Assistant Public Defender - Columbus Trial Team

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

You will represent clients at trial and post-conviction in the courts of Ohio, as solo-counsel, lead counsel, or co-counsel as assigned by the Assistant Director. You will join two other Assistant Public Defenders in the Trial Department; The Trial Department’s focus is on high-level felony cases, death penalty representation, complex or strategic litigation, and representation of clients who have had strained relationships with prior counsel.  In the majority of cases, you will work independently.  You will also collaborate with and work as co-counsel with other positions on litigation teams, including but not limited to Mitigation Investigation Specialists and other Assistant Public Defenders.  The position is based out of the Columbus office, but requires routine and regular travel throughout most regions of Ohio, including travel to county courts, county jails, and Department of Rehabilitation and Correction facilities. The majority of representation you will provide is in-person.

Our preferred candidate will be an empathetic communicator who has demonstrated experience working with clients experiencing mental health, medical, and addiction-related issues.  When not traveling or in trial, you currently will have the opportunity to work from home for portions of the time.

The essential job duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Represents indigent criminal defendants in complex and difficult cases in state and federal court, including capital cases and cases when requested by the trial court or County Public Defender.
• Routinely represents clients in cases where previous attorney/client relationships have broken down or become unworkable. Representation often requires building or reconstructing trusting relationships with clients.
• Trial-level representation includes the following tasks:
  • Serves as lead or co-counsel in cases with staff from the Ohio Public Defender, county public defenders, and members of the private bar;
  • Renders legal advice to county public defenders and members of the private bar on the representation of indigent criminal defendants charged in complex and difficult cases;
  • Researches, analyzes, and interprets difficult and complex case law;
  • Talks to witness and reviews discovery, formulates legal strategy, works with criminal investigators and mitigation specialists, and coordinates with expert witnesses;
  • Corresponds and meets with clients to explain legal strategies and options, responds to calls, letters, and schedules in-person meetings with clients and their family members;
  • Presents pre-trial motions, performs voir dire, develops and delivers opening statements, cross examines witnesses, presents a defense/call witnesses, conducts closing argument, addresses juror questions, conducts pre-trial conferences, and engages in plea negotiations.
• Plans and conducts training in areas of expertise for various learners and audiences. Assists and consults on specific cases that are complex and difficult. Collaborates in areas of expertise with internal and external parties, including agency staff, county public defenders, and members of the private bar. 

Note\: This position does not require you to be pre-certified for purposes of appointment to a death penalty case. We encourage candidates with significant years of experience in trial-level advocacy to apply.

**Please submit a cover letter with your application.  The cover letter should explain how you will provide client-centered representation as a trial attorney in difficult and complex cases. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed.**

Starting pay for this position will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth\: you move to the next step after 6 months and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
Our Vision:    A Fair Justice System.
Our Values:   Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

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The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee.

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure and discretion of the State Public Defender. This position serves in a fiduciary relationship to the State Public Defender and will have an unclassified status per Ohio Revised Code 124.11 (A) (9).

Admission to Ohio bar pursuant to section 4705.01. Note\: Prior to representing a client in federal court or U.S. Supreme court, attorney shall obtain admission to practice law in that court; prior to appointment as appellate counsel for an indigent defendant in a capital case pursuant to Appt.Coun.R. 5.02 & 5.03, an attorney shall obtain certification from the Commission on Appointment of Counsel in Capital Cases. Note\: Eligibility to practice under a Certificate to Practice Law Pending Admission in Ohio, under Rule I, Section 19 of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio, or eligibility to practice under a Temporary Certification for Practice in Legal services, Public Defender, and Law School Programs under Rule IX of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio, may be accepted in lieu of admission to the Ohio Bar pursuant to R.C. Section 4705.02.

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal, Client Advocacy Attention to Detail, Customer Focus, Problem Solving, Reasoning, Written Communication

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.