Assistant District Attorney - Special Investigations Unit

Philadelphia, United States

Position: Assistant District Attorney

Unit: Special Investigations Unit

Manager: Supervisor of Special Investigations Unit

Company Description

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 700 lawyers, detectives and support staff. Our Assistant District Attorneys are dedicated to public service, public safety, and justice for all involved in the criminal justice system.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in particular is committed to several citywide collaborations aimed at reducing Philadelphia’s jail population and improving the criminal justice system overall.

**Please note that effective September 1, 2021, the City of Philadelphia requires all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. **

To attain a job with the city, you must be a City of Philadelphia resident within 6 months (180 days) of hire and able to work completely in the office.

Job Summary

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigates and prosecutes municipal corruption, including on- and off duty misconduct by public officials, municipal and governmental employees, and law enforcement officers. SIU also handles cases on an as-needed basis that require the resources of an investigative unit, such as building collapses, and is home to the Election Task Force, which responds to allegations of criminal misconduct in primary and general elections each year. SIU works closely with units across the office. SIU also handles, in conjunction with the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Unit (OISI) of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), all law enforcement discharges of firearms, from accidental discharges at home, to line-of-duty shootings, as well as all in-custody civilian deaths.

Essential Functions

Receiving complaints of corruption from the public through various media (phone/mail/digital) and doing basic corroboration/fact checking, as well as reviewing misconduct referrals from the Trial Division at the DAO and defense counsel.
Investigating these complaints in collaboration with SIU County Detectives and, when warranted, commencing prosecution.
Reviewing complex investigations for adoption by SIU.
Investigating, in collaboration with the OISI unit of PPD, all law enforcement discharges and in-custody deaths in Philadelphia.
Being on-call to respond to the scene of any fatal police-involved shootings.
Being on-call to respond to warrant and charging requests from Internal Affairs and OISI.
Reviewing investigations submitted to the DAO by outside agencies (Internal Affairs Division of PPD, SEPTA, Office of the Inspector General, etc.) for probable cause determinations, and then, if arrest is warranted, prosecuting the case from charging to final disposition.
Reviewing cases for possible diversion with an eye and understanding towards the specific collateral consequences of SIU’s typical offenders (i.e. pension forfeiture, safety considerations of housing a local law enforcement officer in custody, etc.).
Reviewing cases with an eye and understanding towards specific hurdles faced by many of SIU’s complainants (i.e. 5th Amendment issues, distrust of law enforcement, retaliation).
Conducting examinations and investigations through the Investigating Grand Jury.

Qualifications

All candidates must be admitted to practice law in the State of Pennsylvania.
Candidates with 5 or more years of legal experience following graduation from an accredited law school, are preferred.
A commitment to anti-corruption work is a must.
Candidates must be highly motivated researchers, comfortable with document-driven cases that can take months or years to build.
Candidates should have courtroom experience in trials or other evidentiary proceedings involving serious felonies; experience handling domestic violence and sexual assault cases as a lawyer or in an advocacy setting is a plus.
Candidate must be able to manage a trial caseload
Candidate must be able to take initiative and be self-directed on non-deadline oriented investigations.
Ability to work directly with County Detectives and other ADAs to build a case is required.
Candidates must be willing to be on-call 1 week out of every 6.

Rewards/Benefits

This is an exempt employee with the City of Philadelphia. Immediately upon assuming office, new hire will receive benefits similar to those of other City of Philadelphia employees, including the below benefits:

Generous retirement savings options available (pension plan and etc.)
We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program qualified employer

We offer comprehensive health coverage (medical, vision, prescription and dental) for employees and their eligible dependents
Annual paid time off (PTO) package: 20 vacation days, 15 sick leave days, 11 paid holidays, 5 annual administrative leave
Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
Before tax commuter program
Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts

Sick leave bonuses and exchanges
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

All exempt employees of the District Attorney’s Office are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney. The at-will relationship shall not be modified for any employee and no agreement, oral or written, shall be entered into that changes the at-will relationship.

** The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. **

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