

 

Full Performance, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics:  Good knowledge of computerized software applications used to record and manage information including the prosecutors case management system utilized by the District Attorney’s Office; good knowledge of the digital evidence management system utilized by the District Attorney’s Office to comply with our discovery obligations; good knowledge of criminal procedure laws of the State of New York that govern a prosecutor’s discovery obligations; ability to effectively use computer applications such as word processing, e-mail and database software; ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the essential tasks of the position; ability to secure the cooperation of others; ability to deal with others tactfully and effectively; good judgment; initiative; integrity; resourcefulness; strict maintenance of confidentiality.

 

Minimum Acceptable Training and Experience:

A.Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a bachelor’s degree; OR

B.Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college with an associate’s degree and two (2) years of experience in either legal work, information technology, or data entry; OR

C. Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and four (4) years of experience in either legal work, information technology, or data entry; OR

D. An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A), (B) and (C) above.

 

NOTE:  The essential functions of this job are determined by the department/jurisdiction where the job is located.

 

Adopted

CSC 12/19/23

Revised

CSC 1/8/24

JC: NON-COMPETITIVE*

 

 


Internships

The Schenectady County District Attorney legal intern program is also run primarily out of the appellate bureau.  Law students who are accepted into the program become an invaluable resource for the office and provide much of the research support and initial drafts for appellate briefs and other motions that are filed with the Court of Appeals, Appellate Division, and County Court.  Along with working in the appellate bureau, interns also assist prosecutors in Schenectady City Court and other local courts.  Under the program interns are also allowed, under supervision, to represent the office as attorneys in minor court proceedings and non-jury trials.  The combined focus of the legal research and writing from the appellate bureau and the practical opportunity to observe and participate in court proceedings, has given many young attorneys a strong platform to pursue careers in prosecution not only in Schenectady County, but in numerous offices throughout the State.


Volunteers

This volunteer program gives students an opportunity to explore careers in areas of criminal justice other than law enforcement and at the same time earn credits toward their degree. Students work directly with crime victims and assist them through the stages of the criminal justice process, and they advocate to prosecutors and law enforcement officials the needs of crime victims. Additionally, students observe firsthand how the court process is run and what the job of a prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge entails.