Public Defense Attorney - Supervisor (ACAD) (SDA)

King County•Seattle, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is seeking to fill one Special Duty Assignment (SDA) for the position of Public Defense Attorney – Supervisor in our Associated Counsel for the Accused Division. Practice area placement will depend upon business need and the experience of the successful candidate, and may occur in any practice area. This assignment is anticipated to last for up to six (6) months but has the ability to be extended or end early based on business needs. This recruitment will be used to fill future Special Duty vacancies over the next six (6) months. The successful applicant will have a passion for public defense and for representing clients, focusing on their objectives, interests, and dignity. They will be committed to fighting institutional and structural racism and willing to address issues related to equity and social justice within the workplace and the broader work of public defense. They will have a demonstrated ability to supervise the work of other lawyers and support staff and to mentor, develop, evaluate, and support employees in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should be fully knowledgeable of court procedures and the law; have considerable trial experience; possess excellent writing, research, and analytic skills, and have expertise in case preparation, handling, and disposition. Depending on the needs of their unit, attorney supervisors may carry a partial caseload subject to the limitations in DPD’s Case-Weight Credit Policy Manual. Levels of responsibility will range from supervising entry-level attorneys to those who are highly experienced. The supervisor will ensure that caseload standards that foster excellence in legal representation are observed in accordance with Washington State Bar Association guidelines. Supervising attorneys will have demonstrated commitment to clients, the Division, and DPD. The successful applicant will have an aptitude for management and leadership and will be able to work within a team of managers. The King County Department of Public Defense represents indigent adults and children facing a loss of liberty. Our department is an independent voice that promotes fairness and equity for our clients and advocates for their objectives, interests, and dignity. DPD provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), and sex offender commitment proceedings. DPD advocates to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal and civil legal systems that restrict our clients’ liberty, and advances policy reforms to reduce systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework.

Requirements

Earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school OR completed the WSBA’s Rule 6 Law Clerk Program; AND must be a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association AND have been lawyer for at least three years.
Murder/Sex/Felony High qualified (to be considered for Felony placements).
Washington State Driver's License or ability to travel to required destinations.
Knowledge of community resources and referral agencies appropriate to the specific program service.
Knowledge of computer applications, particularly as related to the performance of legal research and case management.
Knowledge of case management.
Knowledge of application of legal principles to individual cases or problems.
Knowledge of judicial and trial procedure and rules of evidence.
Knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of legal research and investigation.
Ability to collaborate with Human Resource Manager, interpret and apply DPD, and County, Human Resource, and Coalition Labor Agreements, procedures, and policies.
Ability to manage a work unit, creating systems that allow for workflow to be predictable and staff to be supported to complete the necessary work.
Ability to build a strong attorney/client relationship.
Ability to communicate and work collaboratively with all segments of judicial and criminal justice systems.
Ability to investigate and document complaints and improve client relations.
Ability to train, supervise, evaluate, mentor, and improve the work of attorneys and professional legal and support staff, including establishing goals and assigning responsibilities, communicating work performance standards, establishing work priorities, evaluating, and disciplining.
Ability to assess and make program changes and address and resolve safety, training, and personnel issues.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills, communicate clearly, professionally, and with empathy.
Skill in understanding and interpreting complex laws and regulations and analyzing complex legal documents and instruments.
Skill in presenting facts, evidence and precedents concerned in complex cases in the form of briefs, opinions, orders, or decisions.
Skill in understanding and interpreting constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative regulations, and precedents.
Skill in researching, interpreting, applying, and explaining applicable laws, codes, regulations, and court decisions.
Skill in working and building rapport with diverse cultural, socio-economic, and ethnic populations.
Demonstrated commitment to the clients of DPD.

Nice To Haves

Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the King County Code/Personnel Guidelines for their base position.
Special Duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees that have completed their initial probation.
Special Duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment.
If you are a current supervising attorney in ACAD and wish to be considered for transfer to another practice area, you should e-mail, Managing Attorney, Anna Samuel, at [email protected] no later than the closing date of this recruitment.
All interested applicants are encouraged to apply or indicate transfer preferences.

Responsibilities

Supervise attorneys.
Develop, evaluate, train, mentor, and coach unit employees, and interns.
Ensure work conforms with prevailing professional standards, applicable statues, rules, and DPD and county policies.
In consultation and coordination with the ACAD Managing Attorney, the Director’s Office, and Human Resources, conduct disciplinary investigations and impose discipline, when appropriate.
Implement and monitor corrective and career development action plans and provide support to enable employees to make positive changes.
Conduct performance evaluations of unit employees, at least annually, and as required for probationary periods, TLTs, and interns.
Assign and balance workload among attorneys within unit.
Ensure unit employees are up to date on DPD policies and developments, relevant legislative proposals or enactments and administrative and case law changes that bear on the practice area.
Act as a catalyst for problem-solving and conflict resolution within the unit and the Division.
Carry a partial caseload, requiring excellent legal representation and trial skills, excellent rapport with clients, strong legal research, strong negotiation skills and all necessary skills required of a caseload-carrying attorney.
Maintain and update, as needed, a computerized case-management system to track caseloads and individual assignments.
Have a working knowledge of the case management system and learn to utilize reports to evaluate and support the work of the unit.
Identify cases that present an ethical conflict of interest for the Department of Public Defense.
Work with Director's Office to ensure unit employees have the training and resources they need to do their jobs well.
Actively support and promote DPD's mission and all policies and practices, including internal and external activities that strengthen public defense in King County.
Serve at least twice a year on call and supervise the on-call attorneys.
Be an active member of the Division Management Team, attend meetings, relay necessary information, and assist with office-wide initiatives and operations matters.
Work closely with all supervisors to coordinate overlapping work and support the efficient operation of the division.
Set a positive and supportive tone in the Division.
Perform other duties as assigned.