Career Opportunity
COUNTY OF SOLANO
Public Defender
Salary: $187,669 – 228,112 DOE/DOQ
Salary is currently under review, 3% increase likely in 2019
Solano is well recognized for quality of life and affordable California living. Solano County seeks a Public Defender who is an active member in the California State Bar and has a history of providing top notch criminal defense legal services to individuals accused of a crime. Our ideal candidate will be a defense attorney with supervisory experience to manage a team of 52 attorneys and 43 administrative staff, and brings adept administration skills to oversee departmental operations, including oversight of a $19.9 million dollar budget. Our ideal candidate will have exceptional people skills to successfully work with members of opposing counsel, as well as probation and other law enforcement professionals and agencies.
The County/Community
Solano County is a special place, with its inviting mix of rural and suburban lifestyles and easy access to all of the urban amenities. Conveniently situated just north east of the bay area, adjacent to Napa Valley, and midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, Solano County is home to rolling hillsides, waterfronts and fertile farmland. Thanks to a mild climate, plenty of open space, and proximity to lakes, rivers and mountains, residents can enjoy year-round outdoor recreational activities like fishing, boating, hiking and biking. County residents also can enjoy day trips to the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe region and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Solano County’s fiscal year 2019/20 operating budget is approximately $1.097 billion, which supports 18 departments serving a community of approximately 440,000. With its strategic location, affordable housing, history of responsible land use planning and attractive quality of life, Solano County provides a great place for our residents to live, learn, work and play.
For more information about the community, please watch this video: http://www.solanocounty.com/media/Depts/HR/HRSolanoImages.wmv
The Public Defender’s Office
The Public Defender’s Office proudly carries out the Constitutional mandate to provide legal defense to those accused of a crime within the County and cannot afford legal counsel. The Public Defender oversees an approximate $19.9 million dollar budget, 52 dedicated attorneys and 43 support staff, who manage over 12,000 cases annually. Our office includes a well-trained, strong legal team who provide adept legal defense skills and have a strong record of successfully defending our clients. The Public Defender’s Office reported an acquittal or hung jury rate in 2017 of 56% of felony jury trials, and 78% of misdemeanor jury trials. The Public Defender has offices in Vallejo and Fairfield, California; the Alternate Public Defender’s Office (manages conflict of interest and unavailability cases) is also located in Fairfield.
The Position and Ideal Candidate
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL…
Reflect the County’s Core Values of:
INTEGRITY – is ethical and fair.
DIGNITY – treats all persons with respect.
EXCELLENCE – provides quality, integrated, sustainable and innovative public services.
ACCOUNTABILITY – takes ownership, is fiscally responsible and results driven.
LEADERSHIP – is personally responsible and is a positive example to others.
AND…
Value client services and foster a department culture that is responsive, dedicated and ensures the best possible legal defense for clients.
Build and maintain successful working relationships with the District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department, and other law enforcement agencies.
Take an active role in providing staff with professional growth opportunities, and possess a desire to develop, motivate and supervise a diverse legal team.
Be a strategic business minded leader who can successfully manage a large legal team, department budget, and defendant caseload.
Be a master at defense strategy.
Have good leadership and interpersonal skills to work successfully with all levels in the organization.
Be willing and able to effectively work with opposing counsel.
Have excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Lead by example and navigate effectively in a political environment.
Your legal background should include:
Thorough knowledge of public legal defense services and a history of success leading defense attorneys.
Progressively responsible experience as a criminal defense attorney, coupled with supervision/management of legal services and departmental operations, which typically includes a minimum of seven years of experience in criminal defense.
Active membership in the California State Bar.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary for this position is $187,669 – $228,112 DOE/DOQ (salary is currently under review, 3% increase likely in 2019). In addition to the base salary, the County offers:
Longevity Pay of an additional 2.5% longevity pay, per level, after the completion of continuous service at 10 and each 5 years thereafter with credit for prior California cities, counties, joint powers authorities and other special districts employment.
$150 biweekly Auto Allowance, $50 biweekly Executive Management Business Expense Allowance, and $105 monthly Cell Phone Allowance.
Family health insurance monthly contribution of $1,548.55. Employees receive up to $334.58 of the unspent contribution as direct cash. Those who waive medical insurance receive $364 per month.
100% County paid dental and vision insurances for the employee and eligible dependents.
Life insurance is 1.5 times the employee’s base yearly earnings to a maximum of $350,000 and is 100% County paid.
Long term disability insurance provides income replacement to executives who are unable to work due to illness/injury, with premiums County-paid.
CalPERS Retirement formula of 2% at 60 or 2% at 62, based on CalPERS membership date. Both the County and the employee participate in Social Security and Medicare.
Moving & Relocation Expense Allowance of up to $6,000 for moving into Solano County from out of the area.
Vacation Accrual of 6.16 hours per pay period, maximum accrual of 440 hours; plus 80 hours of Administrative Leave (pro-rata during first fiscal year).
Sick Leave of 12 days per year with unlimited accrual.
HOW TO APPLY: This position is open until filled, apply by August 22 for first consideration.
Apply At: http://wbcpinc.com/job-board
Questions: Call 541-664-0376 or 866-929-WBCP (9227) or
Save the Date: Interviews will take place on September 12th, 13th, and 14th (selected candidates will need to be available for all 3 days)
Thorough knowledge of public legal defense services and a history of success leading defense attorneys.
Progressively responsible experience as a criminal defense attorney, coupled with supervision/management of legal services and departmental operations, which typically includes a minimum of seven years of experience in criminal defense.
Active membership in the California State Bar.