Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office
Assistant District Attorney (SAKI Unit)
JOB TITLE:
Assistant District Attorney (ADA), Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Unit
REPORTS TO:
Unit Chief and First Assistant District Attorney
CLASSIFICATION:
Full-Time, Exempt
ABOUT THE ORLEANS PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE (OPDA): Jason Rogers Williams took office as the Orleans Parish District Attorney on January 11, 2021, and is building a 21st century prosecutors’ office with a team of the best and brightest lawyers from around the country and a mission of being as smart on crime as the office has historically been tough on crime. New Orleans has led the world in convictions and incarceration for decades, without any corresponding decrease in crime. OPDA is simultaneously increasing safety and delivering justice with a laser focus on serious offenses and a belief that every New Orleanian deserves the presumption of innocence.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:
To represent the State of Louisiana in all criminal matters before courts with jurisdiction in Orleans Parish. These courts include, but are not limited to: Municipal and Traffic Court, Juvenile Court, Criminal District Court, the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This position resides in OPDA’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Unit, a vertical unit that takes cases from start to finish. The SAKI Unit is responsible for implementing a nationwide effort to submit and test previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits. Through this effort, OPDA and the New Orleans Police Department are re-investigating and prosecuting cold case sexual assaults. In addition to securing convictions, the goal of the SAKI Unit is to empower survivors, promote healing, and provide closure.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: screening and preparing accepted SAKI cases for prosecution; interviewing victims, witnesses, investigating detectives, and forensic experts; preparing and responding to all pre-trial motions and discovery requests; and handling all court hearings and trial preparations.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:
- Member of the Louisiana Bar in good standing, or 3L student or recent law school graduate planning to take the Louisiana bar exam
- Ability to conduct legal research and apply legal analysis to factual scenarios
- Public speaking ability and effective communication skills
- Comfort with technology, including ability to learn case management software
- Ability to work flexible hours, including some weeks of over 40 hours
- Dependability in both attendance and work product
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary commensurate with experience. New ADA hires may be eligible for:
- Enrollment in the City of New Orleans health insurance plan
- 6.44 hours of sick leave and no fewer than 6.44 hours of vacation leave per month (6.44 hours per month = approximately 10 days per year)
- Enrollment in the Louisiana District Attorneys’ Retirement System
- Enrollment in the Louisiana Public Employees Deferred Compensation Plan
- Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
- A generous paid holiday schedule
- Frequent, free opportunities for Continuing Legal Education and other relevant training
TO APPLY:
Submit a completed Employment Application Form, and supporting documents, as instructed on the form.
ADA applications are considered on a rolling basis.
EEO STATEMENT:
OPDA is an equal opportunity employer. The office values a diverse workforce and management reflective of the communities that it serves. OPDA adheres to a policy of making employment, promotion, and other personnel decisions without regard to race, culture, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, caregiver status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship, age, or disability.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:
OPDA is dedicated to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that OPDA employees invest in their work represents a significant part of the office’s culture, reputation, and achievement. OPDA embraces and encourages employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make its employees unique.