Assistant Public Defender
About The Position
The Office of the Public Defender-5th District (Duplin, Jones, & Sampson) represents indigent clients in all criminal and juvenile delinquency matters. Attorneys will represent indigent criminal clients in district and superior court. Lawyers must be cross-trained and capable of handling all casework required to provide quality legal services for indigent clients. Additionally, the applicant will be required to represent clients during first appearances. The Office of the Public Defender-5th District (Duplin, Jones, & Sampson) strives to create a diverse staff with expertise and interest in serving our indigent clients who come to us with diverse needs, backgrounds, ethnicities, and disabilities. Although the attorney will be specifically assigned to the Duplin and Jones offices, there may be occasions when attorneys are required to report to the Sampson office for training, meetings, and other work obligations. Duplin County will be the home station for this position; however, there may be travel to Jones and Sampson counties.
Requirements
- Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA accredited law school
- Active license to practice law in North Carolina
- Strong desire and commitment to client advocacy and indigent defense
- Attentive to detail
- Organized
- Ability to effectively communicate and litigate cases in the courtroom
- Exceptional legal research and writing skills
- High level of technology and computer knowledge
- Capable of handling difficult cases and clients, while maintaining positive professional relationships with co-workers, clients, and the public
- Knowledge of Federal, State, common and constitutional law
- Knowledge of judicial procedures and rules of evidence
- Knowledge of case, statutory, regulatory, and common law
- Knowledge of NC General Statutes to defend criminal cases, juvenile cases, and legal research methods
- Persuasive communication skills
- Writing skills
- Interviewing skills
- Organizational skills
- Ability to analyze facts, laws, rules, regulations, interpretations, and related written documents and apply applicable law to those facts
- Ability to conduct legal research
- Ability to plan, develop and execute an effective litigation strategy to achieve desired results
- Ability to prepare, organize and conduct witness examinations
- Ability to deliver opening statements, closing arguments, and evidentiary objections
- Ability to express complex legal concepts and related facts in a clear and concise manner
- Ability to maintain a high volume caseload in a professional and efficient manner
Nice To Haves
- Fluently speak Spanish
Responsibilities
- Represent indigent clients in all criminal and juvenile delinquency matters.
- Represent indigent criminal clients in district and superior court.
- Handle all casework required to provide quality legal services for indigent clients.
- Represent clients during first appearances.
- Visit clients at the jail and in prison facilities.
- Travel outside the office to conduct other investigative procedures.
- Engage in community service and participate in outreach programs relevant to the services we are providing, including volunteer programs which occur during evenings and weekends.
- Be prepared to represent clients with complicated impaired driving cases.
- Cover teen court and other initiatives that may arise to better serve our community.
- Cover all areas of indigent representation.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
