Associate Attorney

Pay: $85,000 – $110,000 per year, depending on experience and fit

A niche California post-conviction criminal defense firm handling post-conviction work is currently hiring one licensed, entry-level associate attorney. Most of the job is reading and writing — reviewing records, researching the law, and drafting the motions and petitions that determine whether a client gets a second chance at life or stays stuck with the life their conviction gave them.

A well-researched, carefully drafted motion can vacate a conviction, reduce a felony to a misdemeanor, end a registration requirement, or shorten a sentence. When your written work persuades the judge, a person’s life changes — they can work, travel, see their family, move out of the shadow they’ve been living under. Few legal jobs offer that kind of direct line from the words on your page to a real outcome for a real person.

Client-facing work is handled by our staff, so your time goes into the research and drafting.

The position is primarily remote. In-person time in or around Glendora is mostly for meetings with senior staff to go over cases, review drafts, and talk through strategy.

We train. Heavy prior post-conviction experience is not required — strong reading, research, writing and proofreading are, along with a temperament that makes you easy to work with.

If What you’ll do

• Draft motions, petitions, and memoranda that drive outcomes in our clients’ cases.

• Research statutes, case law, and records to find the right argument and the right authority.

• Build the supporting record — declarations, exhibits, and the facts behind them.

• Make occasional local court appearances, with periodic out-of-town hearings elsewhere in California (travel paid by the firm).

Who tends to do well here

• Readers and writers who take some pride in a clean paragraph and a verified citation, and who understand that careful writing is how lives get changed in this practice.

• Lawyers who read the case themselves rather than rely on AI summaries.

• Easygoing, collegial people. Temperament matters here. You’ll be working closely with senior attorneys and staff, and we want someone who is pleasant, patient, and low-drama to collaborate with — the opposite of the prickly, self-important type that sometimes turns up in this profession.

• Self-directed remote workers who show up present and engaged for in-person meetings.

Requirements

• Active California Bar member in good standing, or a recent graduate awaiting results.

• Strong legal research and writing skills.

• Willing to travel occasionally for out-of-town hearings (expenses covered).

Benefits

• Primarily remote work.

• Travel expenses paid — lodging, mileage at the IRS business rate, and reasonable incidentals.

• Bar dues, MCLE, and professional expenses covered.

• Training and mentorship.

• Substantive work from the start, on cases where your writing matters.

How to apply

Click Apply and submit:

1. Your résumé.

2. A short paragraph, in your own words, about what draws you to post-conviction work.

We’ll follow up with candidates whose background looks like a good fit.

Equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Glendora, CA 91741