Assistant Public Defender

Horry County Government; Conway (SC); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Horry County Government seeks an assistant public defender to provide efficient, professional representation to indigent clients appointed by the court. The role involves researching and preparing cases, advising clients on plea offers and rights, and maintaining professional relationships with clients, witnesses, and court personnel.

The position requires membership in good standing with the South Carolina Bar and the ability to handle assignments with sound judgment, confidentiality, and

Qualifications

• Must be a member in good standing of the South Carolina Bar.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret legal documents and regulations.
• Ability to write reports, briefs, and other legal documents.

Responsibilities

• Accepting, researching, and preparing cases efficiently and expeditiously.
• Advising clients regarding plea offers, rights, options, and sentencing.
• Maintaining professional relationships with clients, witnesses, and court personnel.
• Communicating clearly with clients, witnesses, and staff.

Skills

Effective communication

Professional demeanor

Organizational skills

Judgment & confidentiality

Education

South Carolina Bar member

Tools

Defender Data

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Job description

The primary responsibility of assistant public defenders is to provide highly efficient and professional representation to indigent clients appointed by the court.

Duties for this Position

• Accepting, researching, and preparing each case efficiently and expeditiously;
• Advising and counseling each client regarding plea offers, clients rights and options, strategies, sentencing, appellate rights, etc.;
• Establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with each client, witness, and court personnel;
• Maintaining open lines of communications with clients, witnesses involved in the case and court personnel;
• Utilizing the investigator, interns and other support staff appropriately;
• Seeking assistance from experts appropriate to the case;
• Demonstrating maturity and a professional demeanor at all times;
• Exercising sound judgement to achieve desired results;
• Handling emergency assignments when needed;
• Attending and participating in training seminars, conferences and staffing sessions;
• Abide by all Public Defender and County policies and procedures outlined in manual including but not limited to attendance, punctuality and professional dress code.
• Performing other related work as required.
• Representing clients in court at motions hearings and jury trials.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be a member in good standing of the South Carolina Bar and able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required:

• Communicate effectively and professionally with clients and staff
• Use correct English grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Follow written and oral instructions and procedures
• Exhibit sound judgment and good listening skills
• Handle matters with integrity and confidentiality
• Plan and prepare reports, correspondence, and charts in a variety of formats
• Use personal computer/software programs and general office equipment
• Be extremely organized, establish priorities, and meet deadlines
• Manage multiple assignments simultaneously including long- and short-range projects
• Be flexible in work assignments and processes based upon need
• Travel to various locations throughout the circuit for jail and investigations
• Effectively utilize Defender Data, Microsoft Word and Outlook

Additional Information

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, technical procedures, legal documents, and governmental (county, state and federal) regulations. Have the ability to write reports, business correspondence, transcripts and/or legal briefs.
• Must be able to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Must be able to evaluate problems, isolate key issues, research and develop alternative solutions.