Career Opportunity: Senior Attorney, Beyond Guilt Project Director (Part‑Time) with The Ohio Justice & Policy Center in Cleveland, Ohio

 

Are you an experienced litigator seeking meaningful, mission‑aligned work where your experience can help free people and reform systems? Are you ready to step into a leadership role that blends post‑conviction advocacy, team management, and strategic reform? Do you bring strong judgment, flexibility, and a collaborative leadership style to complex legal work? If so, we want to hear from you.

 

As the Senior Attorney, Beyond Guilt Project Director, you will serve as a senior attorney and project leader responsible for overseeing OJPC’s post‑conviction legal advocacy work. This role is ideal for an attorney who enjoys both hands‑on litigation and leading people and projects, and who brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to case selection, workload management, and long‑term impact.

As the Senior Attorney, Beyond Guilt Project Director, you will:

• Lead and oversee the Beyond Guilt Project’s post-conviction docket (approximately 20–30 client matters annually), coordinating work across attorneys, a paralegal, pro bono counsel, interns, and volunteers.
• Personally litigate approximately 6-12 post-conviction cases each year, including judicial release motions, parole advocacy, sentence modifications, plea withdrawals, motions for new trial, and post-conviction petitions.
• Oversee case intake, prioritization, and assignment, balancing staff capacity with strategic impact and sustainability.
• Work collaboratively with prosecutors, community partners, and—when appropriate—crime survivors to negotiate release outcomes.
• Guide investigations, mitigation development, and reinvestigations.
• Collaborate with OJPC leadership and the Litigation Director to develop and execute high-impact litigation strategies.
• Prepare clients and their supporters for court proceedings and parole hearings.
• Partner with community organizations to support client release planning and post-release stability within the scope of representation.
• Assist with applying for grants, tracking program data, and completing portions of grant reporting for Beyond Guilt.
• Participate in public speaking, community education, and advocacy efforts related to criminal justice reform.
• Collaborate with development and policy staff to advance OJPC’s decarceration and system-reform priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Juris Doctor or advanced law degree.
• Admission to the Ohio Bar (or eligibility consistent with Ohio Supreme Court rules).
• Minimum five (5) years of litigation experience.
• Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
• Experience supervising attorneys, legal teams, or managing complex legal projects.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• A demonstrated and abiding commitment to social justice and criminal legal system reform.
• Significant post‑conviction litigation experience preferred.
• Experience litigating judicial release, resentencing, or parole matters.
• Strong project management and team leadership skills.
• Experience integrating litigation with broader policy or system‑reform efforts.
• Comfort using legal case management systems (e.g., Clio).

This is a part-time, exempt position (approximately 20-30 hours per week, with flexibility), based in OJPC’s Cleveland office, with statewide travel as needed offering a salary range of $40,000-$46,000, commensurate with experience. 

The Ohio Justice & Policy Center creates fair, intelligent, and redemptive criminal justice systems through zealous, client‑centered advocacy, innovative policy reform, and cross‑sector community education. Founded in Cincinnati in 1997, OJPC is a statewide nonprofit law office focused on reducing incarceration, improving conditions inside prisons, and expanding freedom and opportunity for people with criminal records.

The Beyond Guilt Project (BG) is OJPC’s flagship initiative, identifying individuals serving excessive or unjust sentences and fighting for their release through judicial release, post‑conviction litigation, parole advocacy, negotiated resentencing, and other mechanisms. BG represents people who have demonstrated meaningful rehabilitation and have strong community support and release plans.

 Learn more about OJPC’s mission by visiting:

https://ohiojpc.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ohio-justice-&-policy-center/

Join our dedicated team and help drive meaningful change for people impacted by Ohio’s criminal legal system. Apply online or email your cover letter and resume to [email protected].

Employer is EOE/M/F/D/V. No third-party candidates, please.

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