Supervising Assistant Public Defender - Death Penalty Department

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.

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.

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.

The final candidate tentatively selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background 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. 

All final applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to test for illegal drug use prior to appointment. An applicant with a positive test shall not be offered employment.

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).

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 Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is seeking dedicated leaders to fill three Supervising Assistant Public Defender (APD) positions in the Death Penalty Department.  

The Supervising APD position requires a leader who models a strong commitment to indigent defense, the capacity to work with clients facing the ultimate penalty, and the compassion to professionally interact with all segments of the criminal legal system, including clients, internal and outside counsel, administrative professionals, investigators and mitigation specialists, victims or victims’ family members, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, jurors, medical professionals, and mental health professionals. The OPD is seeking candidates who possess and exercise leadership skills to effectively supervise Assistant Public Defenders – which includes training, ability to support and communicate with staff about agency policies; mentoring, and coaching Assistant Public Defenders; working collaboratively on defense teams; ensuring that the agency’s Mission, Vision, and Values are communicated to staff, integrated into their goals, and reflected in their work on behalf of clients.

The essential duties of a Supervising Attorney in the Death Penalty Department include:

Supervision & Leadership:

A Death Penalty Department Supervisor directly supervises capital defense attorneys who provide post-verdict capital representation on direct appeal, in postconviction, in federal habeas, in clemency, and in collateral litigation related to those areas of representation. Duties include reviewing, editing, and approving work products drafted by staff attorneys; and assisting attorneys in preparing for oral arguments.

Supervisors complete timely annual performance evaluations, work with employees to set performance goals, coach to develop performance, prioritize and approve work schedules, identify and/or approve training opportunities for staff, approve work and leave time for payroll purposes, and carry out other administrative tasks. Supervisors also serve on hiring panels to assist in filling vacant positions.

Respond to inquiries from county public defenders and private-practice counsel regarding various procedural and substantive aspects of criminal law.

As a member of the OPD Leadership Team, appears on behalf of the State Public Defender to discuss law and policy; attends meetings as assigned, assists in formation of department and agency policy. May be required to work on specific projects as assigned by the Department Managing Attorney and/or the State Public Defender. May instruct and assist outside counsel in fields of expertise; may be temporarily assigned to perform duties of a Managing Assistant Public Defender at the direction of the State Public Defender.

Team Defense:

Capital litigation typically involves a team of attorneys, mitigation specialists, fact investigators, and administrative professionals. Death Penalty Department Supervisors act as Case Supervisor for assigned cases in the Death Penalty Department. Case Supervisors are responsible for developing, facilitating, and fostering a team defense concept. Members of a capital defense team work collaboratively with all the team members by including all team members in all case communications (emails, meetings, etc.); sharing ideas and encouraging other team members to share their ideas; and maintaining accurate and current case file information available to all team members. Timely, accurate, and clear communication among all team members is essential. Team members are expected to communicate effectively with each other and to seek clarification when necessary. Case Supervisors model this behavior for team members, mentor and coach team members on successful team defense communication and intervene when necessary to address problematic team dynamics. Case Supervisors monitor and enforce team compliance with Department Best Practices. Supervisors carry a reduced caseload where they may act as lead counsel or co-counsel as necessary.

The position does require in-office time\: two days a week are spent in the office and potentially other days as required to meet business needs. Other job duties require meeting with clients in person where they are incarcerated, occasional travel throughout the state and outside the state, and appearances in court.  Flexibility to work from home up to three days per week is available.

**Please submit a cover letter and a writing sample with your application. Applications without a cover letter and writing sample will not be reviewed.**

The Supervising APD position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s E-1 Pay Range 14, presented below in table format. Starting pay 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.

Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4705.01; 3 yrs. exp. as licensed attorney practicing criminal law; 6 mos. exp. in employee training & development. 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, Analyzation, Coaching, Verbal Communication, Attention to Detail, Leading Others

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.