Attorney IV-VI Public Defender's Office - Mental Health Division

The Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Mental Health Division specializes in providing client centered, holistic defense representation and intensive social services support to people facing criminal prosecution while experiencing significant challenges and barriers related to mental illness, developmental and neurocognitive disabilities, and poverty. 

We are currently seeking an Attorney IV-VI with (1) a demonstrated a commitment to client centered defense, (2) meaningful experience representing our client population, and (3) the desire and ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisplinary client team.  The attorney in this role will represent clients charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses at all stages of defense, at the complex intersection of criminal and mental health law and procedure.  

* The position may be filled before the closing date. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be contacted on a rolling basis. * 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Attorney IV: This is the fourth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex without supervision, handles cases and matters that may result in the least severe consequences without supervision, and handles cases and matters that may result in moderately severe consequences with supervision.

Attorney V: This is the fifth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex and that may result in moderately severe consequences with supervision.

Attorney VI: This is the sixth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are the most complex and that may result in moderately severe consequences without supervision and handles cases and matters that may result in the most severe consequences with supervision.

Attorney IV $91,099.48 - $101,737.30 Annually

Attorney V $104,312.44 - $116,493.16 Annually

Attorney VI $111,626.45 - $125,791.08 Annually

• Works as part of a multidisciplinary client team that provides client centered, holistic defense and intensive social services support to individuals facing criminal charges while experiencing challenges with serious mental illness, intellectual, developmental, and/or neurocognitive disorders.  
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with clients, colleagues and community partners.  
• Conducts thorough pretrial investigations
• Performs legal research, analysis and application of legal principles. 
• Prepares defenses, including pretrial motions practice, litigates motions and trials.
• Serves as lead counsel on cases of particular difficulty, sensitivity or requiring advanced knowledge and experience, mentors' newer attorneys and interns.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:
Attorney IV: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 4-years of licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney V: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 6-years of licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney VI: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND 8-years of licensed attorney work experience.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. May consider deferred start date for highly qualified candidates immediately eligible to waive into the Texas Bar using the Admission without Examination (AWOX) process or Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) transfer process (offer contingent on successful admission).
Please attach resume to application.

Preferred:

• Applications with a cover letter detailing interest in the position, including why you want to work for the Travis County Public Defender’s Office, are strongly preferred.
• Recent legal writing sample.
• Hearing and trial experience consistent with years of practice.
• Ability to fluently speak and write in Spanish.
• Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating on behalf of people/communities directly impacted by the criminal/immigration/indigent/civil legal systems.

• Jurisprudence, criminal and civil law and procedures, including constitutional and statutory law. 
• Applicable law at the intersection of mental health and disabilities and the criminal legal system.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, including those requiring the confidential handling of certain protected health information.
• Enmeshed penalties and collateral consequences triggered by involvement or contact with the criminal-legal system.
• Best practices in socially and culturally competent representation of marginalized people.
• Effective techniques for presentation of cases in court, as well as effectively presenting facts and precedents verbally and in writing in law related matters. 
• Policies, practices, procedures and legal terminology related to court system. 
• Computer equipment includes, word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages. 
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.

• Effective communication with individuals across a continuum of communication styles, abilities, backgrounds, presentations and circumstances
• Appraisal and analysis of facts, law, policy, and procedures 
• Problem-solving and decision-making. 
• Verbal and written communication, including presentations, negotiations, court, meetings.
• Synthesizing complex information, effectively communicating complex information, choices and decisions to others
• Advocacy through collaboration, negotiation and litigation 

• Exercise sound judgment.
• Communicate effectively across lines of differences with others.
• Conduct legal research and analysis, both manually and electronically. 
• Present facts, precedents and arguments verbally and in writing and apply negotiation skills. 
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. 
• Work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team. 
• Manage time well and perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities. 
• Work well under pressure and exercise tact in trying situations. 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, and the general public.

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 25 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Department: Public Defender’s Office, Mental Health Division

Location: 1010 Lavaca Street, 4nd floor, Austin, TX 78701

Post-Offer Criminal Background Check Required


This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.