Assistant State’s Attorney, Post-Conviction Unit

Job Title: Assistant State’s Attorney, Post-Conviction Unit

Reports to: Deputy Supervisor, Post-Conviction Unit

Grade/Step: AY2/101 to AY1/108L

Salary: $129,924 – 174,718 (range if appropriate). Salary is provided by law; however, individual compensation is based on various factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, years and quality of experience. Any salary offered is determined by the Chief of Staff and is non-negotiable.

Location: Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2nd,3rd,4th,5th, and 6th Municipal District Courthouse

Bureau: Criminal Prosecutions Bureau

Division: Post-Trial Division

Application Deadline: July 13, 2026

Note: This post is for a single open position as well as forming a pool of qualified candidates for future openings.

Note: This position is on-site, in-person.

Note: The Cook County State's Attorney's Office does not sponsor H1-B work visa petitions.

Position Description: The Criminal Prosecutions Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is seeking an experienced Assistant State’s Attorneys at a 2nd chair or higher level to litigate post-conviction matters assigned to courthouses through Cook County. This is a full-time bargaining unit exempt position.

Working Environment & Reporting Structure: The Assistant State’s Attorney will manage a case load of felony criminal and civil matters seeking collateral relief from criminal convictions and sentences imposed by the trial court. The ASA will conduct appropriate investigations, file written pleadings, present oral arguments, and conduct evidentiary hearings under the guidance of the Post Conviction Unit Supervisor and senior post-conviction ASAs. The ASA will directly report to the Deputy Supervisor of the Post-Conviction Unit.

Duties/Requirements: The ASA will be required to investigate constitutional claims such as actual innocence, ineffective assistance of counsel, police misconduct, and prosecutorial misconduct. The responsibilities of the Post-Conviction Unit ASA are as follows: Review collateral claims of constitutional violations in criminal prosecutions including due process/actual innocence, ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel, police misconduct, juvenile sentencing, and discovery violations to determine whether claims have substantive merit; Investigate allegations by working with investigators to interview potential witnesses, contacting former defense attorneys and prosecutors, locating surviving victims and/or family members of deceased victims and keeping them informed of court proceedings; Research legal issues and draft motions to dismiss, answers, and other relevant legal pleadings; Present oral arguments to the trial court as well as collaborate with courtroom ASAs and ASAs in other Bureaus in preparing and presenting evidence at evidentiary hearings.

The ASA shall be an effective advocate and emissary of the mission, vision and values of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office both with ASAs as well as criminal justice stakeholders and partners.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Possess a J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
• Felony Second Chair or higher equivalent experience.
• Significant criminal trial or civil litigation experience.
• Must possess strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent legal writing ability, a strong work ethic, accountability, and sound judgement.
• Must uphold the mission and values of the CCSAO at all times and support fellow ASA in doing the same.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior post-conviction litigation experience is preferred but not required.
• Prior experience as a Trial Supervisor in the Felony Review Unit.

Cover Letter: In your cover letter please address the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in this particular role?

2. What in your professional experience has prepared you to succeed in this role?

3. How will you work to foster and maintain public trust in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office while upholding the mission, vision and values of the Office in your dealings with the ASAs, law enforcement partners, the judiciary, and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system?

Physical Requirements: Light work. Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is an equal opportunity employer, which seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The CCSAO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Upon request, the CCSAO will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals due to a disability or pregnancy. The EEOP report can be found on our website at www.cookcountystatesattorney.org.

Benefits

At Cook County, we believe in investing in you, our valued employee. We understand that your wellbeing directly impacts the quality of service we provide to our community. That's why we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, financial stability, and work-life balance. Here's a snapshot of what we offer:

Choose from a variety of medical, dental, and vision plans to best suit your lifestyle and needs. We provide a robust Paid Time Off (PTO) program, including vacation, personal, and sick leave, as well as 13 paid holidays. As a public service employer, our employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Our Employee Assistance Program offers confidential counseling and referral services to help you navigate life's challenges. And of course, a pension plan through Cook County.

Follow this link to the Cook County Benefits and this link to Cook County Pension Fund if you want to learn more about our amazing benefit coverage. The CCSAO does not provide relocation assistance.