Starting Pay: $53.4730 Hourly ($111,224)
After 1st Year: $55.6116 Hourly ($115,672)
After 2nd Year: $58.8461 Hourly ($122,400)
After 3rd Year: $63.7500 Hourly ($132,600)
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited law school -AND- a member of the State Bar of Michigan in good standing;
-AND-
Eight (8) years’ experience as a lawyer conducting complex litigation with at least 10 jury trials or 25 bench trials or 20 oral arguments in the appellate courts;
-OR-
Five (5) years’ experience in the practice of criminal law as a public defender or in private criminal defense practice with at least 7 felony jury trials or an equivalent combination of misdemeanor jury trials, bench trials or oral arguments in the appellate courts that demonstrate a significant record of consistently high quality criminal court representation as required by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission to handle life offenses.
Notice: Attorneys may not practice law for compensation outside of the Genesee County Office of the Public Defender during their term of employment. Permission of the Chief Public Defender is required to be actively involved in a pro bono representation.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: Performs indigent criminal defense for adult criminal cases with a concentration in complex life-offense felonies and a wide variety of legal tasks in the criminal divisions of circuit and district court which includes representation of clients at all critical stages; leads an interdisciplinary defense team in practicing holistic defense; provides indigent defense attorney services support, consultation and training for less experienced attorneys and interns.
STATEMENT OF TASKS:
- Appears at arraignments, pretrials, probable cause conferences, preliminary examinations, motion hearings, review hearings, dispositional hearings, and any and all other critical stages;
- Reviews charging documents, police reports and other discovery as provided by the prosecution;
- Promptly meets with clients as required by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) and learns the client’s goals for the representation and any special needs of the client;
- Determines what further fact investigation to undertake and directs that investigation, including the identification, consultation and hiring of applicable experts as approved by the Chief Public Defender;
- Determines what legal issues need development, researches those issues and presents them in the appropriate forum;
- Conducts legal research;
- Negotiates with the prosecution and promptly advises the client of the status of those negotiations;
- Conducts complex criminal litigation in areas including but not limited to homicide, sexual assault, multiple co-defendant cases, gang-related criminal conduct, and continuing criminal enterprise crimes;
- Serves as lead counsel in trials with junior staff and roster attorneys for oversight and training;
- Conducts any post-trial litigation necessary, such as sentencing;
- Maintains availability to other staff members and roster attorneys for consultation and education, participates in training programs and maintains current knowledge of appropriate support functions, including participation in training and mentoring other attorneys as requested by the Chief Public Defender;
- Performs other attorney functions as assigned, including providing representation at show cause hearings, probation violations, contempt hearings, state grand jury proceedings and other hearings as assigned;
- Assists junior staff and roster attorneys with trial strategy, plea negotiations and client relations as directed by the Chief Public Defender;
- Participates in community meetings, MIDC meetings, Fellowship and Internship programs, and advisory groups as directed by the Chief Public Defender;
- Performs related work as required.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Thorough knowledge of modern principles and practices of law including the Michigan Court Rules, Michigan Rules of Evidence, and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct;
- Proficiency in criminal law and trial practice per the MIDC Attorney Qualification Standard;
- Ability to research and analyze legal problems and present findings in an orderly manner;
- Ability to comply with the requirements of Michigan Indigent Defense Counsel Standards;
- Ability to maintain confidentiality with highly sensitive information;
- Ability to utilize the services of experts, as necessary to communicate with clients, witnesses and all case related persons;
- Ability to work effectively with the economically disadvantaged and diverse social, cultural and ethnic populations in a respectful and sensitive manner;
- Ability to lead other attorneys and defense support staff in a holistic approach to indigent defense;
- Ability to operate technology to search, update, correct and retrieve information;
- Ability to present a visual trial including working with multi-media presentation applications and equipment;
- Ability to communicate very effectively both orally and in writing;
- Ability to maintain good interpersonal relationships;
- Ability to attend work regularly and work under stressful conditions;
- Ability to work independently, collaboratively and respectfully in a complex, multicultural work environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion.
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