Supervising Deputy Public Defender

About The Position

Under general direction, to supervise a staff of attorneys and paralegals in the misdemeanor, writs, and juvenile units of the Law Offices of the Public Defender; to perform the most difficult and demanding professional legal work in criminal and/or civil defense; to coordinate the legal proceedings involving the Public Defender in the Superior Courts, Appellate Department of the Superior Court, Courts of Appeal, and Supreme Court; to coordinate the provision of in-service training of Deputy Public Defenders; and to perform other work as required.

Meet the Team!

It is the mission of the Law Offices of the Public Defender to provide the highest quality legal representation to any person unable to afford it for criminal, juvenile, or certain civil proceedings. The Public Defender strives to preserve human dignity in all cases where citizens' liberties are at stake. The Public Defender is dedicated to the principle that no citizen shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without competent, professional, and vigorous representation so that due process is implemented fairly, equitably, and without prejudice. The Public Defender is headquartered in Riverside, with additional offices providing support to residents in Banning, Blythe, Murrieta, and Indio.

Examples Of Essential Duties

• Negotiates with the prosecution regarding the disposition of cases or modification of charges in difficult or sensitive cases; confers with representatives of law enforcement agencies, the courts, the Office of the District Attorney, the Probation Department and other agencies to coordinate the interests and operations of the section.
• Prepares and represents case for defense in serious and complex criminal actions; may represent the Law Offices of the Public Defender before civic, educational, and professional organizations.
• Ensures that appropriate acquisitions are made to the reference materials available to the staff of the Law Offices of the Public Defender; exercises responsibility for the supervision of law library materials and facilities.
• Assists in law and motion matters on unusually complex or difficult cases; may be designated as second counsel in capital cases for the limited purpose of handling law and motion matters as may be necessary to the proper defense of such cases.
• As Special Projects Supervisor, prepares, supervises or coordinates the preparation of pleadings necessary to the proper representation of defendants in writ and appellate proceedings handled by the Law Offices of the Public Defender.
• Compiles data regarding section work loads and staffing levels for input to the department's budget; monitors section budget and reviews expenditure requests made by attorneys for special services needed for case defense such as psychological evaluations, doctor's examinations, laboratory fees, etc.
• Assists deputies and paralegals in the development and refinement of skills and talents through discussions on points of law, case strategy, and legal procedures.
• Release information concerning cases to the news media at their inquiry.
• Assists in the development of departmental policies and implements approved policies within the section.
• Identifies appropriate areas for additional in-service training in conjunction with other supervisory personnel and prepares materials for such training.
• Prepares and maintains a brief bank of pleadings and related materials for use by members of the professional staff; coordinates provision of external training problems and resources to appropriate members of the professional staff.
• Provides written resource materials to staff as appropriate including preparation of memoranda regarding novel or complex legal questions; directs and coordinates provision of law clerk or similar assistance on less complex issues.
• Supervises the daily operations of a major section such as Superior Court operations, special projects, Juvenile or the Civil Division; reviews cases referred to the unit to determine the type of case and its basic elements for proper assignment to the most appropriate deputy.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: One year of experience as a Riverside County Deputy Public Defender IV.

OR

Experience: Two years of experience as a Riverside County Deputy Public Defender III, or an equivalent class with another California county or city.

Knowledge of: Legal principles and their application with an emphasis on criminal law; California statutory and case law; principles of supervision, training, modern office management and organization; rules of evidence and the conduct of court proceedings; methods, procedures, and practices of criminal and civil defense; duties, powers, limitations, and responsibilities of the Law Offices of the Public Defender; professional ethics in the practices of law.

Ability to: Supervise and coordinate the work of a staff engaged in the defense of criminal and/or civil cases; review and evaluate the work of subordinates and plan and conduct an effective training program; investigate and defend criminal complaints and actions; analyze serious and complex legal problems and to apply legal principles and practices; present arguments and statements of fact and law clearly and logically in written and oral form; perform legal research; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

This recruitment is open to all applicants.

Applicants who are current County of Riverside's Law Offices of the Public Defender employees may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.

Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County.

BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.

Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. No late applications will be permitted. Include relevant work experience details on your resume and/or application.

Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

Veterans' Preference

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 (or NGB-22) indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here ( Download PDF reader ).

Proof of Education

If using education to qualify, upload a copy of your education documents (degree/transcripts) to your Government Jobs profile when you apply. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/.

For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Mary Miller at 951-955-3454 or via email at [email protected] .

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at [email protected] or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.

MEDICAL/DENTAL INSURANCE: A Flexible Benefit Credit is provided on a monthly basis as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit. Vision coverage is provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP) at no cost to employee or eligible dependents.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .

MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.
• Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
• Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.

A new member is defined as any of the following:

• A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.
• A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.
• A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to [email protected] or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,

Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.

• Annual Leave for Unrepresented Management Attorneys:

Maximum Annual Leave accumulation is 2,000 hours. Refer to Article 22 of the Management Resolution for a list of job classifications included.

ANNUAL LEAVE (Bi-Weekly Accrual)

0 < 36 months = 8.92 Hours
36 to <108>108 or more months = 12.00 Hours
Employee may receive pay in lieu of up to 80 hours per calendar year. Agency/Department Head may approve an additional 80 hours.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
401(a) MONEY PURCHASE PLAN: County contribution of $50 per pay period towards choice between two 401(a) plan providers.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 days can be taken through use of accrued leave balances)
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY (LTD): Benefit pays 66.67% of earnings to a maximum of $10,000 per month; 30-day waiting period; pays to age 65. Benefit can be coordinated with other available leave balances to provide up to 100% of pay.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, Management Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.