Assistant Attorney General – Criminal Appeals Division

The Criminal Appeals Division handles all appellate matters involved in procuring and then defending criminal judgments in the State’s appellate courts. Division attorneys are responsible for interlocutory, extraordinary, direct, and post-conviction appeals, and for defending state criminal judgments in state habeas corpus proceedings in both the trial and appellate courts. Division attorneys are also responsible for defending against collateral attacks filed in the trial courts by death-row inmates.  The division has a team of attorneys who work with the Governor’s legal counsel and Department of Correction attorneys in dealing with extradition and detainer matters. Division attorneys also spend a great deal of time advising District Attorneys General and their assistants and helping them work through complex legal issues.

Job description:

The successful applicant will:

• Conduct deep legal research on issues of criminal law
• Write appellate briefs in criminal cases
• Orally argue criminal cases in state appellate courts
• Litigate collateral-review matters in state trial courts
• Participate in moot courts for your own cases and others’
• Consult with crime victims and update victim liaisons about case status
• Write legal memorandum recommending courses of action in appellate litigation
• Maintain physical and electronic case files
• Handle confidential materials
• Work seamlessly with support staff and leadership staff
• Seek, receive, and follow constructive feedback
• Serve on office committees as needed
• Work independently and as a member of a team
• Attend regular staff meetings and share case updates at those meetings
• Compile monthly work reports

The successful applicant must:

• Have a Juris Doctorate Degree
• Be eligible to practice law in Tennessee or eligible to take the Tennessee bar exam
• Have outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Be proficient with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and general online records management

To Apply:

Applications can be submitted via our online applicant portal.   Please direct questions to hrteam@ag.tn.gov.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws. Offers for this position may be contingent on a satisfactory criminal history check.