The Defender Services Committee of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts authorized creation of the National Mitigation Coordinator position in 2004 to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of the pool of mitigation specialists available to handle capital cases in the federal courts. Russ Stetler served in that position from 2005 until his retirement from fulltime work in the spring of 2020. Dana Cook served in the position beginning in 2020, but decided to return to direct work with clients at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, effective July 1, 2023. The Indiana Federal Community Defenders office now administers the position and is seeking candidates with the requisite qualifications and experience, including strong writing skills, to fill the position as soon as possible. Russ Stetler has agreed to provide continuity on ongoing projects until a new person has been hired.
For information about applying for the position, click here. For answers to frequently asked questions about the position, click here