Immigration Specialist, State Public Defender

THE OFFICE OF THE COLORADO STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER (OSPD) maintains a reputation as one of the top organizations in the nation specializing in the delivery of indigent criminal defense. We operate as an independent agency within the Judicial Branch of Colorado State Government with nearly 1,000 dedicated employees assigned to twenty-one Regional Trial Offices, a centralized Appellate Division, and a centralized Administrative Office. The mission of OSPD is to defend and protect the rights, liberties and dignity of those accused of crimes who cannot afford to retain counsel. We do so by providing constitutionally and statutorily mandated representation that is effective, zealous, inspired and compassionate.
We seek to hire professionals who are dedicated to furthering our mission and demonstrate compassion in their service to our clients. We are a fast paced, team-oriented environment, where self-motivation and a personal commitment to high performance are important attributes for success.
DESCRIPTION OF JOB:
This position describes the experienced attorney who has achieved a master-level of practice and expertise enabling them to serve as a resource for providing consultation and advice to public defense attorneys on the implications of immigration law in criminal defense cases. This position applies expert knowledge of immigration law and practice in both state and federal court systems, to assist attorneys in identifying immigration issues and consequences of a client’s criminal charges and convictions. As the agency’s expert, this position is responsible for developing training and informational resources and presenting information in formal training sessions as well as advising and consulting on individual cases.
*This position reports to the Senior Management Team in our centralized office located in downtown Denver; however, since the position supports staff in 21 regional trial offices across the State of Colorado, some flexibility exists as to which office the position may be based.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
• Advises and supports attorneys representing clients facing immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions. Consults with the attorneys and defense teams to provide coordinated and strategic representation and maximize positive client outcomes in each of the client’s legal matters.
• Assists attorneys with crafting legal arguments and strategies to avoid triggering immigration consequences; and wherever possible, provides strategic guidance on ameliorating those consequences.
• Provides immigration law support to attorneys through all stages of legal representation where the client’s immigration status could be adversely affected such as, plea negotiations and sentencing arguments. Assists in identifying alternative dispositions that minimize the immigration consequences for the client.
• Collaborates with management to identify the best approach to provide constitutionally effective immigration advice across all offices and cases. Assists in developing guidelines for requesting immigration support and consultation to ensure consistent and effective implementation across trial offices. Supports management in budgetary and legislative efforts related to the intersection between immigration and criminal practice.
• Develops training materials and drafts practice advisories on immigration law, and maintains and updates resources and information on the intranet. Develops an educational program and agency-wide protocols on immigration law to ensure all clients are advised of immigration consequences. Conducts training and presentations for attorneys and other OSPD staff as appropriate.
• Serves as the OSPD representative in the immigration community, attending conferences to keep up to date on policy and law, and collaborates with stakeholders both locally and nationally to protect the interests of public defender clients and ensure clients are treated with dignity and respect.
• Keeps informed of trends, practices and developments in the field as it relates to clients and legal practices in the criminal defense system.
• Researches immigration law, practices and protocols to understand how they fit within existing criminal justice systems. Collects data on the impacts of public defense clients and identifies legal implications within the continuum of the justice system.
• Travels frequently to other work locations within the State of Colorado, including occasional overnight stays.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR OSPD:
As an employee of Colorado State government, we offer group benefit plan options for you and your family (health, dental, life and disability). Please visit: https://stateofcoloradobenefits.com/ for details. Other benefits include retirement plan options through Colorado PERA www.copera.org, eleven paid holidays a year, and paid-time-off for personal and sick leave. Additional information about the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender can be found at: https://www.coloradodefenders.us/.