Chief Public Defender

County of Lake, California•Lakeport, CA

57d

About The Position

Under policy direction of the Board of Supervisors, manages, supervises, and coordinates the operations and activities of employees, contractors and assigned counsel of the Public Defender Division; provides efficient and effective legal defense services to indigent individuals charged with crimes in felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile matters; provides legal representation to indigent individuals facing conservatorship, guardianship, parental terminations, probate, and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150 proceedings, and related duties as assigned. This recruitment is open continuously. The first review of applications will be completed on November 13th, 2025. Applicants will be interviewed when determined that minimum qualifications have been met. This position qualifies for a Sign-On incentive of 10% of the annual rate, not to exceed $10,000. The Hiring Incentive will be made in three payments as follows: The first payment of 50% will be made to an employee within the next available pay period following the date of hire. The second payment of 25% will be made within the next payroll following the 13th month of employment. The third payment of 25% will be made within the next payroll following two (2) years of employment. The employee must remain employed with the County for two (2) years or repay the incentive on a pro-rated basis.

Requirements

Knowledge of:
Philosophy and practice of indigent defense, including holistic representation practices.
Duties, powers, limitations, and responsibilities of indigent defense counsel.
Principles of criminal law and its application.
Trial and hearing procedures.
Rules of evidence.
Legal research methods.
Principles of supervision and training.
Principles of budgeting, fiscal administration, and management.
Public employment personnel practices including Equal Opportunity Employment, and customer service principles and practices.
Statistical methods used for management analysis.
Computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
Ability to:
Manage contract administration.
Successfully defend criminal cases.
Perform legal research.
Investigate and defend criminal complaints and civil actions.
Draft legal instruments and opinions.
Analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence, and precedents to complex legal problems.
Present law, facts, evidence, and arguments clearly and logically in written and oral form.
Effectively represent the Public Defender Division in legal proceedings and hearings.
Establish and maintain effective relationships with staff, the legal community, County of Lake officials, community organizations, and other government agencies.
Communicate effectively orally and in writing by preparing and presenting reports, Board Agenda Items, grant applications, contracts and public presentations.
Apply sound administrative judgment to complex organizational, budgetary, regulatory, and personnel problems.
Understand, prepare and use statistical information in support of effective decision-making.
Licensing and Certifications:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate valid California Driver's License.
Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California.
Education and Experience:
A Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from an accredited law school;
Seven (7) years of experience as an attorney, five (5) of which will include intensive trial experience as a criminal law attorney;
AND Three (3) years of experience in a supervisory or administrative management capacity over attorney's providing legal counsel and indigent defense services

Responsibilities

Assists in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the Public Defender's Division.
Plan, direct, coordinate, and review the work plan for legal defense staff; assign work activities, projects, and programs; review and evaluate work products, methods, and procedures; meet with staff to identify and resolve problems.
Direct the preparation of the Division's budget and administer the approved budget and control expenditures.
Assists in planning, organizing, administering, reviewing and evaluating the activities of professional and support staff; assists in the selection of staff and provides training and professional development.
Direct, review, and evaluate the work of attorneys and investigators.
Select, train, motivate, and evaluate legal defense personnel.
Direct procedures to determine eligibility for Public Defender services.
Provides technical advice to attorneys in the Division; defends the more complex, difficult, sensitive and high penalty cases.
Serves as a staff defense attorney for court-referred clients by:
Interviewing potential clients; advising them of their legal rights, and determining the ineligibility for defense, including potential admission to State mental health facilities.
Preparing and conducting a legal defense, from pre-trial through appellate stages.
Negotiating with prosecution attorneys for case disposition or modification.
Evaluate defense services for clients of diverse racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Represent indigent defendants in all phases of the proceedings in all types of cases.
Discuss public defense cases with judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and similar persons to obtain information and possible action relative to defendants.
Personally appear in court as defense attorney of major and other cases or at arraignment to obtain first-hand knowledge of cases going to court.
Act as liaison with other criminal justice agencies and/or public organizations, various County departments, and funding agencies.
Determine whether convictions should be appealed to higher courts.
Keep up-to-date on statutory changes affecting the Public Defender Division's programs.
Speak before civic and professional groups to explain and interpret the Public Defender function; and attend professional meetings and conferences.
Confer with office staff on record-keeping and reporting systems and initiate changes as required.
Confer with the managing directors of criminal defense contracts to ensure compliance, including receiving information on non-case related data to measure the number and type of cases attorneys are handling pursuant to the contract.
Frequently travel to various off-site locations, including the County Courthouse.
Performs related duties as assigned.