Assistant Public Defender 1 - Intermittent at STATE OF OHIO in Columbus, Ohio

Job Description:

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is currently seeking attorneys to fill two temporary, Intermittent Assistant Public Defender 1 (“APD1”) positions in our Juvenile Department. The positions will assist the agency with representing clients with cases under Senate Bill 256, which abolished life without parole for youth and provided a second look to people who committed crimes as children.  Each Intermittent APD1 position will work up to 20 hours per week in Fiscal Year 2022, which ends June 30, 2022, and through the first four months of Fiscal Year 2023.

The Juvenile Department is a team of talented professionals focused primarily on post-disposition advocacy and ensuring that the constitutional rights of children are fully realized and protected. As an intermittent APD1 working on SB 256 cases, you will work with other attorneys in the Juvenile and Legal Departments and other staff at the OPD, including investigators, administrative staff, and interns. The positions will communicate with incarcerated clients, family members, and various stakeholders; request and review records from various agencies and courts; prepare written memoranda; and appear and represent incarcerated persons at parole board panel hearings and full parole board hearings (if scheduled).

A typical day in the position will involve communicating with incarcerated clients and their families through phone, email, or in-person visits; requesting and reviewing records; working with incarcerated persons to develop or refine re-entry plans; and drafting memoranda to submit to the parole board. Each case will culminate in a parole hearing with a portion of the Ohio parole board. The attorney will appear for that hearing and provide a statement in support of release and answer questions from the board. A successful candidate will be organized and self-motivated, and interested in criminal or juvenile justice, and second chance and re-entry work. Previous experience is not required and the successful candidate will have opportunities to learn from and shadow other attorneys while they learn the parole board procedures. The position offers you the ability to work from home for a portion of time, therefore a successful candidate will also be self-motivated and comfortable communicating via Teams or other conferencing software during those times. Currently, the parole hearings are held virtually and the successful candidate will be permitted to maintain contact with incarcerated clients via electronic means, phone and video calls, and in-person visits when practical. This may include 1-2 in-person visits to a DRC institution each month. .

Essential duties of this position include but are not limited to:

• Communicate with incarcerated clients through letters, telephone or video calls, and/or in-person visits.


• Request and review records from courts, agencies, and Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) facilities.


• Communicate with family members, supporters, and agency or DRC staff to build or refine re-entry plans.


• Potentially appear at parole board family conferences (virtually) with family members and supporters if requested by the incarcerated person.  


• Prepare written memoranda to submit to the parole board describing the mitigating factors of youth as set forth in S.B. 256 and demonstrating why the incarcerated person is suitable for release.  


• Appear at (virtually) and represent incarcerated persons at the parole board panel hearings.


• Appear at (virtually) and represent incarcerated persons at full parole board hearings (if scheduled).


• Work with mitigation specialists and investigators to request records and schedule visits and telephone calls.

Please note: These APD1 positions are Intermittent positions categorized as temporary, unclassified, and part-time. The positions are not permanent and are not eligible for benefits or paid leave.  Intermittent positions may work a maximum of 1,000 hours per fiscal year. Scheduled weekly hours for this position cannot exceed 20 hours per week , and may fluctuate or change based on business needs and operational resources. In order to do this job when working from home, you are required to provide your own internet access.

PLEASE SUBMIT A COVER LETTER WITH YOUR APPLICATION.  Your application will not be considered without a cover letter.

About the Office of the Ohio Public Defender

The OPD is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

 

OPD Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
OPD Vision:   A Fair Justice System.
OPD Values:  Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

 

OPD Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:  Our commitment to inclusion is inseparable from our commitment to a fair justice system. We strive to ensure inclusive spaces and services for our staff, our clients, and Ohio’s diverse communities. We are committed to building a work environment where all our team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public. We can best meet our public defense mission through a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace, where employees thrive, our mission is accomplished, and Ohioans are served. #TeamOPD is grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion as we work together to pursue fairness and justice for all people.

 

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The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Tamra Meister, ADA Coordinator, at 614-466-5394 or hcm@opd.ohio.gov.

Licensed to practice law in State of Ohio pursuant to section 4705.01 of Revised Code.

Note: Temporary Certification for Practice in Legal Services, Public Defender, and Law School Programs may be accepted in lieu of License to practice law in State of Ohio pursuant to Gov. Bar R. IX of the Supreme Court of Ohio.