Public Defender

Gila, County of (AZ); Globe, Payson (AZ, AZ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Gila County Public Defender’s Office seeks a director to lead, oversee policy, and ensure effective representation for indigent defendants. The role manages attorneys, staff, budgets, and caseloads while maintaining professional standards and constitutional compliance.

Responsibilities include providing legal representation oversight, budget development, personnel decisions, and policy consultation. Strong supervisory experience, Arizona bar licensure, and JD are required for this leadership

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school; 10 years licensed legal experience; supervisory experience of 3 years or more.
• Must be licensed by the State Bar of Arizona and remain active; maintain a clear criminal record.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License if duties require.

Responsibilities

• Direct the Public Defender’s Office and administer policies, procedures, professional standards, and staffing to provide effective public defense.
• Provide and oversee legal representation in criminal, juvenile, Title 36, appellate, and other proceedings.
• Develop and administer the departmental budget and allocate resources for staffing, technology, equipment, and facilities.
• Recruit, supervise, train, and retain attorneys and staff; ensure ongoing education.
• Review laws and standards; advise on policy, legal, operational, and public-defense issues.

Skills

Legal research

Litigation advocacy

Negotiation

Supervisory experience

Budgeting

Caseload management

Education

Juris Doctorate (JD)

Job description

The purpose of this position is to direct and administer the Gila County Public Defender’s Office and ensure effective legal representation for indigent persons as required by A.R.S. § 11-584 and other applicable law. The Public Defender serves as the County’s chief public defense administrator, establishes office policies and professional standards, manages attorneys and support staff, allocates resources and caseloads, oversees the departmental budget, and ensures representation complies with constitutional requirements, Arizona law, court rules, ethical obligations, and professional standards.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Regularly assigns work to attorneys, professional staff, support staff, contractors, and other employees and supervises related activities.

Makes or provides recommendations regarding hiring, scheduling, promotions, compensation, and other personnel actions consistent with County policy.

Makes final decisions within delegated authority regarding employee performance, training, coaching, discipline, grievances, work assignments, caseload allocation, professional standards, and supervision of attorneys, staff, supervisors, and contractors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

TIME SPENT

• Directs the Public Defender’s Office, including development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of policies, procedures, professional standards, caseload practices, staffing plans, and programs necessary to provide effective public defense services.

30%

• Provides and oversees legal representation in criminal, juvenile, Title 36, appellate, and other proceedings assigned or authorized by law; evaluates complex cases, legal strategies, evidence, constitutional issues, negotiations, motions, trials, sentencing, and other proceedings

20%

• Ensures attorneys and staff provide client-centered representation consistent with federal and state constitutional requirements, Arizona statutes, court rules, Rules of Professional Conduct, applicable caseload standards, and recognized public-defense practices.

10%

• Develops and administers the departmental budget and determines staffing, contractual, investigative, expert-witness, technology, equipment, facility, and operational resource needs; presents and advocates for resources necessary to fulfill statutory and constitutional responsibilities.

10%

• Directs recruitment, supervision, training, professional development, performance management, and retention of attorneys and staff and ensures personnel receive continuing education necessary to maintain professional competence and effective client representation.

10%

• Reviews and analyzes complex state and federal laws, constitutional requirements, court decisions, legislation, rules, and professional standards; develops policy and provides consultation regarding significant legal, operational, and public-defense issues.

10%

• Represents the Public Defender’s Office in matters involving the Board of Supervisors, County administration, courts, justice-system agencies, state and local officials, professional associations, community organizations, and other governmental or professional entities.

10%

• Performs other duties as assigned.

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITIES

This position reviews, edits and provides recommendations on departmental budget.

PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES

Initiates, communicates, reviews, approves project resources and communicates results of organizational planning projects;quality assurance projects; andemployee training and development projects.

ORAL COMMUNICATION DUTIES

This position trains colleagues, explains County procedures or processes, responds to public inquiries, participates in meetings, gives presentations, moderates gatherings, speaks with the media, negotiates or persuades, conducts meetings and provides advocacy before the courts.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION DUTIES

This position creates or edits documents, internal memos, emails, procedures, formal letters, press releases, court pleadings and motions.

INTERACTIONS WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Interacts extensively with employees, the public, Board of Supervisors, regulatory bodies, and other institutions over the telephone, by email, and/or in person.

INTERACTIONS SPECIFICALLY WITH CUSTOMERS

Regularly (More than 55% but less than 70% in a year)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree from an accredited law school and ten (10) years of licensed legal experience, preferably including substantial criminal defense or public defense experience, with at least three (3) years of supervisory or management experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job.

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Must be licensed by the State Bar of Arizona, remain active with all Arizona Bar annual requirements and maintain a clear criminal record.

Must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License if position duties require.

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

Arizona and federal constitutional law; criminal law and procedure; applicable civil, juvenile, mental-health, and appellate law; federal and state statutes and regulations; court rules and administrative orders; Rules of Professional Conduct; public-defense standards and practices; trial and appellate procedures; evidence; legal research; case and caseload management; administration and management; budgeting; personnel supervision; and County policies and procedures.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Analyzing complex legal and organizational issues; critical thinking; legal research and writing; litigation and courtroom advocacy; negotiating and persuading; problem solving; developing alternative solutions; communicating diplomatically; supervising licensed professionals; allocating resources and caseloads; developing policy; and exercising independent professional and managerial judgment.

ABILITIES REQUIRED

Consider options, risks, and benefits; exercise deductive and inductive reasoning; make sense of multiple sources of complex information; recognize and solve problems; communicate clearly under stressful circumstances; read and write at a professional level; and exercise independent judgment involving significant legal, ethical, managerial, and constitutional responsibilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Regularly stands to present and attend to court room duties.
• Rarely sits to operate special equipment and attends to reception areas.
• Regularly lifts under 10 lbs up to 75 lbs. of work related materials or equipment.
• Constantly requires dexterity for keyboard operation; rarely requires dexterity for special gadgets, crawl, kneel and twist to complete tasks.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed primarily in office environments, courtrooms, meeting rooms, other governmental facilities, and County vehicles while traveling between work locations.

SAFETY RISK EXPOSURE

May be exposed to telephone or in-person verbal abuse and occasional interpersonal or physical danger arising from interaction with emotionally distressed, incarcerated, accused, or otherwise involved persons in the criminal justice system.

PROTECTIVE GEAR & SAFETY MANUALS

Follows applicable County, court, detention‑facility, and workplace safety procedures and security requirements.

CONSEQUENCES OF ERROR

Potential errors can have legal ramifications, loss of funding, and loss of organization's credibility.