Job Summary
The Travis County Mental Health Public Defender (MHPD) is a specialized public defender office providing client centered, holistic defense representation and intensive social services support to people facing criminal prosecution while experiencing significant challenges and barriers related to mental illness, developmental and neurocognitive disabilities, and poverty.
We are currently seeking an Attorney IV with (1) a demonstrated a commitment to client centered defense, (2) meaningful experience serving our client population, and (3) the desire and ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisplinary client team. The attorney in this role will represent clients charged with misdemeanor and low-level felony offenses at all stages of defense, at the complex intersection of criminal and mental health law and procedure.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
This is the fourth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex without supervision, handles cases and matters that may result in the least severe consequences without supervision, and handles cases and matters that may result in moderately severe consequences with supervision.
Duties and Responsibilities
Works as part of a multidisciplinary client team that provides client centered, holistic defense and intensive social services support to individuals charged with misdemeanor and low-level felony charges while experiencing challenges with serious mental illness, intellectual, developmental, and/or neurocognitive disorders.
Develops effective working relationships with clients, conducts thorough pretrial investigations, performs legal research, analysis and application of legal principles.
Prepares defenses, including pretrial motions practice, litigates motions and trials.
Serves as lead counsel on cases of particular difficulty, sensitivity or requiring advanced knowledge and experience, mentors' newer attorneys and interns.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
Education and Experience:
J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school AND four (4) years licensed attorney work experience.
Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.
Please attach resume and cover letter to application.
Preferred:
Bilingual in English and Spanish
Experience working in a public defender office
Experience with the intersection of serious mental illness/disabilities and the criminal legal system.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of:
Applicable law at the intersection of mental health and disabilities with the criminal legal system
Jurisprudence, criminal and civil law and procedures, including constitutional and statutory law.
Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, including those requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.
Enmeshed penalties and collateral consequences trigged by criminal-legal system contact related to housing access, employment/occupational license access, public benefits access, or healthcare access.
Best practices in socially and culturally competent representation of marginalized people.
Effective techniques for presentation of cases in court or to effectively present facts and precedents verbally and in writing
Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.
Skill in:
Effective communication with individuals across a continuum of communication styles, abilities, backgrounds, presentations and circumstances
Appraisal and analysis of facts, law, policy, and procedures
Problem-solving and decision-making.
Verbal and written communication, including presentations, negotiations, court, meetings.
Synthesizing complex information, effectively communicating complex information, choices and decisions to others
Advocacy through collaboration, negotiation and litigation
Ability to:
Conduct legal research and analysis, both manually and electronically.
Present facts, precedents and arguments verbally and in writing and apply negotiation skills.
Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Manage time well, perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
Work well under pressure and exercise tact in trying situations.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, and the general public
Work Environment & Other Information
Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 25 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.
Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.
This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.
Work Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Monday through Friday
Department: Mental Health Public Defender
Location: 1010 Lavaca Street, 4th Floor
Criminal Background Check Required.