Job Summary
The Travis County Public Defender's Office (PDO) is a comprehensive public defender office envisioned to be client-centered, independent, and innovative to the needs of Travis County residents. Consistent with nationally recognized best practices, the PDO provides high-quality holistic defense representation and other support to people accused of criminal offenses in Travis County.
The Public Defender’s Office is seeking an Attorney II-IV specifically trained in immigration law to join our team. The immigration attorney is a key member of the PDO team with responsibility in providing zealous representation and advocacy for indigent, noncitizen clients within Travis County. For many noncitizens, an arrest can result in serious immigration consequences, such as being placed in detention and/or deportation. PDO immigration attorneys understand the complex intersection between criminal and immigration law and, from the beginning of the case, work as a team with clients, their families, the criminal defense and other holistic practice advocates to advise clients of and mitigate against potential adverse immigration consequences.
* The position may be filled before the closing date. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be contacted on a rolling basis. *
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
Attorney II: This is the second in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are the least complex and may result in the least serious consequences without supervision.
Attorney III: This is the third in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are the least complex and may result in the least serious consequences without supervision and handles cases and matters that are moderately complex and may result in moderately severe consequences with supervision.
Attorney IV: 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.
Attorney V: This is the fifth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are moderately complex and that may result in moderately severe consequences with supervision.
Attorney VI: This is the sixth in a series of seven attorney-related job classifications within the Attorneys job family. This classification handles cases and matters that are the most complex and that may result in moderately severe consequences without supervision and handles cases and matters that may result in the most severe consequences with supervision.
Salary Information:
Attorney II Salary: $68,095.87 - $76,047.53 Annually
Attorney III Salary: $77,956.53 - $87,059.63 Annually
Attorney IV Salary: $83,424.43 - $93,166.02 Annually
Attorney V Salary: $95,524.21 - $106,678.71 Annually
Attorney VI Salary: $102,222.02 - $115,193.30 Annually
Duties and Responsibilities
Advise non-citizen clients regarding for the full range of immigration consequences associated with their criminal cases and works with the criminal defense attorneys to mitigate the negative immigration consequences of open criminal cases.
Provides client-centered representation to indigent clients.
Works as a part of a multidisciplinary team to provide holistic representation.
Performs legal research. Searches resources and studies legal records and documents to obtain information applicable to case or issue under consideration.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
Education and Experience:
Attorney II: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school and 18 months licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney III: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school and 3 years licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney IV: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school and 4 years licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney V: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school and 6 years licensed attorney work experience.
Attorney VI: J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school and 8 years licensed attorney work experience.
Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. May consider deferred start date for highly qualified candidates immediately eligible to waive into the Texas Bar using the Admission without Examination (AWOX) process or Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) transfer process (offer contingent on successful admission).
Please attach resume to application.
Preferred:
Applications with a cover letter detailing interest in the position, including why you want to work for the Travis County Public Defender’s Office.
Recent legal writing sample.
Hearing and trial experience consistent with years of practice.
Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating on behalf of people/communities directly impacted by the criminal/immigration/indigent civil legal systems.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of:
Spanish fluency, written and oral, required.
Immigration law, specifically as it relates to the intersection of criminal and immigration law.
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.
Jurisprudence, criminal and civil law and procedures, including constitutional and statutory law.
Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines.
Effective techniques for presentation of cases in court or to effectively present facts and precedents verbally and in writing in law related matters.
Policies, practices, procedures and legal terminology related to court system.
Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.
May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.
Skill in:
Problem-solving and decision-making.
Analyzing and appraising facts, policies, procedures and legal precedents in area of specialty.
Both verbal and written communication, including presentations.
Ability to:
Exercise sound judgement.
Communicate effectively across lines of difference with others.
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 and perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
Works 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.
This position is partially funded through a multi-year grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.
Department: Public Defender’s Office
Location: 1010 Lavaca Street, 2nd floor, Austin, TX 78701
Post-Offer Criminal Background Check Required.
Apply on the Travis County website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/traviscounty/jobs/3937017/attorne...