Job Details for Capital Resource Counsel
| Court Name/Organization | Tennessee Middle Federal Public Defender |
| Overview of the Position | The Capital Resource Counsel Project seeks to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney with capital litigation experience to represent indigent individuals in federal capital prosecutions and provide training, consultation, and support to attorneys in Federal Defender Organizations and CJA panel attorneys appointed to represent federal capital-eligible individuals. |
| Location | Remote, Anywhere in the U.S. |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 08/28/2025 - Open Until Filled |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | Ungraded |
| Salary | $100,000 - $195,100 |
| Announcement Number | 2025-01 |
Position Description
The Capital Resource Counsel Project seeks to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney with capital litigation experience to represent indigent individuals in federal capital prosecutions and provide training, consultation, and support to attorneys in Federal Defender Organizations and CJA panel attorneys appointed to represent federal capital-eligible individuals.
The CRC attorney will be employed and administratively hosted by the administrative host office of the Capital Resource Counsel Project, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee. The physical office location of the selected applicant will be determined based on the mutual needs of the candidate, CRCP, and those of potential host FDOs.
The selected applicant must be a licensed attorney in good standing admitted to the highest court in the state where licensed, eligible for admission in the United States District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals in the jurisdiction of the CRC’s office location, and eligible for admission in other federal jurisdictions, pro hac vice. The selected applicant must have experience in the representation of persons charged with capital offenses. This position will require work on holidays, evenings, and weekends, as the nature of the cases require. This position also requires extensive travel.
Employee Benefits
The position is full-time with federal benefits. Salary range is commensurate with experience but may not exceed the salary of the federal defender in the CRC’s locality. The current salary cap in most jurisdictions is $195,100. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. Retention is dependent upon successful background investigation. Benefits include health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by direct deposit.
Miscellaneous
The Capital Resource Counsel Project seeks to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney with capital litigation experience to represent indigent individuals in federal capital prosecutions and provide training, consultation, and support to attorneys in Federal Defender Organizations and CJA panel attorneys appointed to represent federal capital-eligible individuals.
The CRC attorney will be employed and administratively hosted by the administrative host office of the Capital Resource Counsel Project, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee. The physical office location of the selected applicant will be determined based on the mutual needs of the candidate, CRCP, and those of potential host FDOs.
The selected applicant must be a licensed attorney in good standing admitted to the highest court in the state where licensed, eligible for admission in the United States District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals in the jurisdiction of the CRC’s office location, and eligible for admission in other federal jurisdictions, pro hac vice. The selected applicant must have experience in the representation of persons charged with capital offenses. This position will require work on holidays, evenings, and weekends, as the nature of the cases require. This position also requires extensive travel.
Application Info
Applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume detailing criminal defense, capital litigation and training experience, and three references, in a single PDF document via email with the subject line “Capital Resource Counsel 2025-01” to: Melissa Read, Capital Resource Counsel Project Administrator (CRC_Hiring@fd.org).
Please also include a writing sample you authored from a capital eligible case in pdf format as a second attachment.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.