Title: Section Chief, Criminal Appeals

State Role Title: Senior Assistant Attorney General

Hiring Range: Commensurate with Experience

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Attorney General & Dept of Law

Location: Office of the Attorney General

Agency Website: https://www.oag.state.va.us/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Chief Objective:

The Section Chief of the CAS is responsible for directing, supervising and managing the conduct of the criminal appeals, habeas corpus proceedings, petitions for writs of actual innocence, and other litigation assigned to CAS. In addition, the incumbent of this position is responsible for determining the means, methods and standards of quality necessary to ensure the successful operation of a major legal section.

Work Tasks and Duties:

• Reviews on a daily basis (and modifies as necessary) drafts of briefs and selected major pleadings prepared by attorneys in CAS. The Team Leaders and Senior Assistant Attorneys General in the Section assist in the review of briefs and pleadings. The primary purpose of this review is to monitor the quality of the work, and the reviews also insure the propriety and consistency of legal positions taken by the Section.
• Assigns all work within the Section, including appeals, capital cases, habeas corpus litigation, petitions for writs of actual innocence, other post-conviction litigation and the myriad other tasks, to attorneys in the Section on a daily basis. Also, makes adjustments in assignments or redistributes work as necessary where assigned cases become more complex or time-consuming than initially anticipated.
• Advises attorneys in the Section on a daily basis regarding viable positions and arguments to be made concerning the preparation of briefs, pleadings and oral arguments.
• Supervises the seven Team Leaders, one of whom is Director of the Capital Unit, on a daily basis. Works with each Team Leader and other attorneys in the section to develop experience and abilities.
• Monitors the performance of attorneys at oral argument in a representative number of appellate cases. Makes suggestions for improvement when appropriate.
• In consultation with the Deputy of Criminal Justice & Public Safety Division, assigns official opinions and “tracked letters” referred to CAS by the Deputy. Assists the attorneys to whom the opinions are assigned in the process of researching, formulating, and drafting the opinion or any memoranda relating to it. Reviews the final draft of the official opinion before submission to the Deputy and forwarded to the Opinions Counsel.
• Frequently responds to informal telephone inquiries of prosecutors on criminal and appellate matters. Occasionally responds to such inquiries from judges and clerks.
• Periodically — as time permits — presents lectures on criminal law and procedure matters to prosecutors and other law enforcement entities in the Commonwealth. Also, as time and the workload permits, may occasionally attend or speak at the Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association meetings, programs on appellate practice and procedure sponsored by the Criminal Law Section of the Virginia State Bar and similar seminars of the Committee on Continuing Legal Education.
• Monitors the need for legislation relating to criminal and habeas corpus matters and the appellate process. Drafts or reviews such proposed legislation or assigns attorneys in the Section to fulfill that duty.
• Periodically assigns for review and evaluates requests of other states for amicus support in criminal cases before the United States Supreme Court.
• Reviews (and notes approval, as appropriate) requests for equipment and services for CAS before submission of those documents to the Deputy Attorney General. Works with the Deputy regarding anticipated expenditures, the budget of the Section, and determination of personnel, equipment and library needs of the Section.
• Reviews (and notes approval, as appropriate) travel vouchers submitted by personnel of the Section.
• Approves annual leave requests from Team Leaders, the Secretaries, and the paralegal.
• Prepares periodic evaluations on all Team Leaders, secretaries, and the paralegal in the Section, and reviews other CAS evaluations. Makes promotion or salary recommendations to the Deputy concerning all personnel of the Section.
• Consults with the Deputy on a regular basis concerning the status and operation of CAS. Informs the Deputy of significant matters and especially those which are likely to receive more than routine media attention.
• Counsels CAS members on conduct and performance issues as needed.
• Assists the Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section in management and investigation of Elected Official investigations, which includes assignment of an EO to a member of CAS and review of the results of the attorneys work.

Minimum Qualifications

• Significant experience in criminal and civil litigation, a strong foundation in criminal law and procedure, and a demonstrated ability to analyze and manage complex cases.
• Ability to work well under pressure and adjust to multiple and competing priorities.
• Experience supervising attorneys and non-attorney staff.
• Admission to Virginia State Bar, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Special Instructions

Kindly utilize the Virginia Jobs website (https://www.jobs.virginia.gov) to submit your application. Applications sent to the Recruitment email address will not be reviewed for the hiring process. We do not entertain phone calls or emails inquiring about application status; instead, please login to the PageUp/RMS system for updates on your application's status.

Contact Information

Name: OAG Recruitment

Phone: 804-786-2071

Email: recruitment@oag.state.va.us

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.